First post here, thanks to all of the informative info in this forum I was able to rehab my old Gaggia Classic after years of (ab)use and better inform myself about how to care for it from here on out.

I replaced the group gasket (completely shot), shower screen holding plate (absolutely caked in old coffee and pretty corroded) and the shower screen (so fused to the holding plate I couldn't remove it without bending it off to get to the holding bolts underneath).

The machine works better than ever now. The flavors of the espresso are far more clean and defined and before.

Question: The replacement shower screen holding plate that I got from partsguru is made of brass. The original is stainless/aluminum? Now that I think about this a bit I have some apprehensions about pouring hot water for espresso through brass. Maybe I'll try to save the old original shower screen holding plate. Any wisdom? Thanks all,

-Nathan

The OPV on the Classic (the part is attached to the base of the boiler and does get hot) is made of brass - Steam valve is too. Check out the photo in the link for the inside view:

Gaggia Classic coughed, spluttered, smoked then 'expired'...

I don't understand why this is a problem. The PF is brass. So is the group head. In fact, most espresso machines use extensive amounts of brass in the brew assembly. Silvia also uses a brass boiler, though Gaggias use aluminum or stainless steel instead. No one seems to complain about using brass in the brew path of espresso machines.

Are you worried about lead exposure? If so, I doubt it's ever going to add up to enough lead to become anywhere near toxic.

nahthan wrote:Now that I think about this a bit I have some apprehensions about pouring hot water for espresso through brass. Maybe I'll try to save the old original shower screen holding plate. Any wisdom?

For recent members, the question of lead exposure comes up frequently. Below are three representative samples:

• Health warning on espresso machines (?)
• Brass Boilers Expose You To Lead?
• I want a new espresso machine with a stainless steel boiler; any recommendations?

Personally I wouldn't worry much about lead exposure given the small volume required to flush the Gaggia's boiler (a few ounces?) and the limited time water is in contact with the boiler.

Thanks Dan, beezer and Eric. Yes, I was concerned about lead, potential flavor impact in using brass vs. aluminum, and just the general breakdown of the material over time, since the material used in the replacement shower screen holding plate was different that the original.

It's been great to get this old machine back on its feet in better shape.