In my country I looked on marketplace and the classic is $450cad give or take....so that is just the machine. Forget the grinder....in 3 years the cost is nuts.
@@cartersharpnack lol ye ofc he says that in the video, but that doesnt change the fact that the second hand website (like ebay) I am using mainly, people are offering it for that price tag ^^
James: *takes the top off the machine* Me: Good Lord look how complicated that looks James: "In here you can see the inside of these things is very simple" Me: Yes
In my experience with IT, it's usually a bundle of wires that's the most off-putting to people. If you ignore the wires (which just go to the buttons, lights etc), then the actual mechanisms (heating, pumping, valves) are relatively simple. Chances are if you're interacting with anything, it won't really involve the wiring all that much, if at all. So then you're mostly just interacting with the tubes you see, which are a lot simpler (though fixing a leak can be a PitA, no two ways about it).
Depending on the local airline vacation packages and laws regarding slavery and kidnapping in your country, you can get your own James Hoffman for right around 200£ extra. The investment is well worth it.
@@segamble1679 I'm trying my best to imagine James Hoffmann tinkering and trying his best to pour something even vaguely resembling espresso with a Breville Cafe Roma or something XD
This is exactly what I did at the start of lockdown: -gaggia classic (2007 model) £110 -referbed myself and spent ~£50 on parts (shower screen, brass plate silicone gaskets etc) -mr shades PID £95 -bottomless portafilter off ebay ~£12 -VST basket £20 -Smart grinder pro from ebay £60
@@c05837880 hello Me. Brass plate and bottomless are just nice to haves, brass for more heat retention through the group and bottomless to help me see if there are any issues when pulling the shot. I also upgraded the steam wand later to the v3 rancilio, 3d printed a shorter drip tray and brought a replacement steam valve as mine was quite stiff but this was all fairly recently and kind of bits over time.
You got very lucky with the smart grinder! I purchased 3 of them for about £140 each, 1 was actually an original smart grinder and the 2 others had some kind of motor issue and wouldn't grind at all. In the end I just shelled out the £200 for a new one but honestly it's a bargain even at that price :)
Good god that was the most British advert ever. The bleak weather, the path in the park, the tree line, the under construction building with the crane towering over it... most Channel 4-like!
Hey James! Gaggia (after being acquired by Philips) stopped the production of the solenoid valve in 2015 to lower the power consumption (and save up on production costs) and replaced the boiler with a modified one from other Saeco machines, thus lowering the overall cost of the machine by 100-150. In 2019 after years of outcry and complaints they got back to their old but redesigned system with solenoid valve.
Yes, I was looking for a comment like this. There is a certain series of gaggia classics that you 'should stay away from'. Apart from the solenoid valve tube, you can recognize it by the type of buttons. The old one (maybe the new redesigned one as well) had these big chunky flip switches.
@mike is it worth getting the gaggia ''new classic''? Saw an offer for 300€. Wondering if its as good as the old models? and if it can be modded with the spring kit as well? Would appreciate your opinion.
@@crypticself80 If your budget is around 300€, you should look at the Solis barista perfect pro 118. It has about the same features as the old gaggia classic (including a solenoid system), but then in a new machine. Solis is the swiss branch of breville/sage. So the same model is available under a different name in other parts of the world. Here in the Netherlands, the Solis version is the cheapest, priced currently around 290 euros. I've use it for a few years, and for beginners it's a very solid machine. Never lets you down.
@@bertsteemers5860 Appreciate your suggestion. I'm based in Germany actually. I'll check it out. I don't really have a 300€ budget just saw an offer, but might be a fake website. I heared a lot of positive things about the gaggia classic and like the design a lot.
I've owned a Gaggia Classic for £90. I fixed it, used it for years and just sold it all for £300. Not only is this budget but it's money making if you are willing to take the time to research and fix. Man I miss my Gaggia Classic. My advice is to buy a Gaggia Classic from around 2005, absolute work horse, still reliable, easy to fix
The way you describe the Gaggia Classic's ubiquity as a plus reminds me a lot of how Singer is such a popular brand for antique sewing machine enthusiasts. While other brands made arguably better sewing machines a century ago, the fact that there are so many surviving original replacement parts and accessories (from the high volume of Singer machines produced) means Singer repair continues to be accessible, even for more beginner-ish sewists.
Reminds me of this one Historical Costume youtuber (Bernadette Banner) who bought an 1890's Singer foot pedal setup and had it cleaned up. The person who handled her machine even gave her replacement needles from the same decade. What an absolute treat to own an antique that you can also operate, especially when its parts and accessories are still accessible!
This was pretty much my path into espresso. 2nd hand Gaggia classic for cheap, and a new a Breville smart grinder. Lots of cleaning, pressure tweak, new shower head and steam arm, IMS basket and bottomless portafilter, then lots of practice! Whilst I’d love to upgrade my setup one day, there’s plenty of cafes out there making worse espresso than I can produce with this combo!
Mine as well. I bought a Silvia at first, then needed a second machine for the weekends. And that was a series of cheaper Gaggias off eBay. The classic was always pretty expensive, so I got a series of uglier models with the same internals, and I replaced the pumps and valves when they failed. Some are such ugly ducklings, like the Gaggia Espresso, for instance. Big hunk of counter plastic, but the coffee was tasty. I would not be as hesitant as Hoffmann and would highly recommend going hands-on if you have tools, curiosity, and like to DIY. There's a video for everything.
Same. My $10 Gran Gaggia, can't even remember where I got the burr grinder. I'm pure nerd for coffee; I have a local guy whose family runs a plantation in Nicaragua. I buy green from him, roast myself. Stopped at the local cafe/bistro that also buys his coffee. Had a latte there. They scorched the milk. When I told Alan, he rolled his eyes. "They need a thermometer." (I never use one, but I learned on the job, and can usually tell by the sound of the steam wand and the feel of the cup or pitcher.)
I love that you're encouraging folks to buy used items. A Gaggia Classic is fully serviceable and can last a lifetime. I wonder how many DeLonghi and Sage machines end up in landfill in that time.
It felt weird to hear people complaining so much about the longevity of Breville espresso machine. Leaks? No pressure? Something stucks? "It doesn't produce good coffee"? Use soft water to prevent scale buildup, purge the brewer after use to clear the oil on the shower screen, vacuum the grinder burr once in a while, and clean the exterior to keep in spanking new. Y'all should learn from the cheapskate Asians lol.
I managed to get the same machine on eBay for just over £200, followed your other videos and within 15 minutes was drinking proper espresso at home. Brilliant!
My £147 second hand Gaggia Classic was 3 years old when I bought it. It's now 12 years old and still going strong, with a few mods over the years, best purchase I ever made.
I actually love this video. I started out my coffee journey buying a cheap machine and grinder, servicing them, and fixing them up! What this meant is that by the time I was ready to upgrade, I actually made money from the equipment I was moving on! It meant that over the years, I've been able to more or less self-fund the entire hobby!
I had absolutely no knowledge or experience and pulled every single component of the Gaggia classic apart. They are so nice to work on compared to anything with a circuitboard. And now I know how it all works. Don't be afraid!
Not as cheap but I got a refurbished Breville Dual Boiler and a secondhand Vario for $850AUD (apparently 470 pounds) and though I may have gotten quite lucky I have to say my experience has been great.
@@benferris1591 hi! Random person. If you have a personal recipe for an aeropress or a V60,please share. I'd like to give it a try. I'm new when it comes to brewing. Thanks.
Found a Gaggia classic at a garage sale 3 years ago for $40. Has been a simple but extremely effective workhorse of an espresso machine. I've done regular backflushes and cleaning and have not had a single issue. Grabbed a Baratza encore so that I can grind easily for pour over, espresso, and aero. An efficient and very cost effective combo but I recognize the garage sale machine was a special find!
Aside from how much hope this gave me for my college student budget; I loved watching and hearing you repair things and go over the whole process of making coffee, from the value of a not perfectly fitting tamper to using a paperclip to break down clumps in the ground coffee ☺️ very helpful!
Piece of life advice from a person freshly out of college: If you think your budget is tight now, wait till you've been in the adult world for a year. Save your money. Buy espresso setups when you're 45 and financially stable.
I bought a used machine for $150US. Grinder for $85 new (Capresso). Definitely not perfect, but after working out the quirks and a few replacement parts and modifications it makes really good coffee.
Its been two years since you left this comment and Im wondering: how have things gone since then? Did you follow through with this and, if so, how did it go?
I think the real reason James is giving away all the stuff to his patreon supporters is that otherwise his studio would be completely full after a month
@@jameshoffmann Do you have random stuff lying around that you want to review, just taking up space, until you have time to make a video so that you can give it away?
I bought a 2nd hand Gagg Classic during lockdown 1, to get me out of bed. I’m neither a coffee nerd nor a diy guy, but there is so much content for these machines online, which made it so easy to fix.
I’ve always been fascinated how this channel keeps me engaged for three reasons 1. I’m allergic to coffee and can’t drink it 2. I have a sensitivity to pretentiousness (hear me out) and James treads that line in a way that is completely believable and inoffensive. 3. Someone being this AR about anything prima facie as mundane as coffee would normally turn me off but the casual but complete earnestness wins me over every time.
I’m kinda in the same boat, but I just happen to not have a coffee set up even though I generally like coffee. I find these videos just really calming, probably a combination of James demeanor and the cinematography
That plastic on the hopper is probably Amber PET, which is meant to provide UV protection for what is inside. I have no clue if that's nessesary for coffee beans, but it's used for medicine and skincare.
It makes sense. The gross smell of old coffee and coffee containers is oxidized (rancid) oils, mostly kahweol and cafestol. These compounds absorb strongly in the UV, which accelerates oxidation.
Yep, used to protect against oxidation. Also true for other foods with antioxidant properties, like tea or pommegranate juice. These would break down with sunlight.
In the USA with no sales tax on the listing it is the same as in the UK with 20% added VAT. Even second hand from a shop will have VAT added and if importing from EU now gets import VAT even from private sellers. What is the "sweet" spot. The price point where you get good coffee and to get great coffee you have to spend five times as much? Maybe that varies according to how much you use the machine and personal preferences.
I did exactly this over christmas! - Gaggia Classis (2008, so still has solenoid valve), £150 - Rancilio Rocky Dosorless grinder, £130 - tamper, IMS basket, service kit etc. CitricAcid, £50 slightly more, but still fairly reasonable I hope... My newfound passion so happy regardless :)
I'm part way through a used espresso gear journey. I bought a non-functional La Pavoni Professional lever machine back in October. One of the reasons I went with that kind of machine was the availability of replacement parts. Got a "broken" one because I was reasonably sure I could get it running again. Had to replace a number of things, and do a lot of cleaning, but I'm pleased with the results, I feel a sense of satisfaction from doing the work myself, and my shots are getting better and better. Next I need to get a better grinder. The Hario hand cranker isn't really up to the task. Honestly though, I've kind of enjoyed the challenge of working around the limitations to achieve the best espresso I can with the setup I have. Without much adjustment on the Hario I've played around with dose, pre-infusion, lever force, boiler pressure, distribution and tamping techniques, etc. to try and make up for the fact that the grinder is more or less a constant (only one setting seems to be even close to right for espresso). I'm having fun and learning a ton. Thanks for all the insight and inspiration!
Thank You!! I completed everything today: cut opv spring, lamp dimmer switch on right side in front of steam knob, installed manometer on front right, moved Gaggia logo left, setup xmt7100 for 2 relays, pulled a perfect shot, and I now know the pressure is at 8.5 bar. You helped a lot! Update - I thought I was at 8.5 bar, but it was 10 I just didn’t grind fine enough, but the best taste is at a grind that achieves 6 bar!
Super curious about the details of your cleaning regimen. How to thoroughly clean without damaging electronics, things to watch out for, things that don't matter as much.
Engineer here, make sure its turned off and unplugged. Be very careful, take lots of pictures of what you do and what you remove. A good quality machine like a gaggia will normally be built robustly enough to allow a gentle service, absolutely junk machines won't and will most likely break as you strip them down 😮
For a used grinder the Baratza line is fantastic. Baratza has an incredible grinder repair program. As a company, they seem to be dedicated to keeping their product working, not just pushing replacements. I bought a used AS-IS Vario for $150, a full service is $85 with new burrs it's only $40 more. Ended up with a basically new $500 grinder for under $250. The repairs are significantly cheaper for their entry-level grinders too. Most importantly, I know that if something goes wrong in the future they'll be there to help.
For those that don’t know, the pre 2015 classic or the newer Classic Pro is the way to go if you have the option. (These models have the OPV) Plus as James mentioned, Adrian at shades coffee (AKA Mr Shades) will sort you out with a an OPV kit and even a PID kit to give you more control of the temperature. Top bloke and well regarded in the coffee game for his Gaggia Knowledge.
@@AndrewDrapper it will have the 3 buttons crammed together in 1 hole in the stainless steel frame, a metal tube coming down from the left side from the 3 way solenoid and on the bottom right in cursive will say Classic Gaggia in that order.
Possibly by accident this is my set up right now. My classic is 2003 with the 9 bar spring having owned it for 18 years and the MC2 grinder bought from Happy Donkey (one of the last in stock) They are a joy to use.
I bought a pre 2015 gaggia classic for like £149 including delivery last year at the start of the pandemic...almost a year later its been fitted with rancillio wand, stainless shower plater and ims nano screen and a new steam valve and some thermostats and full seal replacement. Works beautifully but still trying to perfect milk frothing and dialing in my mignon specialita but luckily I'm not hugely fussy about my coffee, it's the joy of learning and honing my skills. Also adjusted pressure down to 9bar and a difference it does make!!
Hi James, I followed this route a while back. You must buy a pre Phillips Gaggia Classic. Easy to see by the font on the front. I found changing the shower block to a solid brass one made a huge difference to the stability and flavour (over the furred up lightweight aluminium one in the machine). The steam wand changes to a Ranchillio Silvia one and. The OPV only needs a screwdriver to adjust. My machine had been kicking out 13 bar! 9 made a world of difference. All cheap and easy modifications. I only paid £50, the upgrades added another £50 including ‘competition’ shower screen and basket. I then found a Mazzer mini (manual version) for £100 which I took the hopper off and cleaned and I single dose with it. I removed a little anti static grill on the exit of the machine so I can remove most retention easily with a tea spoon handle. More mods planned. The quality was great, and I started roasting. Eventually I sold the machine and bought a Second hand Rocket with E61 and rotary pump.....no PID...keeping the skill element hah. I’d love to scale up and go commercial. Oh, also bought your book which is great. Hope this helps people!
I'm personally not in the market for this, so I'll say my thoughts: Pay attention to the criteria James gave for choosing the models to hunt that he did, and extend them to everything that's available.
At this point its probably cheaper to buy a brand new Classic Pro than get into a bidding war on ebay. It would be a better machine than the one James got too.
If you can find one and are willing to go for older hardware, the early Gaggias deemed the "Old White Coffee" models are great. They have a larger boiler in them and the steam wand is a "manual" one. I've been ecstatic about learning espresso with mine!
OMG. This was exactly the same set up I had when I started making espresso at home ten years ago! Bought a second hand Gaggia Classic off eBay, modded it with PID temperature control, and it had been working faithfully for so many years. I brought them back to China with me and they just kept going. Only replaced the Gaggia with a heat exchanger machine about two years ago. And the grinder, has been serving me well still to this day, everyday, after 10 years continuous using without any problem! I'm so surprised to see them together in your video ☺️
As someone that got a WICKED deal on two Gaggia Baby machines, it really does take patience! You can get some amazing coffee out of the second hand machines. And it's important to remember, the early Gaggia machines are MACHINES. All the parts can be replaced, cleaned, fixed. Customized. There is no finicky computer chips in it. Just relays, temp sensors, and power. I love my Baby, whom I got for $20 and about $30 worth of cleaning supplies. I spent more on a coffee tamper than the entire machine.
James, I know you won’t see this but I bought that cup from your website and I loved it, it’s the cutest little cup and you inspired me to get a little more serious about coffee, thank you so much your Channel means a lot to me!
At the recommendation of coffee forums about 6 years ago I bought a secondhand Gaggia Classic (older Pre-2015 Model) as well as a Rancilio Rocky. I use it here and there, got some OK espresso, nothing I considered life changing, but as of late I haven't touched it much. I fell down the rabbit hole of Jame's youtube channel (currently stuck at home with Covid), and as of yesterday decided to show the machine a little love and ordered up a new silicon gasket, shower-head & brass mounting plate, a IMS competition basket and a bottomless portafilter. I've also looked up how to dial back the pressure on my specific version. Long story short - cheers on your videos for running the gamut between good stuff for home use, whacky coffee gadgets, techniques and all that goodness all the way up into high end $$$ machines. Cheers from over the pond.
I did this! I got a gaggia classic for $180 (which is cheap but 2023 standards). It didn't work out of the box, but by cleaning the pump out, and extreme descaling, I got it running! Zero additional money spent.
This would be interesting to repeat post-pandemic. I.e. Lots of people bought coffee gear while sitting at home and may want to unload in when they get back to normal. Greater supply lower demand.
I hope you read this! Your videos SERIOUSLY appeal to me. I appreciate not only your info presented, but the way that you pace the videos as well which allows for deeper understanding. I also appreciate the lack of any background music, the mood of the video is purely YOU. Awesome stuff, thank you so much, you’ve already taught me so much. 🙏
You made me very happy with my choices. About seven years ago, I decided to get into the espresso game. I bought a used Gaggia Classic, which came with 4 cups and saucers, a tamper; for 179 US. The grinder is a cousin of the one you selected (same internals) for 169 delivered. I am very happy. I did recently upgrade the grinder to a Sette 270. Thank You.
@@gerrybaker7055 a mocha pot, and aero press or a good filter setup can provide you with great coffee for cheaper than a machine. Choice of which just depends on how you take it.
He got this for really cheap as well. I attempted this myself in continental Europe and landed near double the price (with slightly better gear, but still).
James, have you considered doing a video about the Sage/Breville machines with the 54mm portafilters and developing a dose on them in particular? They're immensely popular, and as far as things like dose are concerned (and the length of the path through the coffee at a given dose) there must be differences since the 10% smaller diameter means that the bed depth has to be 21% greater at a given dose. It'd be interesting to hear someone with your experience level discuss the differences in flavor between a 54 and 58mm filters and how that affects grind size, pressure, dose weight, etc.
Something like this would be great, especially as I think the other option around this budget is a second hand Breville/Sage machine. My (first and current) setup is a Breville Barista Express, which has a decent built in grinder for a modest budget (though sadly it's not stepless). I got it secondhand for $350 USD (which is just about exactly £250). When I purchased it, I was looking at either Breville or a Gaggia classic second hand. I ended up going with what I could get locally -- buying for pickup rather than delivery let me make sure the machine turned on and didn't have anything obviously broken about it before committing to purchase it, which was a big draw for me.
I run a dedica with the setup you recommended and a comandante, and I invested a total of 370 swiss francs, over half of which was the grinder. Only the dedica upgrades were new. The whole thing is amazing and works perfectly
My 2012 Gaggia Classic cost £100. I’ve spent on a new group gasket , shower plate and decent basket so all in about £140. The pleasure for me though was pulling it apart, learning how an espresso machine works, understanding it’s capabilities and limitations. I heard someone compare the Gaggia to a Land Rover, it’s tough, ugly and easy to tinker with, whereas some machines are more like Lamborghini, lots of flashing lights and not at all user serviceable! I feel like I’m earning my stripes with the Gaggia and it’s a journey I’m enjoying! As for grinding, I’ve struggled by with a hand held Hario which just doesn’t give me the control over my grind I want for espresso, but I’ve found it’s a nice cheap little grinder for v60.
I took on a second hand La Pavoni refurb last year and loved doing it.... So easy to find one and get parts for it, plus there's a Facebook group full of info on how to do every step of the refurb. I'm probably going to keep adding modifications to try and make it better as i go along, but I've been so happy with it.
Just lucked out. I have a good friend that started with a Gaggia Classic Pro but upgraded to a very high end machine this month. On the Gaggia he upgraded the porta filter, shower head, and pressure spring. He also put a PID on it for better temp control. I Just bought it for $250 USD. I'm already an avid home roaster so this machine will compliment my roasting hobby nicely. I am looking forward to my first pull tomorrow!
I bought an older (1998) Gaggia Classic about 7 years ago that had a cracked boiler at a garage sale for $10. I bought a new boiler for ~$60 and fixed it up, have used it daily since then. One of the best investments I ever made. After hand grinding for a couple years got a Breville grinder, upgraded the portafilter and I look forward to making coffee every day!
@@F7INN it’s not completely necessary but it’s good for repeatability especially in manual coffee brewers (anything that’s requires personal dosing of coffee and water). It helps follow recipes, for example, one might require 15 grams of coffee to 250 grams of water. Without a scale, it would be hard to reach this point
i have a delonghi dedica and the sage precision grinder since last year, bought those during the start of lockdown. a little note here im a newbie to brewing espresso, the two machines have been working very well together but looking back now i’d probably spend a bit more and buy a Gaggia or Sage Bambino instead. dont get me wrong the delonghi is a good start for entry, especially for those who is unsure if they’d prefer home espresso or not. it is just that the milk frothing and brewing pressure isn’t that good for delonghi. till this day i still think the sage grinder and the delonghi dedica espresso machine was my best purchase during the lockdown, well invested and all worth it!
I noticed, that here in NZ, the Smart Grinder Pro is occassionally available at about half price (or less). So I put an email price watch on for my target price and then patiently waited. Many months later I got the magic email showing they were below half price..., and accordingly nabbed myself a Smart Grinder Pro for about 95GBP Brand New!!! My patience paid off. I figured even if I didn't like it I could resell it for way more than I paid for it. Bargain!
Nice , i just started my Espresso journey using second hand gear that was partially broken. Rancilio silvia for 200euro with a broken steam wand with a 50euro handgrinder! took me about a week to get it working :D. Thanks for the insight for how you would do it!
James, I’ve just recently stumbled onto your channel (or shall I say into the rabbit hole) and found a kindred spirit in a weird coffee person. I have used all types and levels of espresso makers (from the humble mocha, the manual maker to super auto) and appreciate all approaches (drip, french, pour over) to converting the coffee bean into the luscious, complex drink we call coffee. I most recently purchased a used/broken Jura EN8 for about half of what it lists for new. I had to tinker with it for a day, replace the water tank and prime the water pump, but other than that it was in almost unused condition and makes a passable espresso, or my favorite ristretto at a touch. Thanks for the educational and entertaining videos.
Ah the video I've been WISHING for since quarantine started. Soon after I found this channel I went out and bough a "broken" vintage Coffee Gaggia for $50 and after fixing it and modifying it I couldn't be happier.
interestingly, I bought used gaggia machines and rebuilt them - lots around. The downside is the alloy boiler, the better brass boiler is rancillio sylvia. Yep, there are many types of gaggia classics: they had a 3-way evac valve, then took it out, then put it back. Also, the OPV can be on the pump or the boiler.
This is exactly what I did. Went on gumtree and bought a breville barista express with a broken grinder haggled down to around £80, took the thing apart and found the stepdown gear tooth absolutely stripped away, bought a replacement for £25 and some missing accessories for £42, so now I have a decent setup for less than £150 (all values translated form AUD).
Just went through the same thing. Used Items: Machine: Gaggia Classic 2012 with milk jug & tamper fully functional new gasket and steam wand upgrade - 170€ Grinder: Sage dose control 100€ Bottomless Portafilter (wood) ): 26€ New Items: Sage Knock Box and Airscape 1kg: 30+50=80€ IMS Big Bang Basket (22g): 26€ Upgraded Shower Holder, Shower Screen and Screws since the old aluminium was corroded: 42€ Spring: 6€ Total: 450€ Could have saved on airscape and portafilter bringing things down to a clean 400€
I got my !Sage By Heston Blumenthal The Smart Grinder Pro Coffee Grinding Machine" on eBay. Perfectly happy with it. £139.99. The "Sage by Heston Blumenthal The Duo Temp Pro Coffee Machine" was £204.99 refurbished. So well over the budget of £250. Consider this over the next 10 years and 8 or more brews per day for me has been worth it. No problems, other than my lack of knowledge on the settings. A big step up from my old Krups grinder and dual filter and expresso machine.
I totally agree with most of this. A Gaggia Classic is probably the best value espresso machine out there (not only used, but brand new as well). But for your very first proper espresso setup, I would definitely suggest a hand grinder. Sure, it's more work, but much better value for money. Just make sure it's actually meant for espresso, as the majority of coffee grinders simply cannot grind fine enough, or do not have steps fine enough for the control you need. And if you have a decent kitchen scale, then I would say to skip the coffee scales. Just time your shot using your phone, or whatever.
For my cheap setup, I've had success using a variac for full manual control of the pump pressure and I glued a leaded thermistor to the thermal block and use a cheap ohmmeter for more precise temperature surfing. Worth a try if you're interested in that sort of thing.
I am now imagining James and 2 other coffee content creators based in the UK in a video where they are given an absurdly small amount of money and be told to go out and buy an espresso setup, which will then be subjected to a battery of tests and competitive mocking.
I bought a gaggia off of the back of this video from eBay, it looked perfect but turned out to have blown the main gasket, I them bought a gasket set for £6, dremlled away all the corrosion back to a clean polish then added the new gaskets, like new happy days 👏🏻👏🏻 thanks for inspiring me 🤟🏻
Im a coffee nerd. The best coffee I tasted in my life was by an old women in rural cuba on a stovetop with a pot carefully managed temp and poured through a sieve. The most complex cup ever touched my lips. Extraordinary.
Great video James - and wonderful to see you using the 6.5bar spring to get some great tasting espresso from the Classic 2015. I frequently tell people that the Classic produces great espresso at 6.5bar though many just continue to use the "industry standard" 9 bar and don't even try 6.5. Perhaps they will after hearing it from you rather then me! -- MrShades
Why 6.5 v 9. I just ordered the kit and was going to start with the 6.5 but I’m curious about the theory behind it. Thanks in advance for any response.
@@JasonBevers I'm certainly not an expert on this. But what I've heard is that the Gaggia Classic can build up pressure higher then 9 bars. Wich result in bad extraction. 6.5 bars makes it slower and more steady.
Often I find that the time and effort put into hunting for a good deal on online marketplaces could also be used on working extra hours, and just getting the real deal. Equally as time-intensive, but way less frustrating (and eliminates the risk of dealing with meh products).
Wonder what brew pressure James ended up with/targeted in the Gaggia Classic? In my 2005 ish model it's just a case of unscrewing the preload screw in the OPV valve then unscrewing the portafilter spout and screwing on a pressure gauge and and seeing what you get, then adjusting screw accordingly. I think I went for about 9.5-10bar as this is a "static" zero flow measurement and the pressure driving some flow through the compressed grounds will be marginally lower than this. If anyone else gets one of these, strips the boiler down for a clean then rebuilds it and plugs it in and turns it on and it blows the fuse in your house then you have introduced moisture between the heating element conductors and the ceramic insulators. You need to take the boiler out strip it down again making sure you remove the seal then bake the boiler and the elements on a gentle heat in the oven overnight to drive out the moisture that is causing the short. These machines are great and will last a lifetime.
About 10 years ago I bought a Saeco/Starbucks barrista. It needed a bit of work; the grinder was missing a part and the part had to be found, the grouphead gasket leaked and had to be replaced. But that was about it. Over time I did replace the manual pressurized portafilter with an automatic one. That was for convenience. And it worked FINE, and I was happy with it, for MANY years. I pull single shots, and I could not figure out to put a single shot basket into the Saeco pressurized portafilter, and make it work. So I just put a single dose into the double dose basket. As it turned out, like you said in one of your videos, the extra space between the top of the single dose of coffee and the shower screen caused the puck to swell, and the puck was wet and soupy. It turns out, it was an easy fix. I just put a puck screen on the coffee, and that held down the coffee, no more soupy puck. But, finding the CORRECT size puck screen was another mater. It took me three tries to get the right size. hint, the metal puck screen expands when HOT water goes through it. So you have to get a size smaller than the basket size. Note the puck screen can ONLY be used for SINGLE doses of coffee. With a double dose, the coffee level is high enough that the coffee touches the shower screen, and there is NO ROOM for a puck screen. If you do put a puck screen on a double dose, it will be damaged by the head of the screw for the shower screen. After many years, I did have to do a few maintenance surgeries. - The steam wand started leaking. Not bad, but eventually it got irritating. I decided to do the repair while I could still get the parts. Followed the YT instructions, and done. - The mushroom valve on the group head leaked and had to be replaced. PROBLEM, the screw holding the valve was JAMMED, so I put this task off as long as I could. I finally decided to FIX it, and got the screw out, and replaced the valve. I should have done it a LONG time ago, and every couple years thereafter, so the coffee would not build up and jam the screw, like it did. - A spring on the grinder broke, preventing the grinder from stopping when a single dose had been ground. Now THIS was a PROBLEM, because the spring was not an easily found replacement item. I could NOT find the spring, so I used a short bit of brass wire to connect the long half of the broken spring to the mating hole on the grinder. Done, and it works. If I kept the Saeco, I would be LOOKING for the correct spring. Unfortunately, Saeco discontinued the machine and spare parts have become harder to find. Stuff that I would have done different: - Replace the mushroom valve earlier, and every year or so. So the screw would not be so hard to remove. - Get a puck screen much earlier. - Replace the shower screen with a better shower screen. Although there is some question in my mind, if that is necessary with a puck screen. - Get the non-pressurized portafilter, when it was available. - Buy spare parts and tools when they were still available. I've since moved on to a Solis, but there are times when I wish I had my old Saeco. This video has me now thinking of looking for a Gagia Classic.
I have had my Gaggia Classic for 15 years. About a year ago i spent £80 on a full refurb kit, including a new boiler head. i also dialled the pressure down to 8 Bar - there's an adjuster screw on my very old model. Well worth the time and effort, it still makes great coffee even though it's very old. Thankfully the water here in Manchester is very soft indeed - so scale is never an issue. My Bodum grinder is pretty good too, I'm pleased with it. Seems to give consistent results. There are more expensive machines but it seems to do the job. Must clean the burrs though.
This was about what I was thinking. The Encore is maximum bang for buck in a grinder (wonder if you can get them used or if people hang on to them and perhaps upgrade the burr set?) and then literally pulling shots with the Flair... of course, the Flair will _travel_ where the Encore will not, especially trans-pondial.... That's one thing James didn't touch on is that one can get a *premium* _manual_ grinder for the US equivalent of eighty quid, *new*... add a Flair Classic with pressure kit (includes tamper) and a cheap set of scales, a paper clip, and also a cheap knock box and you'll come out maybe two-sixty quid USD equivalent? less if you go really cheap on the scales; I looked at the Escali Pico on special, which is nice b/c tenth-gram accuracy; I made filter coffee for a couple years on its higher-capacity brother, but when you're doing espresso, accuracy counts... Definitely something to be said for investing elbow grease in a rig... saves money and there's not as much to break!
I bought both my Breville espresso machine and Breville Grinder 2nd hand. it took a little time for me to get everything dialed in just right, but she runs like a charm. Both do. Bought the same mini knock box as in the video on amazon. I was trying to figure out why I've not seen any comparison (best for your money) Breville machines in your $100 or less or $500 or less machines. Until I saw this video and realized the Sage IS Breville. 🙄
It's such a pain to not use a knock box after using it regularly at cafes. I imagine it'd be a nice thing to have if you're making espresso at least daily.
With some bins it's fine but with others (like mine) it's a really annoying to nock it into. As a cheap option, I bought a tiny desk trash can and put a wood bar at the top instead of the lid. It works perfectly.
In AUD $80 second hand refurbished and sunbeam Cafe series, $220 on a new breville grinder pro, $80 on the vst basket. The sunbeam was thought broken and needed a good clean and a magnet for the water level sensor. Been very happy with it
I never expected my boy Iberital MC2 to be mentioned in a James Hoffmann video. I've had mine for almost a decade now and it's definitely a more reliable workhorse than the breville smart grinder I bought later in life.
Thanks for all of your work, James, I do appreciate the commitment and expertise that you offer. We recently bought a country place (nice to be out of the big city in these days) and I wanted to have decent espresso there, but at a budget. I have a Gaggia Classic (2019) that I modded as you did here, and a Gaggia MDF grinder. I ended up with an espresso “appliance,” a Capresso EC100 that features a pressurized basket of less than professional size, and a Breville Smart Grinder Pro grinder. I am quite impressed by the Breville, as it has 2 adapters for different sized baskets (one of which worked well with the Capresso), and with some experimenting with the timing and grind size (and a tip to pause the grind midway through to tap the basket a couple of times and continue), was able to produce a very consistent and very decent pull for $325 overall new and delivered. Thanks again for all that you give to your subscribers!
This video persuaded me to buy a vst basket for my gaggia classic. Turn the pressure down inside the machine and buy some proper fresh coffee... best espresso I’ve made so far. However I’ve realised my grinder doesn’t go fine enough for non pressurised baskets... so now I need to replace it as well🙃 Thank you JH for continued teaching
I picked up a La Pavoni that needed a service and a couple of repairs for £50 and a CMA badged super jolly for £80. I converted the grinder to single dose, modified the Pavoni and made a tamper, funnel and distribution tool. Never hear anyone compare grinders like the ones you bought or Niche with the super jolly. Loads around and bargains to be had if you have the skills to convert it.
Absolutely would love an updated version of this now three years later
it would have to be 300 pounds now due to inflation
In my country I looked on marketplace and the classic is $450cad give or take....so that is just the machine. Forget the grinder....in 3 years the cost is nuts.
I looked at the Polish equivalent of Ebay and there was not a single used Gaggia Classic. The cheapest new one cost 1800 PLN, which is about 350 GBP.
@steinanderson probably more likely £500. Even 2nd hand Gaggias are getting silly prices.
Same video, but with the title updated to 350 pound
I love how James now recognizes that whatever piece of coffee gear he suggest will have a short-term surge in price.
right now it seems at least on the site I am looking at they are around 400-500€ tho I think these might be different models (newer?)
Indeed very humble of him to think he has that much influence on demand.
The bripe is still out of stock. The website mentions him by name as the cause. Lol
@@cartersharpnack lol ye ofc he says that in the video, but that doesnt change the fact that the second hand website (like ebay) I am using mainly, people are offering it for that price tag ^^
@@Tweaker7316 Ok. It's just the original comment didn't really explain that.
James: *takes the top off the machine*
Me: Good Lord look how complicated that looks
James: "In here you can see the inside of these things is very simple"
Me: Yes
It's all about experience. I work on my car so that looks like a toy to me. When i first got started it it was overwhelming
In my experience with IT, it's usually a bundle of wires that's the most off-putting to people. If you ignore the wires (which just go to the buttons, lights etc), then the actual mechanisms (heating, pumping, valves) are relatively simple. Chances are if you're interacting with anything, it won't really involve the wiring all that much, if at all. So then you're mostly just interacting with the tubes you see, which are a lot simpler (though fixing a leak can be a PitA, no two ways about it).
Guys, it's a comment in a meme template haha
@@dementia4 God forbid people try to provide some insight and encourage others to repair things
@@dementia4 yes. the original comment is funny and relatable, while the replies are insightful and helpful. All is good.
How I went from zero to espresso with only £250 *and decades of award winning barista experience*
I did basically the same thing except with a hand grinder with a power drill, with only 1 year of sub par barista experience
Sounds like a light novel title
@@kaneforeman3279 what hand grinder did you get? Would you recommend it for espresso grind?
Depending on the local airline vacation packages and laws regarding slavery and kidnapping in your country, you can get your own James Hoffman for right around 200£ extra. The investment is well worth it.
@@tonygibbons5 Cheapest hand grinder that makes excellent espresso is the 1ZPresso JX-Pro.
9:32 "this spins too, how exciting" was the cutest thing ever
Please do more video’s where you buy secondhand. It teaches lots about the machine itself hardware wise.
He should totally just buy the absolute cheapest garbage he can find and then we can watch him melt down as he tries to repair it.
This!
@@segamble1679 Why do you hate him so much? 😂
@@segamble1679 I'm trying my best to imagine James Hoffmann tinkering and trying his best to pour something even vaguely resembling espresso with a Breville Cafe Roma or something XD
This is exactly what I did at the start of lockdown:
-gaggia classic (2007 model) £110
-referbed myself and spent ~£50 on parts (shower screen, brass plate silicone gaskets etc)
-mr shades PID £95
-bottomless portafilter off ebay ~£12
-VST basket £20
-Smart grinder pro from ebay £60
wait, are you me?... actually I did everything except the bottomless portafilter, and the brass plate, perhaps one day!
@@c05837880 exact same here!!
@@c05837880 hello Me. Brass plate and bottomless are just nice to haves, brass for more heat retention through the group and bottomless to help me see if there are any issues when pulling the shot. I also upgraded the steam wand later to the v3 rancilio, 3d printed a shorter drip tray and brought a replacement steam valve as mine was quite stiff but this was all fairly recently and kind of bits over time.
You got very lucky with the smart grinder!
I purchased 3 of them for about £140 each, 1 was actually an original smart grinder and the 2 others had some kind of motor issue and wouldn't grind at all.
In the end I just shelled out the £200 for a new one but honestly it's a bargain even at that price :)
Me too! Lol
Good god that was the most British advert ever. The bleak weather, the path in the park, the tree line, the under construction building with the crane towering over it... most Channel 4-like!
I could feel my humour becoming drier.
Not forgetting the litter 😂
@@JasonMcCarrell That is a rather unfortunate but absolute necessity, in order to offset the everpresent moisture in the British atmosphere.
Was going to comment saying that he could not have picked a more un-advert-y location in the UK.
@@leumas75 thanks for the explanation. I've always wondered 😆
Hey James! Gaggia (after being acquired by Philips) stopped the production of the solenoid valve in 2015 to lower the power consumption (and save up on production costs) and replaced the boiler with a modified one from other Saeco machines, thus lowering the overall cost of the machine by 100-150. In 2019 after years of outcry and complaints they got back to their old but redesigned system with solenoid valve.
Yes, I was looking for a comment like this. There is a certain series of gaggia classics that you 'should stay away from'. Apart from the solenoid valve tube, you can recognize it by the type of buttons. The old one (maybe the new redesigned one as well) had these big chunky flip switches.
Phillips is an evil company. This is not the first time they have destroyed products they bought. The Sonicare?
@mike is it worth getting the gaggia ''new classic''? Saw an offer for 300€. Wondering if its as good as the old models? and if it can be modded with the spring kit as well? Would appreciate your opinion.
@@crypticself80 If your budget is around 300€, you should look at the Solis barista perfect pro 118. It has about the same features as the old gaggia classic (including a solenoid system), but then in a new machine. Solis is the swiss branch of breville/sage. So the same model is available under a different name in other parts of the world. Here in the Netherlands, the Solis version is the cheapest, priced currently around 290 euros. I've use it for a few years, and for beginners it's a very solid machine. Never lets you down.
@@bertsteemers5860 Appreciate your suggestion. I'm based in Germany actually. I'll check it out. I don't really have a 300€ budget just saw an offer, but might be a fake website. I heared a lot of positive things about the gaggia classic and like the design a lot.
I finally found THE rabbit hole of all the rabbit holes. Thank you James and Internet. Truly
May I interest you in hi-fi audio?
I've owned a Gaggia Classic for £90. I fixed it, used it for years and just sold it all for £300. Not only is this budget but it's money making if you are willing to take the time to research and fix. Man I miss my Gaggia Classic.
My advice is to buy a Gaggia Classic from around 2005, absolute work horse, still reliable, easy to fix
The way you describe the Gaggia Classic's ubiquity as a plus reminds me a lot of how Singer is such a popular brand for antique sewing machine enthusiasts. While other brands made arguably better sewing machines a century ago, the fact that there are so many surviving original replacement parts and accessories (from the high volume of Singer machines produced) means Singer repair continues to be accessible, even for more beginner-ish sewists.
Reminds me of this one Historical Costume youtuber (Bernadette Banner) who bought an 1890's Singer foot pedal setup and had it cleaned up. The person who handled her machine even gave her replacement needles from the same decade. What an absolute treat to own an antique that you can also operate, especially when its parts and accessories are still accessible!
@@kaithdvd I love Bernadette's videos! Yesss exactly
Imagine you’re the guy getting outbid by Hoffmann on a used espresso machine
Literally think he outbid me on the Sage grinder
This was pretty much my path into espresso. 2nd hand Gaggia classic for cheap, and a new a Breville smart grinder. Lots of cleaning, pressure tweak, new shower head and steam arm, IMS basket and bottomless portafilter, then lots of practice!
Whilst I’d love to upgrade my setup one day, there’s plenty of cafes out there making worse espresso than I can produce with this combo!
Mine as well. I bought a Silvia at first, then needed a second machine for the weekends. And that was a series of cheaper Gaggias off eBay. The classic was always pretty expensive, so I got a series of uglier models with the same internals, and I replaced the pumps and valves when they failed. Some are such ugly ducklings, like the Gaggia Espresso, for instance. Big hunk of counter plastic, but the coffee was tasty. I would not be as hesitant as Hoffmann and would highly recommend going hands-on if you have tools, curiosity, and like to DIY. There's a video for everything.
That's a great point! I too enjoy the coffee I make more so than the expensive cups at the more popular coffee shops.
Why is the grinder such a big part of the budget? Can't you get away with a decent hand grinder?
Same. My $10 Gran Gaggia, can't even remember where I got the burr grinder.
I'm pure nerd for coffee; I have a local guy whose family runs a plantation in Nicaragua. I buy green from him, roast myself.
Stopped at the local cafe/bistro that also buys his coffee. Had a latte there.
They scorched the milk.
When I told Alan, he rolled his eyes. "They need a thermometer." (I never use one, but I learned on the job, and can usually tell by the sound of the steam wand and the feel of the cup or pitcher.)
What’s difference between a bottomless and regular portafilter that comes with machine
I love that you're encouraging folks to buy used items. A Gaggia Classic is fully serviceable and can last a lifetime. I wonder how many DeLonghi and Sage machines end up in landfill in that time.
Sage is broken every week, parts costly...
@@pawek9528 give it to me then... i wont fix it and sell it i swear
My Sage is 8 years old and perfect!
same @@ZoltanNagy79
It felt weird to hear people complaining so much about the longevity of Breville espresso machine. Leaks? No pressure? Something stucks? "It doesn't produce good coffee"?
Use soft water to prevent scale buildup, purge the brewer after use to clear the oil on the shower screen, vacuum the grinder burr once in a while, and clean the exterior to keep in spanking new.
Y'all should learn from the cheapskate Asians lol.
Possible asmr channel idea: James methodically cleans second-hand coffee equipment
That is possible onlyfans contemt
8-hour mix
Perhaps on a SECOND CHANNEL!?!
Gotta have nightmares after that.
That might just consist of James swearing under his breath for several hours on end
I managed to get the same machine on eBay for just over £200, followed your other videos and within 15 minutes was drinking proper espresso at home.
Brilliant!
My £147 second hand Gaggia Classic was 3 years old when I bought it. It's now 12 years old and still going strong, with a few mods over the years, best purchase I ever made.
I actually love this video. I started out my coffee journey buying a cheap machine and grinder, servicing them, and fixing them up! What this meant is that by the time I was ready to upgrade, I actually made money from the equipment I was moving on! It meant that over the years, I've been able to more or less self-fund the entire hobby!
I had absolutely no knowledge or experience and pulled every single component of the Gaggia classic apart. They are so nice to work on compared to anything with a circuitboard. And now I know how it all works. Don't be afraid!
My broke ass likes this a lot.
all of ours do
Just don't get the 2015 model of the classic.
Not as cheap but I got a refurbished Breville Dual Boiler and a secondhand Vario for $850AUD (apparently 470 pounds) and though I may have gotten quite lucky I have to say my experience has been great.
@@i2ambler2002 Just 2015, or pre-2015? And why not?
@@benferris1591 hi! Random person. If you have a personal recipe for an aeropress or a V60,please share. I'd like to give it a try. I'm new when it comes to brewing. Thanks.
Welcome back James :D
Indeed!
Found a Gaggia classic at a garage sale 3 years ago for $40. Has been a simple but extremely effective workhorse of an espresso machine. I've done regular backflushes and cleaning and have not had a single issue. Grabbed a Baratza encore so that I can grind easily for pour over, espresso, and aero. An efficient and very cost effective combo but I recognize the garage sale machine was a special find!
The fact that you kept a straight face and kept going after whatever it was that fell out of the machine at 5:01 is very impressive
@Gysberthony Bokkothan packing peanuts or something similar i think
Aside from how much hope this gave me for my college student budget; I loved watching and hearing you repair things and go over the whole process of making coffee, from the value of a not perfectly fitting tamper to using a paperclip to break down clumps in the ground coffee ☺️ very helpful!
Piece of life advice from a person freshly out of college: If you think your budget is tight now, wait till you've been in the adult world for a year. Save your money. Buy espresso setups when you're 45 and financially stable.
I bought a used machine for $150US. Grinder for $85 new (Capresso). Definitely not perfect, but after working out the quirks and a few replacement parts and modifications it makes really good coffee.
@@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim maybe they are studying stem or something well paying after you finish it, and it's not the case? how do you know
@@ZotyLisu Spending money you don't have is like seeing a pit in the path in front of you and still walking right into it.
Its been two years since you left this comment and Im wondering: how have things gone since then? Did you follow through with this and, if so, how did it go?
I think the real reason James is giving away all the stuff to his patreon supporters is that otherwise his studio would be completely full after a month
This is accurate. Plus giving it away makes me happy
This has been openly stated before. You are absolutely right
@@jameshoffmann Do you have random stuff lying around that you want to review, just taking up space, until you have time to make a video so that you can give it away?
@@jameshoffmann Really curious to know how the shot pulled with the sage grinder? - way harder to find the italian grinders in the states
Very rare moments where a sub comment has more likes than the actual comment 😄
Great comment though Lord!
I bought a 2nd hand Gagg Classic during lockdown 1, to get me out of bed. I’m neither a coffee nerd nor a diy guy, but there is so much content for these machines online, which made it so easy to fix.
He is serious but at the same time he is witty. I cannot explain it
Dry British humor.
All good to me. Gives us leverage how to perceive it, depending.
I’ve always been fascinated how this channel keeps me engaged for three reasons
1. I’m allergic to coffee and can’t drink it
2. I have a sensitivity to pretentiousness (hear me out) and James treads that line in a way that is completely believable and inoffensive.
3. Someone being this AR about anything prima facie as mundane as coffee would normally turn me off but the casual but complete earnestness wins me over every time.
I’m kinda in the same boat, but I just happen to not have a coffee set up even though I generally like coffee. I find these videos just really calming, probably a combination of James demeanor and the cinematography
"Sensitivity to pretentiousness"
"Prima facie"
Would love to see a video that takes a look at the minimum you can get good espresso, brand new, for. Kind of a beginner’s guide to getting started
That plastic on the hopper is probably Amber PET, which is meant to provide UV protection for what is inside. I have no clue if that's nessesary for coffee beans, but it's used for medicine and skincare.
The more you know! 🌈⭐️ (tm)
Outdoor espresso carts.
Not really unless your setting it in a sunny window! I think it is a poly carbonate, not a PET, for durability
It makes sense. The gross smell of old coffee and coffee containers is oxidized (rancid) oils, mostly kahweol and cafestol. These compounds absorb strongly in the UV, which accelerates oxidation.
Yep, used to protect against oxidation. Also true for other foods with antioxidant properties, like tea or pommegranate juice. These would break down with sunlight.
I would love to see a series of videos that have you go through the same process with different budgets: $250, $500, $1,000 etc.
what is this $ funny sign?
He couldn't hit £250 so I'm certain he could not hit $250.
€
In the USA with no sales tax on the listing it is the same as in the UK with 20% added VAT. Even second hand from a shop will have VAT added and if importing from EU now gets import VAT even from private sellers.
What is the "sweet" spot. The price point where you get good coffee and to get great coffee you have to spend five times as much? Maybe that varies according to how much you use the machine and personal preferences.
I did exactly this over christmas!
- Gaggia Classis (2008, so still has solenoid valve), £150
- Rancilio Rocky Dosorless grinder, £130
- tamper, IMS basket, service kit etc. CitricAcid, £50
slightly more, but still fairly reasonable I hope... My newfound passion so happy regardless :)
same same, you can even open the boiler right up and you can clean it back to brand new
citric acid?
@@Bllairy yeah! It's a great option for descaling the machine. Works perfectly
I'm part way through a used espresso gear journey. I bought a non-functional La Pavoni Professional lever machine back in October. One of the reasons I went with that kind of machine was the availability of replacement parts. Got a "broken" one because I was reasonably sure I could get it running again. Had to replace a number of things, and do a lot of cleaning, but I'm pleased with the results, I feel a sense of satisfaction from doing the work myself, and my shots are getting better and better. Next I need to get a better grinder. The Hario hand cranker isn't really up to the task. Honestly though, I've kind of enjoyed the challenge of working around the limitations to achieve the best espresso I can with the setup I have. Without much adjustment on the Hario I've played around with dose, pre-infusion, lever force, boiler pressure, distribution and tamping techniques, etc. to try and make up for the fact that the grinder is more or less a constant (only one setting seems to be even close to right for espresso). I'm having fun and learning a ton. Thanks for all the insight and inspiration!
Thank You!! I completed everything today: cut opv spring, lamp dimmer switch on right side in front of steam knob, installed manometer on front right, moved Gaggia logo left, setup xmt7100 for 2 relays, pulled a perfect shot, and I now know the pressure is at 8.5 bar. You helped a lot! Update - I thought I was at 8.5 bar, but it was 10 I just didn’t grind fine enough, but the best taste is at a grind that achieves 6 bar!
Super curious about the details of your cleaning regimen. How to thoroughly clean without damaging electronics, things to watch out for, things that don't matter as much.
This!
Engineer here, make sure its turned off and unplugged. Be very careful, take lots of pictures of what you do and what you remove.
A good quality machine like a gaggia will normally be built robustly enough to allow a gentle service, absolutely junk machines won't and will most likely break as you strip them down 😮
For a used grinder the Baratza line is fantastic. Baratza has an incredible grinder repair program. As a company, they seem to be dedicated to keeping their product working, not just pushing replacements. I bought a used AS-IS Vario for $150, a full service is $85 with new burrs it's only $40 more. Ended up with a basically new $500 grinder for under $250. The repairs are significantly cheaper for their entry-level grinders too.
Most importantly, I know that if something goes wrong in the future they'll be there to help.
For those that don’t know, the pre 2015 classic or the newer Classic Pro is the way to go if you have the option. (These models have the OPV) Plus as James mentioned, Adrian at shades coffee (AKA Mr Shades) will sort you out with a an OPV kit and even a PID kit to give you more control of the temperature. Top bloke and well regarded in the coffee game for his Gaggia Knowledge.
Plus for the older Classic is that the OPV is adjustable with an allen wrench so you dont have to order springs.
Is there a visual way to tell from the pictures if it is the right model?
@@AndrewDrapper yeah, newer ones have the 3 separate switches. Older models have the 3 switches together.
@@AndrewDrapper it will have the 3 buttons crammed together in 1 hole in the stainless steel frame, a metal tube coming down from the left side from the 3 way solenoid and on the bottom right in cursive will say Classic Gaggia in that order.
@@toasterboy708 I think you can also see the tube running down to the drip tray.
Possibly by accident this is my set up right now. My classic is 2003 with the 9 bar spring having owned it for 18 years and the MC2 grinder bought from Happy Donkey (one of the last in stock) They are a joy to use.
I bought a pre 2015 gaggia classic for like £149 including delivery last year at the start of the pandemic...almost a year later its been fitted with rancillio wand, stainless shower plater and ims nano screen and a new steam valve and some thermostats and full seal replacement. Works beautifully but still trying to perfect milk frothing and dialing in my mignon specialita but luckily I'm not hugely fussy about my coffee, it's the joy of learning and honing my skills. Also adjusted pressure down to 9bar and a difference it does make!!
Hi James, I followed this route a while back. You must buy a pre Phillips Gaggia Classic. Easy to see by the font on the front. I found changing the shower block to a solid brass one made a huge difference to the stability and flavour (over the furred up lightweight aluminium one in the machine). The steam wand changes to a Ranchillio Silvia one and. The OPV only needs a screwdriver to adjust. My machine had been kicking out 13 bar! 9 made a world of difference. All cheap and easy modifications. I only paid £50, the upgrades added another £50 including ‘competition’ shower screen and basket. I then found a Mazzer mini (manual version) for £100 which I took the hopper off and cleaned and I single dose with it. I removed a little anti static grill on the exit of the machine so I can remove most retention easily with a tea spoon handle. More mods planned. The quality was great, and I started roasting. Eventually I sold the machine and bought a Second hand Rocket with E61 and rotary pump.....no PID...keeping the skill element hah. I’d love to scale up and go commercial. Oh, also bought your book which is great. Hope this helps people!
After this video: gaggia classic demand 📈
Gaggia classic supply on eBay 📉
I'm personally not in the market for this, so I'll say my thoughts:
Pay attention to the criteria James gave for choosing the models to hunt that he did, and extend them to everything that's available.
Stonks
Min $400 right now
At this point its probably cheaper to buy a brand new Classic Pro than get into a bidding war on ebay. It would be a better machine than the one James got too.
If you can find one and are willing to go for older hardware, the early Gaggias deemed the "Old White Coffee" models are great. They have a larger boiler in them and the steam wand is a "manual" one. I've been ecstatic about learning espresso with mine!
I think this is one of THE most important videos you've ever done. I was JUST about to purchase a Gaggia Classic off OfferUp.
To me a cheap and astonishingly adequate setup starts with the Flair. Compact, easy to use, solid output. Hard to beat for the price.
OMG. This was exactly the same set up I had when I started making espresso at home ten years ago! Bought a second hand Gaggia Classic off eBay, modded it with PID temperature control, and it had been working faithfully for so many years. I brought them back to China with me and they just kept going. Only replaced the Gaggia with a heat exchanger machine about two years ago. And the grinder, has been serving me well still to this day, everyday, after 10 years continuous using without any problem! I'm so surprised to see them together in your video ☺️
It’s felt like so long! Welcome back, I hope you enjoyed your break.
As someone that got a WICKED deal on two Gaggia Baby machines, it really does take patience! You can get some amazing coffee out of the second hand machines. And it's important to remember, the early Gaggia machines are MACHINES. All the parts can be replaced, cleaned, fixed. Customized. There is no finicky computer chips in it. Just relays, temp sensors, and power. I love my Baby, whom I got for $20 and about $30 worth of cleaning supplies. I spent more on a coffee tamper than the entire machine.
Any tips as I search for one? I always worry I’m gonna buy something that’s busted and not reparable
James, I know you won’t see this but I bought that cup from your website and I loved it, it’s the cutest little cup and you inspired me to get a little more serious about coffee, thank you so much your Channel means a lot to me!
get a room ffs
At the recommendation of coffee forums about 6 years ago I bought a secondhand Gaggia Classic (older Pre-2015 Model) as well as a Rancilio Rocky. I use it here and there, got some OK espresso, nothing I considered life changing, but as of late I haven't touched it much. I fell down the rabbit hole of Jame's youtube channel (currently stuck at home with Covid), and as of yesterday decided to show the machine a little love and ordered up a new silicon gasket, shower-head & brass mounting plate, a IMS competition basket and a bottomless portafilter. I've also looked up how to dial back the pressure on my specific version.
Long story short - cheers on your videos for running the gamut between good stuff for home use, whacky coffee gadgets, techniques and all that goodness all the way up into high end $$$ machines.
Cheers from over the pond.
I did this! I got a gaggia classic for $180 (which is cheap but 2023 standards). It didn't work out of the box, but by cleaning the pump out, and extreme descaling, I got it running! Zero additional money spent.
This would be interesting to repeat post-pandemic. I.e. Lots of people bought coffee gear while sitting at home and may want to unload in when they get back to normal. Greater supply lower demand.
Cute, you think the "pandemic" will end and not morph into rolling lockdowns in perpetuity. hahah
@@bobmcbob4399 I suppose it depends on the country/local conditions you live in....
@@bobmcbob4399 who does this attitude help
@Pranav Ajay Warrier YT is also removing my comments. C3ns0r5h1p!
@@bobmcbob4399 In a year or two's time, please try to remember you made comments like this.
me getting into coffee and watching every vid in 2 days thinking about good coffee and being a broke student. this video pops up. life is good
I absolutely love the idea of buying someone's used, loved machine and refurbing it. A little coffee project sounds quite fun. Welcome back James.
I hope you read this!
Your videos SERIOUSLY appeal to me. I appreciate not only your info presented, but the way that you pace the videos as well which allows for deeper understanding. I also appreciate the lack of any background music, the mood of the video is purely YOU. Awesome stuff, thank you so much, you’ve already taught me so much. 🙏
You made me very happy with my choices. About seven years ago, I decided to get into the espresso game. I bought a used Gaggia Classic, which came with 4 cups and saucers, a tamper; for 179 US. The grinder is a cousin of the one you selected (same internals) for 169 delivered. I am very happy. I did recently upgrade the grinder to a Sette 270. Thank You.
The best thing about this video is, I learned that the phrase 'portafilter sneeze' is a thing. Day = made.
Now I am wondering if they "fart" too.
The fact that that’s the cheap end is the main thing keeping me from making espresso
Maybe used bellman....some say it is not espresso.....some do
@@davidcordatos-marcotte8144 i just like regular coffee enough that i think it outweighs the desire. Good drip pot goes for like $20 bucks lol
@@gerrybaker7055 a mocha pot, and aero press or a good filter setup can provide you with great coffee for cheaper than a machine. Choice of which just depends on how you take it.
He got this for really cheap as well. I attempted this myself in continental Europe and landed near double the price (with slightly better gear, but still).
James, have you considered doing a video about the Sage/Breville machines with the 54mm portafilters and developing a dose on them in particular? They're immensely popular, and as far as things like dose are concerned (and the length of the path through the coffee at a given dose) there must be differences since the 10% smaller diameter means that the bed depth has to be 21% greater at a given dose.
It'd be interesting to hear someone with your experience level discuss the differences in flavor between a 54 and 58mm filters and how that affects grind size, pressure, dose weight, etc.
Something like this would be great, especially as I think the other option around this budget is a second hand Breville/Sage machine. My (first and current) setup is a Breville Barista Express, which has a decent built in grinder for a modest budget (though sadly it's not stepless). I got it secondhand for $350 USD (which is just about exactly £250). When I purchased it, I was looking at either Breville or a Gaggia classic second hand. I ended up going with what I could get locally -- buying for pickup rather than delivery let me make sure the machine turned on and didn't have anything obviously broken about it before committing to purchase it, which was a big draw for me.
This would be great!
As someone who just acquired a Breville I would greatly appreciate this as well.
@@rachelsherman1617 second hand Sage is like Russian roulette, but with bullets in 5 chambers
I'm not sure what fell out of the machine at 4:58 but that was the cutest little reaction
I run a dedica with the setup you recommended and a comandante, and I invested a total of 370 swiss francs, over half of which was the grinder. Only the dedica upgrades were new. The whole thing is amazing and works perfectly
Four people who shouldn’t be allowed to fly on the same plane during bad weather;
Chris Baca
James Hoffman
Tim Wendelboe
Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood
My 2012 Gaggia Classic cost £100. I’ve spent on a new group gasket , shower plate and decent basket so all in about £140. The pleasure for me though was pulling it apart, learning how an espresso machine works, understanding it’s capabilities and limitations. I heard someone compare the Gaggia to a Land Rover, it’s tough, ugly and easy to tinker with, whereas some machines are more like Lamborghini, lots of flashing lights and not at all user serviceable! I feel like I’m earning my stripes with the Gaggia and it’s a journey I’m enjoying! As for grinding, I’ve struggled by with a hand held Hario which just doesn’t give me the control over my grind I want for espresso, but I’ve found it’s a nice cheap little grinder for v60.
5 years ago: Gaggia Classic (2006) + Gaggia MDF grinder
OPV adjustment to 9 bar
Rancilio steam wand
Mr shades PID
Very good coffee
I took on a second hand La Pavoni refurb last year and loved doing it.... So easy to find one and get parts for it, plus there's a Facebook group full of info on how to do every step of the refurb. I'm probably going to keep adding modifications to try and make it better as i go along, but I've been so happy with it.
Just lucked out. I have a good friend that started with a Gaggia Classic Pro but upgraded to a very high end machine this month. On the Gaggia he upgraded the porta filter, shower head, and pressure spring. He also put a PID on it for better temp control. I Just bought it for $250 USD. I'm already an avid home roaster so this machine will compliment my roasting hobby nicely. I am looking forward to my first pull tomorrow!
I bought an older (1998) Gaggia Classic about 7 years ago that had a cracked boiler at a garage sale for $10. I bought a new boiler for ~$60 and fixed it up, have used it daily since then. One of the best investments I ever made. After hand grinding for a couple years got a Breville grinder, upgraded the portafilter and I look forward to making coffee every day!
It's been too long without the Hoff
*Hofftopus
Hoffeeman
Why do you remember daft punk? It still hurt
Seeing James buy the same scale I have might be my proudest moment
Can i ask which scale you have? We're looking for one too
@@EnglishWithKen it’s the Huismart digital coffee scale. Pretty simple but it’s gotten the job done for me so far with the basic timer and scale.
Why do you need a scale? I don't drink fancy coffee so I don't know
@@F7INN it’s not completely necessary but it’s good for repeatability especially in manual coffee brewers (anything that’s requires personal dosing of coffee and water). It helps follow recipes, for example, one might require 15 grams of coffee to 250 grams of water. Without a scale, it would be hard to reach this point
I was looking at buying new, but rather I rebuilt my Gaggia Classic (the model with solenoid valve) Catching this video I'm very glad I did 👍
i have a delonghi dedica and the sage precision grinder since last year, bought those during the start of lockdown. a little note here im a newbie to brewing espresso, the two machines have been working very well together but looking back now i’d probably spend a bit more and buy a Gaggia or Sage Bambino instead. dont get me wrong the delonghi is a good start for entry, especially for those who is unsure if they’d prefer home espresso or not. it is just that the milk frothing and brewing pressure isn’t that good for delonghi. till this day i still think the sage grinder and the delonghi dedica espresso machine was my best purchase during the lockdown, well invested and all worth it!
I noticed, that here in NZ, the Smart Grinder Pro is occassionally available at about half price (or less). So I put an email price watch on for my target price and then patiently waited. Many months later I got the magic email showing they were below half price..., and accordingly nabbed myself a Smart Grinder Pro for about 95GBP Brand New!!! My patience paid off. I figured even if I didn't like it I could resell it for way more than I paid for it. Bargain!
What app/extension do you use for this?
Nice , i just started my Espresso journey using second hand gear that was partially broken. Rancilio silvia for 200euro with a broken steam wand with a 50euro handgrinder! took me about a week to get it working :D.
Thanks for the insight for how you would do it!
"But what I do have are a very particular set of scales; scales I have acquired over a very long career"
highly underrated comment 😉
Scales that make coffee a nightmare for people like you. If you let my grinder go now, that'll be the end of it.
James, I’ve just recently stumbled onto your channel (or shall I say into the rabbit hole) and found a kindred spirit in a weird coffee person.
I have used all types and levels of espresso makers (from the humble mocha, the manual maker to super auto) and appreciate all approaches (drip, french, pour over) to converting the coffee bean into the luscious, complex drink we call coffee.
I most recently purchased a used/broken Jura EN8 for about half of what it lists for new. I had to tinker with it for a day, replace the water tank and prime the water pump, but other than that it was in almost unused condition and makes a passable espresso, or my favorite ristretto at a touch.
Thanks for the educational and entertaining videos.
Ah the video I've been WISHING for since quarantine started. Soon after I found this channel I went out and bough a "broken" vintage Coffee Gaggia for $50 and after fixing it and modifying it I couldn't be happier.
HE’S BACK!!!!!
THIS IS A GLORIOUS DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
interestingly, I bought used gaggia machines and rebuilt them - lots around. The downside is the alloy boiler, the better brass boiler is rancillio sylvia. Yep, there are many types of gaggia classics: they had a 3-way evac valve, then took it out, then put it back. Also, the OPV can be on the pump or the boiler.
A lot of people looking into the new Gaggia Classic Pros now are missing out on the older Classics with the allen wrench adjustable pressure valve.
This is exactly what I did. Went on gumtree and bought a breville barista express with a broken grinder haggled down to around £80, took the thing apart and found the stepdown gear tooth absolutely stripped away, bought a replacement for £25 and some missing accessories for £42, so now I have a decent setup for less than £150 (all values translated form AUD).
Good barter! How's the espresso from it?
Just went through the same thing.
Used Items:
Machine: Gaggia Classic 2012 with milk jug & tamper fully functional new gasket and steam wand upgrade - 170€
Grinder: Sage dose control 100€
Bottomless Portafilter (wood) ): 26€
New Items:
Sage Knock Box and Airscape 1kg: 30+50=80€
IMS Big Bang Basket (22g): 26€
Upgraded Shower Holder, Shower Screen and Screws since the old aluminium was corroded: 42€
Spring: 6€
Total: 450€
Could have saved on airscape and portafilter bringing things down to a clean 400€
I got my !Sage By Heston Blumenthal The Smart Grinder Pro Coffee Grinding Machine" on eBay. Perfectly happy with it. £139.99. The "Sage by Heston Blumenthal The Duo Temp Pro Coffee Machine" was £204.99 refurbished. So well over the budget of £250. Consider this over the next 10 years and 8 or more brews per day for me has been worth it. No problems, other than my lack of knowledge on the settings. A big step up from my old Krups grinder and dual filter and expresso machine.
I totally agree with most of this. A Gaggia Classic is probably the best value espresso machine out there (not only used, but brand new as well). But for your very first proper espresso setup, I would definitely suggest a hand grinder. Sure, it's more work, but much better value for money. Just make sure it's actually meant for espresso, as the majority of coffee grinders simply cannot grind fine enough, or do not have steps fine enough for the control you need. And if you have a decent kitchen scale, then I would say to skip the coffee scales. Just time your shot using your phone, or whatever.
Yeah that's what I was thinking. I also would've probably passed on the knock box given this really is meant to be a budget setup
@@jumbo_mumbo1441 knock box is the silliest gadget. I am a hard core espresso snob, but I will never waste a penny buying a knock box.
For my cheap setup, I've had success using a variac for full manual control of the pump pressure and I glued a leaded thermistor to the thermal block and use a cheap ohmmeter for more precise temperature surfing. Worth a try if you're interested in that sort of thing.
I am now imagining James and 2 other coffee content creators based in the UK in a video where they are given an absurdly small amount of money and be told to go out and buy an espresso setup, which will then be subjected to a battery of tests and competitive mocking.
I bought a gaggia off of the back of this video from eBay, it looked perfect but turned out to have blown the main gasket, I them bought a gasket set for £6, dremlled away all the corrosion back to a clean polish then added the new gaskets, like new happy days 👏🏻👏🏻 thanks for inspiring me 🤟🏻
Im a coffee nerd. The best coffee I tasted in my life was by an old women in rural cuba on a stovetop with a pot carefully managed temp and poured through a sieve. The most complex cup ever touched my lips. Extraordinary.
Great video James - and wonderful to see you using the 6.5bar spring to get some great tasting espresso from the Classic 2015. I frequently tell people that the Classic produces great espresso at 6.5bar though many just continue to use the "industry standard" 9 bar and don't even try 6.5. Perhaps they will after hearing it from you rather then me! -- MrShades
Why do you sign your comment when it's already signed at the top?
@@Farkeman MrShades is a person: Shades of Coffee is a company
Why 6.5 v 9. I just ordered the kit and was going to start with the 6.5 but I’m curious about the theory behind it. Thanks in advance for any response.
@@JasonBevers I'm certainly not an expert on this. But what I've heard is that the Gaggia Classic can build up pressure higher then 9 bars. Wich result in bad extraction. 6.5 bars makes it slower and more steady.
Often I find that the time and effort put into hunting for a good deal on online marketplaces could also be used on working extra hours, and just getting the real deal. Equally as time-intensive, but way less frustrating (and eliminates the risk of dealing with meh products).
Wonder what brew pressure James ended up with/targeted in the Gaggia Classic? In my 2005 ish model it's just a case of unscrewing the preload screw in the OPV valve then unscrewing the portafilter spout and screwing on a pressure gauge and and seeing what you get, then adjusting screw accordingly. I think I went for about 9.5-10bar as this is a "static" zero flow measurement and the pressure driving some flow through the compressed grounds will be marginally lower than this. If anyone else gets one of these, strips the boiler down for a clean then rebuilds it and plugs it in and turns it on and it blows the fuse in your house then you have introduced moisture between the heating element conductors and the ceramic insulators. You need to take the boiler out strip it down again making sure you remove the seal then bake the boiler and the elements on a gentle heat in the oven overnight to drive out the moisture that is causing the short. These machines are great and will last a lifetime.
About 10 years ago I bought a Saeco/Starbucks barrista.
It needed a bit of work; the grinder was missing a part and the part had to be found, the grouphead gasket leaked and had to be replaced. But that was about it.
Over time I did replace the manual pressurized portafilter with an automatic one. That was for convenience.
And it worked FINE, and I was happy with it, for MANY years.
I pull single shots, and I could not figure out to put a single shot basket into the Saeco pressurized portafilter, and make it work. So I just put a single dose into the double dose basket.
As it turned out, like you said in one of your videos, the extra space between the top of the single dose of coffee and the shower screen caused the puck to swell, and the puck was wet and soupy. It turns out, it was an easy fix. I just put a puck screen on the coffee, and that held down the coffee, no more soupy puck. But, finding the CORRECT size puck screen was another mater. It took me three tries to get the right size. hint, the metal puck screen expands when HOT water goes through it. So you have to get a size smaller than the basket size.
Note the puck screen can ONLY be used for SINGLE doses of coffee. With a double dose, the coffee level is high enough that the coffee touches the shower screen, and there is NO ROOM for a puck screen. If you do put a puck screen on a double dose, it will be damaged by the head of the screw for the shower screen.
After many years, I did have to do a few maintenance surgeries.
- The steam wand started leaking. Not bad, but eventually it got irritating. I decided to do the repair while I could still get the parts. Followed the YT instructions, and done.
- The mushroom valve on the group head leaked and had to be replaced. PROBLEM, the screw holding the valve was JAMMED, so I put this task off as long as I could. I finally decided to FIX it, and got the screw out, and replaced the valve. I should have done it a LONG time ago, and every couple years thereafter, so the coffee would not build up and jam the screw, like it did.
- A spring on the grinder broke, preventing the grinder from stopping when a single dose had been ground. Now THIS was a PROBLEM, because the spring was not an easily found replacement item. I could NOT find the spring, so I used a short bit of brass wire to connect the long half of the broken spring to the mating hole on the grinder. Done, and it works. If I kept the Saeco, I would be LOOKING for the correct spring.
Unfortunately, Saeco discontinued the machine and spare parts have become harder to find.
Stuff that I would have done different:
- Replace the mushroom valve earlier, and every year or so. So the screw would not be so hard to remove.
- Get a puck screen much earlier.
- Replace the shower screen with a better shower screen. Although there is some question in my mind, if that is necessary with a puck screen.
- Get the non-pressurized portafilter, when it was available.
- Buy spare parts and tools when they were still available.
I've since moved on to a Solis, but there are times when I wish I had my old Saeco.
This video has me now thinking of looking for a Gagia Classic.
I have had my Gaggia Classic for 15 years. About a year ago i spent £80 on a full refurb kit, including a new boiler head. i also dialled the pressure down to 8 Bar - there's an adjuster screw on my very old model. Well worth the time and effort, it still makes great coffee even though it's very old.
Thankfully the water here in Manchester is very soft indeed - so scale is never an issue.
My Bodum grinder is pretty good too, I'm pleased with it. Seems to give consistent results. There are more expensive machines but it seems to do the job. Must clean the burrs though.
Flair classic and Baratza Encore (setting 8) has been working great for me. Tons of crema and minimal electronic complications. Whole setup was ~300$
This was about what I was thinking. The Encore is maximum bang for buck in a grinder (wonder if you can get them used or if people hang on to them and perhaps upgrade the burr set?) and then literally pulling shots with the Flair... of course, the Flair will _travel_ where the Encore will not, especially trans-pondial.... That's one thing James didn't touch on is that one can get a *premium* _manual_ grinder for the US equivalent of eighty quid, *new*... add a Flair Classic with pressure kit (includes tamper) and a cheap set of scales, a paper clip, and also a cheap knock box and you'll come out maybe two-sixty quid USD equivalent? less if you go really cheap on the scales; I looked at the Escali Pico on special, which is nice b/c tenth-gram accuracy; I made filter coffee for a couple years on its higher-capacity brother, but when you're doing espresso, accuracy counts...
Definitely something to be said for investing elbow grease in a rig... saves money and there's not as much to break!
I bought both my Breville espresso machine and Breville Grinder 2nd hand. it took a little time for me to get everything dialed in just right, but she runs like a charm. Both do. Bought the same mini knock box as in the video on amazon. I was trying to figure out why I've not seen any comparison (best for your money) Breville machines in your $100 or less or $500 or less machines. Until I saw this video and realized the Sage IS Breville. 🙄
which breville grinder did you get? i'm picking one up this weekend
James going over budget just so he can have something to knock his coffee grounds in rather than just use a bin is peek Hoffmann.
It's such a pain to not use a knock box after using it regularly at cafes. I imagine it'd be a nice thing to have if you're making espresso at least daily.
With some bins it's fine but with others (like mine) it's a really annoying to nock it into. As a cheap option, I bought a tiny desk trash can and put a wood bar at the top instead of the lid. It works perfectly.
In AUD $80 second hand refurbished and sunbeam Cafe series, $220 on a new breville grinder pro, $80 on the vst basket. The sunbeam was thought broken and needed a good clean and a magnet for the water level sensor. Been very happy with it
I purchased a refurbished Gaggia Classic after a house fire we had nearly 7 years ago. It has been running great that entire time.
I cannot tell if this man is 36 or 63
44
@@NatureSkyViewsbut is he 44 or… 44?
He's grown up Stewie from family guy
Hoffman doesn't age
He’s 69
I never expected my boy Iberital MC2 to be mentioned in a James Hoffmann video. I've had mine for almost a decade now and it's definitely a more reliable workhorse than the breville smart grinder I bought later in life.
Thanks for all of your work, James, I do appreciate the commitment and expertise that you offer. We recently bought a country place (nice to be out of the big city in these days) and I wanted to have decent espresso there, but at a budget. I have a Gaggia Classic (2019) that I modded as you did here, and a Gaggia MDF grinder. I ended up with an espresso “appliance,” a Capresso EC100 that features a pressurized basket of less than professional size, and a Breville Smart Grinder Pro grinder. I am quite impressed by the Breville, as it has 2 adapters for different sized baskets (one of which worked well with the Capresso), and with some experimenting with the timing and grind size (and a tip to pause the grind midway through to tap the basket a couple of times and continue), was able to produce a very consistent and very decent pull for $325 overall new and delivered. Thanks again for all that you give to your subscribers!
This video persuaded me to buy a vst basket for my gaggia classic. Turn the pressure down inside the machine and buy some proper fresh coffee... best espresso I’ve made so far. However I’ve realised my grinder doesn’t go fine enough for non pressurised baskets... so now I need to replace it as well🙃 Thank you JH for continued teaching
I picked up a La Pavoni that needed a service and a couple of repairs for £50 and a CMA badged super jolly for £80. I converted the grinder to single dose, modified the Pavoni and made a tamper, funnel and distribution tool. Never hear anyone compare grinders like the ones you bought or Niche with the super jolly. Loads around and bargains to be had if you have the skills to convert it.