Coffee Appreciation

Hmmm. The coffee isn't flowing this morning.

The problem seems to lie with the shower disc or the shower disc holder but I haven't even been using the machine for a week so is that really in need of a clean? Help please!

Make sure you have a good few inches of water in the tank. You can remove the shower disc easily with a good fitting pozidrive screwdriver if you need to look and clean.

You can give the group head a burst of pressure by running in steam mode, then as soon as it comes up to temperature when the brew-ready light goes back on, flip the steam switch back off, and switch the brew switch on. A burst of high pressure steam and water will gush out. I do this in the morning with the portafilter fitted, as it heats things up quickly, and the massive pressure causes some back flushing to occur as a bonus.

Thanks, but I tried exactly that and still hardly anything coming out :(

Can't believe it needs unscrewing and cleaning after such little use.

Sainsburys TTD Tanzanian moshi community fairtrade sundried peaberry beans are surprisingly good. £2.46 for 227g

^^ given symptoms & newness of machine it may be something internal, e.g. Solenoid.

Bloody hell. That's annoying. Hmm, not really sure what to do...

Talking of back flushing, I've noticed an abrupt increase in the time it takes to pull a shot. I've stripped the brew group and cleaned under the shower plate to no avail.

Any handy hints on bodging a blank so I can try back flushing it before I buy a new machine? Its an old Baby Gaggia and uses the same chrome plated brass brew group as the GC.

Cheers

allegedly the end of a lemon can be used as a plug for backwashing

or you can buy a rubber disk

I don't understand why you'd avoid buying a blind basket! Surely that's quicker and easier than buying a new machine? And hopefully if you got a new machine you'd actually backflush it often?

^^ given symptoms & newness of machine it may be something internal, e.g. Solenoid.

I seem to recall that they can get sticky. Might be mentioned somewhere online, but I can't really remember.

Any handy hints on bodging a blank so I can try back flushing it before I buy a new machine? Its an old Baby Gaggia and uses the same chrome plated brass brew group as the GC.

Try back flushing once its heated up in steam mode as I was describing before. You can try using cling film or foil to block the basket.

Don't think the gaggia baby has a 3 way solenoid so can't be back flushed...

Don't think the gaggia baby has a 3 way solenoid so can't be back flushed...

I thought that, and then forgot to mention!

Also, try a strong solution of tartaric acid if you think it might be chalked up.

This plastic "turbofrother" steam wand on my GC is pissing me off now. It requires some skill just to stop milk turning in to a foam block.

Where's the best place to get a silvia wand at the moment?

Had the same issue...ended up pulling the turbofrother off and now just use the little plastic attachment on its own. Not sure if this is by the book or not but seem to be able to make fairly decent milk without turning it into a bubble bath.

^ I did think of that :) Will get a Rancilio Silvia wand I reckon, but it's not urgent.

Right now I just want the damn machine to work! I have taken off the shower disc holder and the shower disc. Nothing obviously wrong and very clean so I think the machine probably needs to go back for the manufacturer to investigate.

How annoying!

It's possible that the three-way solenoid valve has jammed over to steam mode. Does the steam wand still work, because that could be a give away.

I'm not sure if there is a way to free it up easily, eg. by switching the steam switch on and off. Very annoying!

Steam wand works. I've now emailed customer care. Bad timing with bank holidays and the fact I'm going away in 3 days for a few weeks. Thanks for your assistance today matey.

The standard steam wand (or "Turbofrother", way to make your product sound like a steaming turn Gaggia...) is utter crap. I got my Silvia wand here (as did Hippy as far as I recall) http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hdr0001.html

I remember paying about £15-£20 for mine though, maybe they've increased the price due to demand.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rancilio-Silvia-Steam-Wand-or-Gaggia-Classic-Steam-Tube-Conversion-Kit-/221150821679?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item337d9dbd2f

Same wand, a bit cheaper.

Thanks Mick, it does sound pricey.

Not as if it's a magic wand...or is it?

Compared to the "Turbofrother" (christ I can't even say that without gagging [there's probably a Gaggia/gagging pun in there somewhere, can't be arsed]) it's as magic as a rainbow-pooping unicorn that can sing ABBA songs.

That would mean you think it is magic

Talking of back flushing, I've noticed an abrupt increase in the time it takes to pull a shot. I've stripped the brew group and cleaned under the shower plate to no avail.

Any handy hints on bodging a blank so I can try back flushing it before I buy a new machine? Its an old Baby Gaggia and uses the same chrome plated brass brew group as the GC.

Cheers

http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/does-my-gaggia-baby-have-three-way-solenoid-t21691.html

Also, is the grind consistent? Are you using different beans?

It's possible that the three-way solenoid valve has jammed over to steam mode. Does the steam wand still work, because that could be a give away.

I'm not sure if there is a way to free it up easily, eg. by switching the steam switch on and off. Very annoying!

The 3-way valve has nothing to do with the steam wand.

It's tank, grouphead and driptray/overflow.

Steam wand works. I've now emailed customer care. Bad timing with bank holidays and the fact I'm going away in 3 days for a few weeks. Thanks for your assistance today matey.

What machine is it? Descaled recently? I had a Gaggia that didn't flow due to dodgy 3-way solenoid but it was an old machine.

The standard steam wand (or "Turbofrother", way to make your product sound like a steaming turn Gaggia...) is utter crap. I got my Silvia wand here (as did Hippy as far as I recall) http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hdr0001.html

Yep, I got that and lots of other stuff from Happy Donkey. The Silvia wand is loads better than the stock Gaggia wand. Single hole makes fine microfoam much easier to produce.