Hello all,
I am a new member as of 5 minutes ago. Just got my home setup a gaggia classic machine and a rocky doserless grinder. am pulling great shots but i have a few simple questions about the art in general.

1. my portafilter came with a plastic "tip" that fits in the bottom? what is this for and do i need it?

2. can i unscrew the diverter as i only make shots for me? does this hurt the shot?

3. what is the optimal warmup time for the gaggia?

4. what are the pros and cons of a bottomless portafilter? is it messy?

5. and last, i have heard friends who have been to italy talk about this frothy espresso, where they whip sugar up and add no milk to it...how is this done and what do they whip...the entire espresso with sugar before serving?


whewww...thanks to all who can help a little or a lot

Hello, Jim!

There are so many great and informative threads in this site! Your Gaggia question may well have been answered in useful detail in 'Espresso Machines' and easiest is probably to try searching that forum ... I think there are a couple of threads devoted to sugar-and-froth coffees of one kind or another too, maybe this one?

As for the bottomless portafilter, here is an outline.

thanks for the direction. the frothing techniques were answered as were the temp questions. if anyone can help me out with the other questions...the one about unscrewing the diverter and also the one about the black plastic piece iw old appreciate it

By diverter I assume you mean this. These are usually called spouts. You can remove this without a problem. I did before I pulled a shot. Ive got no reason to split them when its all going to the same place. Its arguably better for the espresso because it does not come in contact with as much metal. I prefer it because its easier to clean and allows a degree of diagnosing ability.


I assume the plastic bit is something like this


This is a device to convert your portafilter to a pressurized one, do not use it.

jimk1287 wrote:Hello all,
I am a new member as of 5 minutes ago. Just got my home setup a gaggia classic machine and a rocky doserless grinder. am pulling great shots but i have a few simple questions about the art in general.

1. my portafilter came with a plastic "tip" that fits in the bottom? what is this for and do i need it?

2. can i unscrew the diverter as i only make shots for me? does this hurt the shot?

3. what is the optimal warmup time for the gaggia?

4. what are the pros and cons of a bottomless portafilter? is it messy?

5. and last, i have heard friends who have been to italy talk about this frothy espresso, where they whip sugar up and add no milk to it...how is this done and what do they whip...the entire espresso with sugar before serving?

1. Already covered, but: this is a device that will block the flow of espresso until a certain amount of pressure has been created in the portafilter. This creates a sort of fake crema and makes the coffee look more presentable (think Nespresso). These gizmos are designed to compensate for grinders that don't grind fine enough. Your rocky should grind fine enough to create the proper resistance and pull a good shot.
2. Knock yourself out!
3. Let it warm up in coffee mode for around 25 minutes. Make sure not to leave it in steam mode any longer than you need to though. The gaggia will not automatically refill its boiler so leaving it on for days at a time or in steam mode is a bad idea.
4. Bottomless portafilter will allow you to see the extraction, and therefore flaws in your distribution, crooked tamps, etc. A very good investment to make. They are only messy if your technique is flawed, you'll probably make a mess the first few but it isn't a big deal.
5. I've definitely heard of this drink but have no clue what it's called or how to make it. Most people here don't give much thought or credence to what the italians do, you may have better luck just googling for that one.

thank you so much for all your help...you answered eveyrthing perfectly. i am now on my way to making better shots. again thank you for all your help and i hope to become a better home barista so i can share more info on these forums.

Dont forget the good coffee. With good coffee you wont need that pressurized portafilter insert. It was made with supermarket coffee beans in mind.

hamish5178 wrote:.
Most people here don't give much thought or credence to what the italians do...

Seriously? Or are you being ironic? The culture that invented espresso? Those Italians?

jimk1287 wrote:5. and last, i have heard friends who have been to italy talk about this frothy espresso, where they whip sugar up and add no milk to it...how is this done and what do they whip...the entire espresso with sugar before serving?

I believe you are talking about a dolci espresso* , made in the home with a moka pot. Cafe Cubano con Espumita is the same thing - *that's what Medaglia D'Oro calls it in their in-English coffee recipes. Not sure what they call it in Italy.

Just to clarify something regarding the question #1:

The gaggia classic comes with several portafilter baskets. Some pressurized, some regular. The pressurized baskets have one single hole at the bottom, centered. The fact that there is only one hole is what will bring the pressure up, regardless of the coffee and tamping technique. The plastic tip is not bringing the pressure up. It has to be used with a pressurized basket to avoid making a mess: it will prevent the pressurized coffee to splash out of the portafilter.

So the bottom line is: if you use a regular basket, you do not need the plastic tip. If you use a pressurized basket, you have to use the plastic tip.

MatP