The Gaggia Classic is made entirely with replaceable parts. A rarity for coffee machines these days. These videos are very helpful in keeping mine running.
DO NOT HAMMER UNTIL YOU TRY THIS: I was able to unscrew my screen (and it was stuck!). Using a long screw driver like the one in the video with a piece of rubber from a bike air tube I had laying around. Turn the GCP upside down as shown, Cut a piece of the tube and put it between the screw and the screw driver. Apply force and turn. You will save your screen and screw. The OEM screen is better in my opinion and it’s worth saving if you have this model. I hope this helps someone out there.
Thank you so much!!! I just bought an old used Gaggia D90, breaking the gasket like that was spot on, and the screw trick was exactly what I needed, along with telling me to force the aluminum head off, it made all the difference!!
Hi Adam, Thanks for the comment. If there was scale there, there's scale elsewhere. May want to consider treating water to reduce/eliminate limescale to avoid future issues.
Don't wreck the screen, just heat the screw. Plug it in a couple minutes, and then hit it with a small butane torch style lighter. Not going for thermal expansion of the metals so much, but just to warm and loosen the coffee tar. Should come out easily once warm.
Hey SG, I’d go at it with a teaspoon or so of Cafiza mixed into a half cup of warm water. Apply with a stiff brush, a little scrubbing and leave on for 5-10 minutes. Then rescrub with solution and rinse thoroughly.
@@Wholelattelovepage Cleaned the head piece. Gasket looks good, it's a silicone one, shower piece is a little bent. I'm sure you all recommend one. I'll check out your profile for a website.
Do you know what causes the basket to stop threading into the threads? The one I got keeps getting harder and harder to thread. From looking around, seems like a new gasket will fix. Fingers crossed. Ordered one
Hi TRS, Assuming you are talking about locking in the portafilter to the group head? Things that cause issues there are: an accumulation of coffee gunk in the group head, filter basket not properly inserted in or too big for the portafilter.
@@Wholelattelovepage Thanks, should not be any of those but I have not changed the gasket ever its been about 10 yrs since I bought. The plastic handle broke off a while ago and was using a hot pad to tighten it and hold it while it brewed. I have now replaced the handle. We will see if a new gasket will fix it! Update: the gasket arrive and uh yea if you wait that long to replace it, it will be a crumbly rock! Yep working great now! .....Now if I could get the socket off the nut inside the handle it would all be perfect. Maybe my needle nose will get it... These machines, I cant say any about other than the regular classic I have are absolutely fantastic to have in my opinion. Compared to a regular coffee maker, they are like heaven. Mainly, I dont have to wait that long to get coffee in morning or whenever wanting some good coffee. So far, some costco brand beans have treated me the best of what I have tried.
Hi, I have a Gaggia Coffee and i am wondering if the holding plate is supposed to come off too (i tried pliers and the longer screw trick without success...); thank you!!
Thanks for the videos! R Got a used gaggia classic about 2 yrs ago and didn't know had to be cleaned until recently. The shower holding plate is practically glued tight and will not come off. Do you have any other tips on how to get it off other than using force?
If you have the aluminium shower screen holding plate, the threaded center hole for the shower screen screw goes right through the holding plate down to the brew group (you can see this on the old holding plate in the video). This allows you to screw in a screw that is longer than the shower screen screw (M5 thread, you'll want it to be at least 20mm in length) to force the holding plate out. Very little torque is required when screwing it in. This will generate much more force in a much more controlled manner than hitting it with a hammer or attempting to pry it out with a screwdriver. The scratching damage to the brew group surface should be minimal, but you can mitigate it by covering the tip of the screw. Remember to remove the allen key screws holding the holding plate before you do this, or you will strip the center thread. If you have a stainless steel shower screen holding plate, this method may not work as the threaded hole may not go all the way through the holding plate.
Dear Sir - I just saw your RUclips videos and would like to order a new screw (mine is ripped as I tried to remove it and did not realized you can do what you did ) and a new shower screen. I owed an old gaccia classic which is 7 years old but still working fine What’s the link on your website to do it? Also which reference of long screwdriver do you use - thanks again
Hi J-H M, If your Classic is 7 years old, it's likely it has the old style aluminum shower screen holding plate. You might consider upgrading to a stainless steel holding plate and precision shower screen like this pair: www.wholelattelove.com/collections/pro-brewing/products/bit-international-gaggia-classic-pro-shower-screen-and-holding-plate Here's the screw: www.wholelattelove.com/products/shower-screen-screw-m5x8-uni-7688-din-965-stainless No particular long screwdriver nd you can use a short. If using long, just so it's long enough to clear the drip tray support. Hope that helps!
My Gaggia Classic Pro shower screen is possibly defective? Not sure if anyone else has had this issue, but it "pops" outward. Like a snapple bottle lid. The water just pours out from around the edges instead of coming through the screen. Yes it is installed the right way, I can tell because there is a divot that the screw sits neatly in. Has anyone else had this issue? If so what do I do? Just buy a new screen? Thanks for any help you can provide.
Hi VV, That's highly unusual! Did you purchase machine in North America? If so, reach out to our tech support here for assistance: www.wholelattelove.com/pages/contact-us A short video showing issue will be of use for our techs.
Hey could you please help me with something? I’ve recently removed the 3 way solenoid value, cleaned everything out as per your videos, made a few shots, then tried to steam milk and heard a loud boiling sound before losing all steam pressure. I then checked and I’ve lost all water out of the group as well. Which indicates I need to clean out the solenoid valve again! Any ideas on why this is happening?
Hi ag3, If there were a lot of scale deposits in the machine it's likely scale form the boiler plugged the solenoid again. Not sure why you lost steam pressure but could be scale plugging there as well. If you open the steam wand and press the brew and steam switch together do you get water out of the steam wand? If so then it's not plugged with scale. We do run into people who have neglected descaling of machines in the past who end up with repeating clogs in the solenoid. In a severely scaled machine no amount of descaling can remove all the scale in the boiler. At that point boiler replacement is required.
@@Wholelattelovepage hi WLL. I decided to dismantle the machine and boiler and give it another good clean. Turns out there were a few solid pieces of scale through out. I gave the entire machine a good clean as per one of your older videos and everything is fine now. Much appreciated!
@@ag31988 Good to hear. With the machine scale free at this point be sure and use quality water that's been softened or better yet treated to reduce calcium while maintaining a mineral level needed for flavor. BWT has good options for the Classic which prevent scale and maintain mineral level by exchanging calcium for magnesium. Should you choose not to treat water be sure and descale the machine regularly to prevent future problems. BWT treatment options for the Gaggia Classic Bestsave in-reservoir pad filter: www.wholelattelove.com/products/bwt-bestsave-s-anti-scale-filter Bestcup in reservoir plumbed filter: www.wholelattelove.com/products/bwt-bestcup-m-package Penguin Pitcher: www.wholelattelove.com/products/bwt-penguin-2-7-l-water-pitcher
Hey suet, If you have a Classic that's more than a couple years old chances are holding plate is aluminum. This stainless steel used in newer models is a nice upgrade and will fit your machine: www.wholelattelove.com/products/gaggia-classic-stainless-steel-shower-holding-plate
@Wholelattelovepage Thank you! It is more than a couple of years old and pulls 3-4 double shots daily. I do clean regularly. The plate did clean up beautifully, though. When I'm ready for a replacement I'll definitely go with the stainless.
i've ruined shower screens twice to remove them, because the screw sticks every time. But this isn't feasible for regular cleaning. The best I can do is regular backflushing to minimise residue on the plate and screen. It's definitely a flaw in the Classic's design that's decades old.
Hi Adrian, A year or so ago, with introduction of the Gaggia Classic Pro, machines started coming stock with a stainless steel shower holding plate. Stainless steel makes disassembly easier and also provides better thermal stability as the stainless holding plate is ~3x the weight of the old stock plates. If you have an older Classic you can upgrade it with the stainless plate available here: www.wholelattelove.com/products/gaggia-classic-stainless-steel-shower-holding-plate
One of the biggest issues with this machine is this. Mine gets stuck every cleaning cycle and 9 out of 10 times, I end up stripping the screw due to effort being applied. Having to spend $30 every cycle just to clan the machine is ridiculous
The Gaggia Classic is made entirely with replaceable parts. A rarity for coffee machines these days. These videos are very helpful in keeping mine running.
Hi e, thanks for the comment! Very true and why I recommend machine grade espresso makers over appliance grade products which have low repairability.
DO NOT HAMMER UNTIL YOU TRY THIS: I was able to unscrew my screen (and it was stuck!). Using a long screw driver like the one in the video with a piece of rubber from a bike air tube I had laying around. Turn the GCP upside down as shown, Cut a piece of the tube and put it between the screw and the screw driver. Apply force and turn. You will save your screen and screw. The OEM screen is better in my opinion and it’s worth saving if you have this model. I hope this helps someone out there.
Thanks for sharing the tip!
You saved me - I tried everything to unscrew my showerscreen, but your "hammer method" was the only one successful :) Many thanks!
You are welcome!
@@Wholelattelovepage same for me. Thanks a lot!
Same here! This was great help, thanks so much!
Same here!
You could just use an impact driver and not damage anything
That trick with the screw for the gasket, that just saved my bacon big time!
Fantastically helpful video mate, thank you.
Hey Simon, You are welcome and thanks for the comment!
I always come back to these videos as I do more and more maintenance on my machine! Thank you!
Hi TL, You're welcome!
Thank you so much!!! I just bought an old used Gaggia D90, breaking the gasket like that was spot on, and the screw trick was exactly what I needed, along with telling me to force the aluminum head off, it made all the difference!!
You are welcome!
It was so satisfying cleaning mine. So much scale!
Hi Adam, Thanks for the comment. If there was scale there, there's scale elsewhere. May want to consider treating water to reduce/eliminate limescale to avoid future issues.
"Upside down!!!" Brillant!!! Sooo much easier!!!! Like all great ideas, only obvious after you learn about it!!! Many thanks!!!
Don't wreck the screen, just heat the screw. Plug it in a couple minutes, and then hit it with a small butane torch style lighter. Not going for thermal expansion of the metals so much, but just to warm and loosen the coffee tar. Should come out easily once warm.
Hi j, Thanks for the comment. Heat often works as you describe!
It was useful for me ..thx
You are welcome
What would you use to clean behind the holding plate and how would you go about doing it?
Hey SG, I’d go at it with a teaspoon or so of Cafiza mixed into a half cup of warm water. Apply with a stiff brush, a little scrubbing and leave on for 5-10 minutes. Then rescrub with solution and rinse thoroughly.
Guys please do a will it brew with green coffee ❤️ love the videos
How do you find replacement screen and stripped screw? I have Cuisinart EM100. Everything else work perfect.
Hi, Unfortunately we do not stock Cuisinart parts. Have you tried contacting Cuisinart directly?
Perfect, cant wait to order mines and clean it. So satisfying
It really is!
@@Wholelattelovepage Cleaned the head piece. Gasket looks good, it's a silicone one, shower piece is a little bent. I'm sure you all recommend one. I'll check out your profile for a website.
Do you know what causes the basket to stop threading into the threads? The one I got keeps getting harder and harder to thread. From looking around, seems like a new gasket will fix. Fingers crossed. Ordered one
Hi TRS, Assuming you are talking about locking in the portafilter to the group head? Things that cause issues there are: an accumulation of coffee gunk in the group head, filter basket not properly inserted in or too big for the portafilter.
@@Wholelattelovepage Thanks, should not be any of those but I have not changed the gasket ever its been about 10 yrs since I bought. The plastic handle broke off a while ago and was using a hot pad to tighten it and hold it while it brewed. I have now replaced the handle. We will see if a new gasket will fix it! Update: the gasket arrive and uh yea if you wait that long to replace it, it will be a crumbly rock! Yep working great now! .....Now if I could get the socket off the nut inside the handle it would all be perfect. Maybe my needle nose will get it... These machines, I cant say any about other than the regular classic I have are absolutely fantastic to have in my opinion. Compared to a regular coffee maker, they are like heaven. Mainly, I dont have to wait that long to get coffee in morning or whenever wanting some good coffee. So far, some costco brand beans have treated me the best of what I have tried.
If you turn on the machine and let it heat up you maybe able to get the right fittings loose like I did
Hi NT, thanks for the tip. Heat often helps!
Hi, I have a Gaggia Coffee and i am wondering if the holding plate is supposed to come off too (i tried pliers and the longer screw trick without success...); thank you!!
Thanks for the videos! R
Got a used gaggia classic about 2 yrs ago and didn't know had to be cleaned until recently. The shower holding plate is practically glued tight and will not come off. Do you have any other tips on how to get it off other than using force?
Hi HC, Heating the machine up should make things easier but at some point you may have to brute force it off.
If you have the aluminium shower screen holding plate, the threaded center hole for the shower screen screw goes right through the holding plate down to the brew group (you can see this on the old holding plate in the video). This allows you to screw in a screw that is longer than the shower screen screw (M5 thread, you'll want it to be at least 20mm in length) to force the holding plate out. Very little torque is required when screwing it in. This will generate much more force in a much more controlled manner than hitting it with a hammer or attempting to pry it out with a screwdriver. The scratching damage to the brew group surface should be minimal, but you can mitigate it by covering the tip of the screw. Remember to remove the allen key screws holding the holding plate before you do this, or you will strip the center thread. If you have a stainless steel shower screen holding plate, this method may not work as the threaded hole may not go all the way through the holding plate.
The screw was a good tip
Dear Sir - I just saw your RUclips videos and would like to order a new screw (mine is ripped as I tried to remove it and did not realized you can do what you did ) and a new shower screen. I owed
an old gaccia classic which is 7 years old but still working fine
What’s the link on your website to do it?
Also which reference of long screwdriver do you use - thanks again
Hi J-H M, If your Classic is 7 years old, it's likely it has the old style aluminum shower screen holding plate. You might consider upgrading to a stainless steel holding plate and precision shower screen like this pair: www.wholelattelove.com/collections/pro-brewing/products/bit-international-gaggia-classic-pro-shower-screen-and-holding-plate
Here's the screw: www.wholelattelove.com/products/shower-screen-screw-m5x8-uni-7688-din-965-stainless
No particular long screwdriver nd you can use a short. If using long, just so it's long enough to clear the drip tray support.
Hope that helps!
@@Wholelattelovepage thanks I just ordered it - may I also ask you which long screwdriver you are using the one from these videos - Thanks' JHM
So many opportunities to say, "That's what she said", Mark.
hahahaha!
My Gaggia Classic Pro shower screen is possibly defective? Not sure if anyone else has had this issue, but it "pops" outward. Like a snapple bottle lid. The water just pours out from around the edges instead of coming through the screen. Yes it is installed the right way, I can tell because there is a divot that the screw sits neatly in. Has anyone else had this issue? If so what do I do? Just buy a new screen?
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Hi VV, That's highly unusual! Did you purchase machine in North America? If so, reach out to our tech support here for assistance: www.wholelattelove.com/pages/contact-us
A short video showing issue will be of use for our techs.
Hmm, we bought it online and I can't seem to remember what site. I will just buy the replacement shower screen. Thank you!@@Wholelattelovepage
Thanks guys, you helped me again!
Hey could you please help me with something? I’ve recently removed the 3 way solenoid value, cleaned everything out as per your videos, made a few shots, then tried to steam milk and heard a loud boiling sound before losing all steam pressure. I then checked and I’ve lost all water out of the group as well. Which indicates I need to clean out the solenoid valve again!
Any ideas on why this is happening?
Hi ag3, If there were a lot of scale deposits in the machine it's likely scale form the boiler plugged the solenoid again. Not sure why you lost steam pressure but could be scale plugging there as well. If you open the steam wand and press the brew and steam switch together do you get water out of the steam wand? If so then it's not plugged with scale. We do run into people who have neglected descaling of machines in the past who end up with repeating clogs in the solenoid. In a severely scaled machine no amount of descaling can remove all the scale in the boiler. At that point boiler replacement is required.
@@Wholelattelovepage hi WLL. I decided to dismantle the machine and boiler and give it another good clean. Turns out there were a few solid pieces of scale through out. I gave the entire machine a good clean as per one of your older videos and everything is fine now.
Much appreciated!
@@ag31988 Good to hear. With the machine scale free at this point be sure and use quality water that's been softened or better yet treated to reduce calcium while maintaining a mineral level needed for flavor. BWT has good options for the Classic which prevent scale and maintain mineral level by exchanging calcium for magnesium. Should you choose not to treat water be sure and descale the machine regularly to prevent future problems.
BWT treatment options for the Gaggia Classic
Bestsave in-reservoir pad filter: www.wholelattelove.com/products/bwt-bestsave-s-anti-scale-filter
Bestcup in reservoir plumbed filter: www.wholelattelove.com/products/bwt-bestcup-m-package
Penguin Pitcher: www.wholelattelove.com/products/bwt-penguin-2-7-l-water-pitcher
The holding plate in my Gaggia Classic is FILTHY, almost looks rusty, too. Going to clean it and if it doesn't look good I'll have to order a new one.
Hey suet, If you have a Classic that's more than a couple years old chances are holding plate is aluminum. This stainless steel used in newer models is a nice upgrade and will fit your machine: www.wholelattelove.com/products/gaggia-classic-stainless-steel-shower-holding-plate
@Wholelattelovepage Thank you! It is more than a couple of years old and pulls 3-4 double shots daily. I do clean regularly. The plate did clean up beautifully, though. When I'm ready for a replacement I'll definitely go with the stainless.
i've ruined shower screens twice to remove them, because the screw sticks every time. But this isn't feasible for regular cleaning. The best I can do is regular backflushing to minimise residue on the plate and screen. It's definitely a flaw in the Classic's design that's decades old.
Hi Adrian, A year or so ago, with introduction of the Gaggia Classic Pro, machines started coming stock with a stainless steel shower holding plate. Stainless steel makes disassembly easier and also provides better thermal stability as the stainless holding plate is ~3x the weight of the old stock plates. If you have an older Classic you can upgrade it with the stainless plate available here: www.wholelattelove.com/products/gaggia-classic-stainless-steel-shower-holding-plate
One of the biggest issues with this machine is this. Mine gets stuck every cleaning cycle and 9 out of 10 times, I end up stripping the screw due to effort being applied. Having to spend $30 every cycle just to clan the machine is ridiculous
What size hex key do you need for the steel piece
5mm
niceee
Thanks!
There’s gotta be a better way to remove these parts without destroying them.
Hi r, When stuck it may be the only alternative.
next time a screw or something wont work use tnt
untapped taggel
Faema has the best sieve and seal system of the group. There are no screws. This is the worst system, gaggia
Hi IB, Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I strongly disagree with everything that this guy is doing.
Hi Alex, thanks for the comment.
Worked perfectly for me! I didn't need to use a screw through the gasket since mine was dry rotted and came out easily with a screwdriver.