[Closed] Anyone have a leaky Gaggia?

I have a Classic. If you're getting a rubbish crema then either your machine is faulty, or you're doing something wrong. Descaling is a good place to start. Also try cleaning it with some pulycaff and a blind filter basket. Then you can work through beans, grinding, tamping, dose, etc.

What?!?

The Asda are currently flogging 2 litre bottles of full fat Ribena for 2 quid if anyone's interested in drinking something a bit easier to prepare, has no confusing jargon attached and doesn't make you sound everso middle clarse.

Ssshhh. Grownups are talking.

Mummy, why does Daddy live with another man?

I'm well aware of the impact of beans, grind, tamping, and dose on crema and taste, don't worry.. I'm sure those who pay attention to my posts will know that I can never be accused of not thinking about the details.. 🙂

I thought the internal seals might be the problem but they don't seem to be a service item from what I can tell.

What's a blind filter basket?

Oh and re the crema, it's never been particularly good even from new. My parents' Cuisinart knocks spots off it.

I needed to replace the Porta Filta gasket on my Miss Silvia (Ranchillo) for exactly the same reason. That sorted the problem out instantly. It was a real bugger to get out though.

Is that like Lady Gaga's less well off older sister?

We've got a Gaggia Evolution that was leaking at the filter bit and the coffee was mostly missing our trendy, diddy-sized espresso cups. We ordered a new bit online (for about 68 pence) that replaced the seal that was causing the leak. It took bloody ages though 'cos the Gaggia factory was shut down for the summer and no-one else seemed to have the bit in stock.

Also, the machine still steams and expells water from the frothing bit all over the worktop, even when it's not meant to. It also drips when the machine is on standby and fills up the stupid little drip tray that comes with the machine. It's pants!

I said we should of got a Dualit espresso machine but she was having none of it 🙁

Is that like Lady Gaga's less well off older sister?

With problems "down below"?

I'm well aware of the impact of beans, grind, tamping, and dose on crema and taste, don't worry.. I'm sure those who pay attention to my posts will know that I can never be accused of not thinking about the details..

I thought the internal seals might be the problem but they don't seem to be a service item from what I can tell.

What's a blind filter basket?

Oh and re the crema, it's never been particularly good even from new. My parents' Cuisinart knocks spots off it.

Blind filter basket is for backflushing the machine with a cleaning powder: http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/blind-backflushing-baskets.html

Crema on my Classic is excellent with freshly ground beans. It's awful with old beans, or beans not ground fine enough.

A dodgy gasket where the portafilter (handle bit) attaches to the grouphead (water pump bit) means that the pressure of the water for brewing is lower, and the crema can then be poor. Changing it is a piece of p155, 10 min job at most.

Nice article here:
[url= http://www.bluebox.com.au/jcrayon/gaggia/ ]click click[/url]

Definitely descale and clean with pulycaf regularly too, both available from happy donkey mentioned above.

The seal around the handle bit has compacted a bit - the handle turns round past perpendicular now easily, however there is definitely no water leaking out around the side of the thing so that must mean it's ok...?

Descaled it thoroughly, no difference. Still wees everywhere like Slugwash describes. I think it's low on pressure too.

I'm on the point of selling it for a Cuisinart one, it was only £150.

Molgrips, which is the cuisinart one you rate? I am just about to take the plunge on a decent machine...

[img] http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRW7mutMQt-sGA4BuYPapUFZCA1z0JUz1bb6_m5fFdij04OyNV0bOHMpla_ [/img] 😉

http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item100600.aspx

This is the one they have. I love the coffee from it and it works superbly - much quieter, smoother and more efficient than mine, and doesn't leak from the basket either.

BUT

Theirs has a bit of an issue - the seal around the bottom of the water tank was a bit mangled when it came out of the box so it leaks... they just empty it after every use. One of those odd faults that happen now and again I suppose.

Neither my stove top nor the press thing we have leak and spit coffee all over the place 😕

[url= http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0119_050119_ngm_caffeine.html ]Caffeine Addiction Is a Mental Disorder?[/url]

I've used a stovetop.. interesting but more of a faff to get how I want it.

and the faffon your having with your machine is ok?

It's not a faff when it's working.....

"a leaky Gaggia"?

Yeah my wife had that for a while after pregnancy.
Every time she laughed or sneezed. 😈

[img] [/img]

get one of these [url= http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd6005.html ]gaggia group head seal[/url]

as for crema purfecto, get one of these

[img] [/img]

[url= http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/gagbotdom-gaggia-classic-bottomless-portafilter.html ]bottomless portafilter[/url]

Are you sure it is the same as the Classic? Similar, yes. The only reason I say is some websites show a different group seal / gasket for the Dose. Not sure whether the portafilter is 58mm (same as Classic and the commercial size) so you'd have to be careful which spares you bought.

I bought a 2nd hand Classic a few years ago, bought a spare group seal but have never needed to fit it.

We have a Gaggia Cubika which does the same thing - bloody hateful thing, now in a box in the garage.
Back to the simpler stovetop for us.

A bit like bikes - if gears are too complicated for you, go SS. Basic maintenance goes a long way.

I was told it was the same as the Classic. But I have to say it is most definitely not the portafilter seal.

The leaking I could maybe put up with, but the crema is still rubbish, always has been.

I had a cheapo evolution thing that was pants of the highest order, leaked & was a real pain to get a decent cuppa out of. I changed to a Delonghi Fully Automatic Bean to Cup Machine, it makes a shite cappowhatsit, but the coffee is fine, not a cheap way to get around the problem mind 😉

Mine (Coffee Deluxe) drips all the time from the PF spout when switched on, but it hasn't affected the crema. Have you taken out the shower screen (remove PF and undo the single philips head screw to get this out), and pricked all the holes clear with a pin? If some/many of these are blocked the espresso will come out flat as ink.

Also check for clumping from your grinder. Grind a full basket into the PF, level it off, then stir up the grounds with a long needle to break up any clumps.
Then tamp and see if it's any better.

The bottomless filter as mentioned above is a great addition, much easier to keep clean, but the distribution of the grounds is crucial otherwise you end up with coffee spurting all over the kitchen.

Blind filters for cleaning are no good with machines without 3 way valves to let the pressure back out, which I guess yours won't have.

Have you taken out the shower screen (remove PF and undo the single philips head screw to get this out), and pricked all the holes clear with a pin?

Did it recently. Seems to have allowed me to grind finer, but still not much crema.

I opened the machine up today with the hope of being able to see what was happening, but you can't run it with the guts out of the machine so there's no way of seeing it work. I identified the pump, the OPV, the boiler but there was another small thing that could've been a filter or some kind of low pressure pump to move liquid around, dunno. It has wires going to it.

However I didn't see evidence of a valve or solenoid near the boiler to shut the flow off - so perhaps the leakage is the water draining out of the boiler.

Definitely clean your machine with pulycaff. All the oils in the coffee go rancid after a while and you end up with crap coffee and no crema. Might not solve your problem, but only costs a few quid, and if you get a new machine you'll need it anyhow.

Also: [url= http://www.presso.co.uk/ ]WANT[/url]

As above just change the porta filter gasket I had the same issue after 5 years but reading on the net the gasket should be replaced every 6 months

[b][u]DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR GAGGIA[/b][/u]

yes I was shouting on purpose cos this tweek is brilliant

http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1143118905

there is a bit of reading involved but sparky is full of good advice

Gasket replacement instructions

http://www.bluebox.com.au/jcrayon/gaggia/

But if the porta filter gasket is not leaking, why would changing it make any difference?

And [b]it has been the same from new[/b] The complaint was prompted by having an espresso at my folks the other day.

EDIT: read the link about the OPV - mine is a plastic non-adjustable affair. I could maybe un-screw it, or file some off the brass weight and start adding shims to fine tune it.

Mol - regarding your crema issues - do you use the single or double basket?

The double, usually, but I am usually making two shots. I use the single for single shots.

Ahhh - was speaking to the bloke in my LCS and he said that the double one never seems to be as good for crema as the single one - and I have found the same and have struggled getting the balance between strength and crema etc between the two.

Molegrips

Sorry I just re read your original post my mistake

best you contact a coffee forum, but it must be said that the Gaggia spares are cheap and easy to get hold of