Issues with Crossland CC1

Need help with equipment usage or want to share your latest discovery?
phyciocc
Posts: 26
Joined: 7 years ago

#1: Post by phyciocc »

My first post here.
Had a Gaggia New Baby. Could (and still can, as I still have it) get decent espresso out of it, but steaming...well that's another story. It it not the best one.
I find the Gaggia very easy to dial in with my grinder (a Lelit PL53) and can get good thick cream fairly easily.

Upgraded, or so I thought, to a Crossland CC1 v 1.5. Mine is the old style with the 3-way solenoid discharge up front.
It takes quite a bit to heat up, and steams fairly well but espresso...not very good.

I have never been able to get a consistently satisfactory shot. I tried cooling (or warming or stabilizing) shots before brewing, raised the PID, lowered the PID, changing the offset, grind, tamp, checked the static pressure with a gauge on the group head (I have now the OPV valve set at a thick below 10 bars statically). I can grind the coffee so fine it chockes it, but a little less fine and it runs through blonding immediately. Coffee feels cold but If I raise the temp it tastes burned.

It is a if the pump puts too much water through, and the portafilters (I have double baskets) have too little coffee in them to prevent water to simply flow through. I have a scale (good to 1/10 g) and measured 18 gr of coffee and still the same. I am at wits ends. Anything I have not tried yet?

Please suggests something.

Marco

RyanJE
Posts: 1519
Joined: 9 years ago

#2: Post by RyanJE »

I dont mean to be the bearer of bad news, but I had a CC1 and temps were a major issue. I tested it many times with a thermofilter and its not accurate at all.

That and the temp has a major curve starting out very cold and only reaching close to temp after a long shot. It never actually was even close to the set temps.

Its certainly possible something is wrong with yours so you should explore that with the vendor. I personally had a poor experience with my vendor and manufacturer as well (in fairness he tried, but didnt help the temp issue). I got a lot of run around about mine because the gasket would pop off after every shot. I would have to turn off the machine and redo everything.
I drink two shots before I drink two shots, then I drink two more....

phyciocc (original poster)
Posts: 26
Joined: 7 years ago

#3: Post by phyciocc (original poster) »

Interesting.
Mine is out of warranty so no sense in talking to the vendor, really. If the temp is not constant I am chasing too many variables. I am not ready to declare defeat just yet, so I'll try to regulate the temp the old fashion way: lots of water through the portafilter and basket, then brew a shot.
And play with the PID temp and the PID offset (P9). Again.
Any other suggestions?
Thanks!
Marco

RyanJE
Posts: 1519
Joined: 9 years ago

#4: Post by RyanJE replying to phyciocc »

Have you had it for a while? If so, did you ever get shots you were happy with?

Maybe its scaled and making it worse?
I drink two shots before I drink two shots, then I drink two more....

phyciocc (original poster)
Posts: 26
Joined: 7 years ago

#5: Post by phyciocc (original poster) »

I use filtered water and I have descaled it recently.
I think that the sweet spot between boiler temp and offset between boiler and temp at the group head is difficult to hit.
Any small change and the shot doesn't quite come out right.
I probably wouldn't notice this as much ( I drink with milk 95% of the time), but anything that comes out of my old Gaggia tastes better.
I'll try to measure water temps ( need a few styrofoam cups) at the head on both machines and see.
Marco