Muddy cold water instead of coffee out of Gaggia Classic

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nightrave
Posts: 7
Joined: 10 years ago

#1: Post by nightrave »

Hi guys! This is my first post here so please excuse me if I don't do it 100% right.

Just bought a used gaggia classic and gaggia mdf grinder in addition to it. I have backflushed it, descaled it and cleaned the gasket plus changed the group gasket. The seller was claiming the machine is working fine.
I turn it on, wait for about 5 mins, grind the coffee with Gaggia MDF at level 7, put the coffee in and turn it on. It buzzes and then muddy cold water comes out of it. Any ideas on where should I check first?

User avatar
HB
Admin
Posts: 21983
Joined: 19 years ago

#2: Post by HB »

The boiler light may go off in 5 minutes, but the rest of the group won't be up to temperature for another 10-15 minutes. The grind setting number is largely meaningless; the key measure is how long the pour takes from pump on to around 1.5 to 2.0 ounces (or to be more precise, a brew ratio of 70% to 50%). And before someone else says it, you must use freshly roasted coffee, ideally around 4-7 days post roast.

If you haven't done so already, I recommend you review the Newbie Introduction to Espresso video series and the Home Barista's Guide to Espresso. I realize they represent an evening or two of study, but they answer just about every question a home barista will have in their first 3 months and more.

PS: For future reference, please don't cross-post to HB (link). Why is cross-posting strongly discouraged? provides the rationale for this site policy. Moderators reserve the right to delete cross-posts. Thanks.
Dan Kehn

rjamadagni
Posts: 46
Joined: 11 years ago

#3: Post by rjamadagni »

I turn it on, wait for about 5 mins, grind the coffee with Gaggia MDF at level 7, put the coffee in and turn it on. It buzzes and then muddy cold water comes out of it.
I have no experience with Gaggia, but my Cellini needs about 15-20 minutes minimum to come to stable temp. I normally wait about 25-30 minutes before pulling a shot. Perhaps next time you could wait 30 minutes after you turn on the machine and then try?