Forget about upgrading the Espresso. No need to do so. Just get yourself a 12oz pitcher and remove the plastic frothing aid. You'll get better coffee than 90% of the cafes around. Once I got used to using it, I can confidently say that the Espresso is a fantastic entry level machine.

Jeff,

Have you even unlocked the potential of the Gaggia Espresso yet? Before thinking about going crazy with upgrades (in my opinion the 3-way valve is entirely unneeded) you should work on your technique until you come to an obvious wall in you progress. Then begin to work on a modification to correct that.

The entry level Gaggia's really are good machines that have the features really needed to offer excellent espresso (sure it's not an E-61 commercial rotary pump machine) but the espresso made from a Gaggia can rival those made my machines costing much more.

I'm not saying don't upgrade. I'm just saying get a chance to know the Gaggia first, and then decide what may be needed. I have an unmodified Gaggia Coffee and I love it, it delivers every time.

In short it's not the machine that's important it's you. Perfect your technique and your espresso will sing.

Good Luck!

alright, good advice, Tim. i see what youre saying, i guess the last post was me just rambling about my thoughts at work last night while stocking shelves. oh well! thanks again.
-jeff

gtrman wrote:alright, good advice, Tim. i see what youre saying, i guess the last post was me just rambling about my thoughts at work last night while stocking shelves. oh well! thanks again.
-jeff

Trust me Jeff, I'm the same way! I tend to go crazy with things and do stuff that didn't really need to be done! It sure is fun though! Have fun, this is what it's all about!

gtrman wrote: the 3rd being the absolute best ever plenty of crema and all. It was even better than the one i had at a highly regarded cafe in the area. . .. and i've been using lavazza blu which came with the machine
-jeff

So it is possible to have plenty of crema from preground coffee ? No need for a high end grinder after all?

calb,
i got those results within an hour of the can being open, even a few hours later there was a noticeable drop in the freshness, also i need to emphasize that i live in boston which is apparently not known for having outstanding cafes.

also, yesterday my grinder came (rocky) and i'm still trying to dial it in just right, but i can definitely taste the difference, and the freshly roasted and ground coffee is much more flavorful even though i have yet to get an good quality extraction. does anyone have a suggestion of where to start with a dark italian roast, roasted in (what i think is) a 5 pound fluid air roaster, it seems to be a glorified version of a fresh roast or something, but the coffee tastes good. so far ive been playing around in the 6-15 area

-jeff

Gtrman, you might want to try a lighter roast. Dark roasted beans like French Roast or Italian Roast are usually too strong and bitter to make good espresso. A medium roast like Intelligentsia's Black Cat makes a much smoother, sweeter cup.

With regard to suggestions for dialing in your Rocky, every grinder is different. My Rocky seems to pull good shots in the 10-15 range, depending on roast and freshness. But yours may be much different. Shoot for a setting that will give you a 25-second extraction, then tweak your tamp and grind from there.