Hooray, I am the proud owner of a used Astra Gourmet I got an AMAZING deal on (someone else here called it the deal of the century) from my husband's office where it was just sitting there mainly being used as a glorified hot water dispenser! It's about 3 years old (we think) definitely no more than that. We got it plumbed in the other day and have started experimenting. There are a few things we are wondering about and I don't know where to begin with figuring them out. The manual is crap. Their website hardly has any information. I'm hoping someone here may have some useful input to get us started on the right road...

1) When we lock either of the portafilters into place, they handle only goes to about 6 o'clock or maybe 5 at the furthest no matter how hard we push. Then when we brew there is sometimes liquid spilling out the top of the portafilter. So, not getting a tight seal obviously, and from my previous experience working in coffee shops (granted this was 10+ years ago so I'm very rusty) it seems to me the machines all allowed you to push the handle closer to 3 o'clock or so when locked in completely. So...what's the deal with this? Is something in the way? Does it need to be cleaned? What is the "screen" called that the water drips through into the portafilter, and do we need to replace that, could it be bent or damaged? (I am a total technical ignoramus here obviously.)

2) Can I use any brand of espresso machine cleaner to backflush this machine? Astra recommends a particular type in their user manual, but there are better prices on other brands, and I could save on shipping by ordering it with some other things I need from the same place. They recommend Puly Caff. Can I just get Urnex brand, which I saw elsewhere? Do I need a particular type of detergent?

3) Along the same lines, do I have to get the blank filter from Astra to be sure it fits? Or are these standard so I can buy it from anywhere? Also, should I get rubber or metal, or does it matter?

4) Do I need to clean the inside of the steaming wand? I saw there are brushes for this purpose? If so, how do I figure out what size I need?

5) Where can I get instructions/photos to figure out how to do my own maintenance on this thing? I imagine it needs some help because it's pretty much only been used by people who had no idea what they were doing.

6) Do I need to do some internal adjustment to change the pressure? I think I read that about HX machines. The steam blasts too much even when I barely open the valve.

7) Oh, also what is the deal with this self tamping thing? Any advice on this? The manual just mentions that it's self tamping and says to smooth the grounds. So, how do I know how much to smooth them? Do I need to avoid pressing down at all? Does it mean the shots will not turn out if I do tamp, or is this just a "tamping optional" sort of thing?

I'm sure I need to know much more, but at least this should all help me get started. I must say though that even the relatively crappy shots I've produced are pretty tasty so I'm sure we're going to love this machine once we get past the learning curve!!!

Congratulations! The first thing you should do is check out the Recommended Reading at the top of the FAQs and Favorites digest. The Astra Gourmet is a heat exchanger-based machine (for simultaneous steaming and brewing temps), the grouphead is based on the E-61, so pay attention to those FAQs and Favorites threads.

cprice88 wrote:1) When we lock either of the portafilters into place, they handle only goes to about 6 o'clock or maybe 5 at the furthest no matter how hard we push. Then when we brew there is sometimes liquid spilling out the top of the portafilter. So, not getting a tight seal obviously....

6 o'clock is normal... most likely you need to replace the group gasket as it it may be hard, brittle or cracked. Replacing the showerscreen or dispersion screen may be a good idea too. The Astra is similar in design to the E-61 group head (or is the E-61 for all intents and purposes), so see some of the many FAQs regarding the E-61 and screen removal and gasket replacement in the Espresso Gear forum FAQs and Favorites.

2) Can I use any brand of espresso machine cleaner to backflush this machine?

You can use any type of commercial espresso cleaner. JoeGlo is what I happen to have. A big bottle of any cleaner should last many years. I believe Puly Caff is in LA, so they may have a relationship with Astra (also based in LA).

3) Along the same lines, do I have to get the blank filter from Astra to be sure it fits? Or are these standard so I can buy it from anywhere? Also, should I get rubber or metal, or does it matter?

Any standard 58 mm blind filter should work. I happen to use metal ones, but the rubber insert may be convenient because you just drop it into the standard basket. If you have an extra portafilter, you might chose to leave the blind in one to use daily.

4) Do I need to clean the inside of the steaming wand? I saw there are brushes for this purpose? If so, how do I figure out what size I need?

I've never used one, but it might be a good idea. There is also special cleaning solutions for removing the milk crud, i.e. Urnex Rinza. If you get the wand clean and take care to wipe it down in flush it out after every use, it should stay pretty clean.

5) Where can I get instructions/photos to figure out how to do my own maintenance on this thing? I imagine it needs some help because it's pretty much only been used by people who had no idea what they were doing.

See the aforementioned FAQs and Favorites, and there may be some helpful links from the Resources page. I recall Espressoparts.com has some general maintenance tips pages with pictures and a few videos (EDIT - here's the link.).

6) Do I need to do some internal adjustment to change the pressure? I think I read that about HX machines. The steam blasts too much even when I barely open the valve.

Maybe.... I try starting out with a boiler pressure of 1.0 bar. If you are already at 0.9-1.2 bar, you might just leave well enough alone until you are more familiar with the machine. The higher the boiler pressure, the hotter the boiler runs... which means higher brew temps (or longer cooling flushes) and faster steaming.

7) Oh, also what is the deal with this self tamping thing? Any advice on this? The manual just mentions that it's self tamping and says to smooth the grounds. So, how do I know how much to smooth them? Do I need to avoid pressing down at all? Does it mean the shots will not turn out if I do tamp, or is this just a "tamping optional" sort of thing?

This is a somewhat unusual practice, but the idea is to grind fine enough and dose low enough that the action of locking in the portafilter will lightly tamp the grinds, and the column of water during brewing further compresses them and will hopefully extract them evenly. I would say this is an optional practice. The dirty screen and grouphead bayonet (slots for the portafilter) would be enough for me to run back to tamping, but Astra must have enough success with this method that they recommend it. You can go any way you want on this.

Good luck and keep reading....

Here is the info I was thinking of at Espressoparts.com, link.

Wow! This is pretty cool! I got the same machine myself at the "deal of the century" yesterday! I got an Astra Gourmet G.A.P., hardly used at all! Didn't have too much to clean when I got it home, but the steam wand was PLUGGED with crud; fortunately I was able to use a high-tech instrument known as a "sewing needle" to get that working again.

I think this is an absolutely beautiful machine; although I had never heard of Astra up here in Alberta Canada, I am a fan now - solid clean construction, seems to be build like a tank.

I cut my espresso teeth using a Rancilio Silvia for the past two years, so I know a thing or two about espresso, but boy will it be great to be able to steam and pull shots at the same time!

I read your post with great interest, as mine did not come with a manual, and I seem to have the same issue with the portafilter. I've personally found that if a machine hasn't been used for a while, you have to really "crank" the portafilter in the first few times. Anyway, I'll read the FAQ and will come back here if I have any questions!

I have a slightly different machine (Astra Pro), but they share a lot of the same parts. This is my second astra, but on the first one, the PF only locked in at 7oclock and had no problems (well, no problems with that part of the machine anyways). My current machine, the PF locks in at 6-6:30. If the PF locks in tight w/o any leaking, I would presume it's nothing to worry about.

Astra doesn't advertise it, but they do offer a non-self tamping screen. It's a thinner dispersion block that's about 1/2 as thick. You could call them up and order one if you'd like; I think they're about $25 or so. I've only used the thinner screen so I don't know how well the self tamping works.

If your steam wand was plugged, chances are you have milk deposits inside the steam wand. I had one like that, nasty mess. I had to pull the wand off the machine and soak it in backflush detergent for a couple of days while running brush up the tube to scrub out the softened crud. It was nasty, but the exterior of the wand was clean. You could smell the rancid cooked on milk when you turned on the steam wand. You may want to check yours to make sure.

Congratulations!
I got one on a trade and I also had that problem and the milk grunge was up into the spring holding the wand and the tap.. The steam wand will suck up milk when it cools if not purged and wiped. They do sell a tap repair kit of seals and "O"rings, and it may not be a bad idea to buy it. The "O"rings in the steam wand and water tap are usually badly worn and may leak after a few uses. They are really pleasant folks to do business with! I do suggest that you have an organized list of your questions before calling as they are running a business. A serial number can help a lot! They make many combinations of features. Mine is a pourover/plumb -in, determined by where the pump input hose is placed. The pourover has a smaller pump motor.
Cheers
Richard / espressme
PS. There are two thicknesses of PF gasket. Know which one you have.
PS a small packet of Dow 111 is a winner to get all back together. They also sell a lube at Astra.

If your steam wand was plugged, chances are you have milk deposits inside the steam wand. I had one like that, nasty mess. I had to pull the wand off the machine and soak it in backflush detergent for a couple of days while running brush up the tube to scrub out the softened crud. It was nasty, but the exterior of the wand was clean. You could smell the rancid cooked on milk when you turned on the steam wand. You may want to check yours to make sure.

I completely back up what richard just said. I can't say enough about the Astra customer service. They stand behind their product and are willing to work w/ the customer. Richard (the owner) takes a lot of pride in every machine that leaves the door.

I agree with everything that has been said about Astra - I spoke to someone in their office today and they were incredibly helpful! This is a company that deserves our support and strong recommendations!

I'm not too fussed about the steam wand - I spent much of last night blowing out the gunk from it. If anything, I might remove the tip to see how much of a problem the blockage could be; but I'm not too worried. I don't smell any rancid milk or anything like that.

Is it possible to run hot water through the steam wand? I am thinking this might be a good way to potentially clean out gunk. I read somewhere else that one way to achieve this is by putting the "blank" in the portafilter and running an extraction, but I'm not sure this would work. Ideas/suggestions, anyone?

To all who are following this thread (especially the OP), I have some definite advice: the group head needs to be cleaned, and if it is a machine that was not super well maintained (like the OP's machine), you will need a hammer and a screwdriver to remove the old gasket! I removed mine this morning, and the dispersion screen was completely plugged with gunk, and the gasket was ROCK HARD. Be warned, this is not a job for the squeamish... Good thing I ordered a new dispersion screen and gasket from Astra this week!

I HAVE MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE ASTRA SEMI-AUTOMATIC, INCLUDING COMPLETE REBUILDING. REPLACE YOUR GROUP GASKETS EVERY 6-8 MONTHS IF YOU LEAVE YOUR MACHINE ON ALL THE TIME. THE HOT HEAD COOKS THE RUBBER AND MAKES IT BRITTLE. IF YOU TURN IT OFF, PERIODICALLY CHECK THE GASKET'S SOFTNESS BY USING THE PORTA FILTER. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU USE A WATER SOFTENER. IF YOU DO NOT YOU WILL END UP REPLACING PARTS VERY FAST. EVEN THE HEATERS WILL CORRODE QUICKLY. TO CLEAN THE HEAD, I USE AUTOMATIC DISH WASHING POWDER. WORKS VERY WELL, IS COST EFFECTIVE AND IS CHEMICALLY SIMILAR TO COMMERCIAL CLEANERS. GOOD LUCK