Gaggia Classic and 3 way Solenoid Valve

[Frankie Chan]

Hi everyone.
I have had a Gaggia Classic for 6 months or so now and of late, its
been teamed with a Lux grinder and fresh roasted coffee (thanks to
Alan Frew).

Anyway - the Gaggia, I thought, had been working fine - good espresso
etc, but the pucks tended to be a bit wet on top after a shot,
although firm enough to pick up after knocking them out, or would be
dry after 30- seconds to a minute if I leave it in the portafilter.

I keep hearing about the nice WHOOSH you should get from a 3-way
valve, but I never heard it from the machine. I just assumed that it
was quieter than I exepcted and I have seen liquid come out of the
exit tube and into the drip tray.

I can also remove the portafilter pretty much straight away after a
shot without grounds spraying everywhere so I think the valve has done
it's job of releasing pressure.

Then, the other day - I heard a distinct Whoosh from the machine after
a shot and got a suprise. Although I haven't heard it since (from
another dozen shots or so).

So I thought I should stop lurking and ask you nice people as to what
the cause may be.
Is my solenoid valve faulty?
Is there any way of checking?
Will a backflush with a blank filter and cleaning agent help?

Many thanks in Advance

Frankie
BTW - I'm in Australia so its a 240V machine.

[Paul Mortimer]

There is nothing wrong with your solenoid valve. The water in the
portafilter is under a lot of pressure. The solenoid switches the flow
of water from the boiler (and pump) to the drip tray. As the pressure
is released, about half the water leaves the portafilter and brew
head, and shoots down the silver tube into the drip tray. The only way
you get a dry puck with a classic is to use a coarser grind, and tamp
it less so there is less water in the portafilter before the solenoid
does it's work. I think if the filter clogs, the pressure will be
higher and the whoose sound more noticable. Try removing the silver
rod and putting a tall glass in it's place to see what happens. Don't
get scalded though.

Post by Frankie Chan
Hi everyone.
I have had a Gaggia Classic for 6 months or so now and of late, its
been teamed with a Lux grinder and fresh roasted coffee (thanks to
Alan Frew).
Anyway - the Gaggia, I thought, had been working fine - good espresso
etc, but the pucks tended to be a bit wet on top after a shot,
although firm enough to pick up after knocking them out, or would be
dry after 30- seconds to a minute if I leave it in the portafilter.
I keep hearing about the nice WHOOSH you should get from a 3-way
valve, but I never heard it from the machine. I just assumed that it
was quieter than I exepcted and I have seen liquid come out of the
exit tube and into the drip tray.
I can also remove the portafilter pretty much straight away after a
shot without grounds spraying everywhere so I think the valve has done
it's job of releasing pressure.
Then, the other day - I heard a distinct Whoosh from the machine after
a shot and got a suprise. Although I haven't heard it since (from
another dozen shots or so).
So I thought I should stop lurking and ask you nice people as to what
the cause may be.
Is my solenoid valve faulty?
Is there any way of checking?
Will a backflush with a blank filter and cleaning agent help?
Many thanks in Advance
Frankie
BTW - I'm in Australia so its a 240V machine.

[Steven Cook]

I had a similar experience with my Gaggia Classic. Slightly different
only in that after I came back from a weeks vacation I was convinced
that my pucks were "wetter" than before and that the woosh that I
thought I heard was no longer as loud as I remembered.

I began to think that as it had been idle for a while some trapped
grounds or coffee oil had solidified in my machine somewhere. I got my
hands on some Cafiza and a blind filter so that I could try
backflushing. I had ordered the Cafiza from the good people at
AnotherCoffee.co.uk and had started a thread on a.c about backflushing
a Classic.

Now, as Carolyn at AnotherCoffee is a reader of a.c, she put 2 and 2
together and sent me a cautionary e-mail about what I was about to do.
The following is a quote from that e-mail and is in reply to a query
they'd made about backflushing:-

"We would not normally recommend backflushing machines unless they
have a professional group head however the Gaggia Classic DOES have
what they call a decompression tube - so we checked with the service
department at Gaggia and this apparently releases the pressure from
the pump side of a solenoid valve and not from the group head side -
the pressure from the group head still escapes through the coffee
grounds and filter holder. Backflushing would therefore not work and
Gaggia say that they do not recommend backflushing on ANY of their
domestic machines."

I hope the explanation of which side of the valve the pressure is
released from explains why you have slightly wet pucks. I went ahead
and backflushed anyway. It didn't do my machine any harm, it also
didn't seem to relieve my perceived problem, which I now put down to
me altering my ritual after pulling my shot.... However one factor
I've found in getting drier pucks is to use more coffee in the PF!

Steven.

Post by Paul Mortimer
There is nothing wrong with your solenoid valve. The water in the
portafilter is under a lot of pressure. The solenoid switches the flow
of water from the boiler (and pump) to the drip tray. As the pressure
is released, about half the water leaves the portafilter and brew
head, and shoots down the silver tube into the drip tray. The only way
you get a dry puck with a classic is to use a coarser grind, and tamp
it less so there is less water in the portafilter before the solenoid
does it's work. I think if the filter clogs, the pressure will be
higher and the whoose sound more noticable. Try removing the silver
rod and putting a tall glass in it's place to see what happens. Don't
get scalded though.

Post by Frankie Chan
Hi everyone.
I have had a Gaggia Classic for 6 months or so now and of late, its
been teamed with a Lux grinder and fresh roasted coffee (thanks to
Alan Frew).
Anyway - the Gaggia, I thought, had been working fine - good espresso
etc, but the pucks tended to be a bit wet on top after a shot,
although firm enough to pick up after knocking them out, or would be
dry after 30- seconds to a minute if I leave it in the portafilter.
I keep hearing about the nice WHOOSH you should get from a 3-way
valve, but I never heard it from the machine. I just assumed that it
was quieter than I exepcted and I have seen liquid come out of the
exit tube and into the drip tray.
I can also remove the portafilter pretty much straight away after a
shot without grounds spraying everywhere so I think the valve has done
it's job of releasing pressure.
Then, the other day - I heard a distinct Whoosh from the machine after
a shot and got a suprise. Although I haven't heard it since (from
another dozen shots or so).
So I thought I should stop lurking and ask you nice people as to what
the cause may be.
Is my solenoid valve faulty?
Is there any way of checking?
Will a backflush with a blank filter and cleaning agent help?
Many thanks in Advance
Frankie
BTW - I'm in Australia so its a 240V machine.

[Frankie Chan]

Thanks for the replies.
As I said, the espresso seems fine and the pucks are nice and solid,
apart from a small amount of standing liquid on the top of them.
And yes, I have seen water come out of the silver tube into the drip
tray - it was just that the noise was never there and then was.

I'm releived that there does not seem to be a problem and I'll contnue
to enjoy my coffee from it - that is unless I keep lurking here and
get upgrade fever sooner than I'd like.

Frankie

Post by Steven Cook
I had a similar experience with my Gaggia Classic. Slightly different
only in that after I came back from a weeks vacation I was convinced
that my pucks were "wetter" than before and that the woosh that I
thought I heard was no longer as loud as I remembered.

<SNIP>

Post by Steven Cook
I hope the explanation of which side of the valve the pressure is
released from explains why you have slightly wet pucks. I went ahead
and backflushed anyway. It didn't do my machine any harm, it also
didn't seem to relieve my perceived problem, which I now put down to
me altering my ritual after pulling my shot.... However one factor
I've found in getting drier pucks is to use more coffee in the PF!
Steven.

Post by Paul Mortimer
There is nothing wrong with your solenoid valve. The water in the
portafilter is under a lot of pressure. The solenoid switches the flow
of water from the boiler (and pump) to the drip tray. As the pressure
is released, about half the water leaves the portafilter and brew
head, and shoots down the silver tube into the drip tray. The only way
you get a dry puck with a classic is to use a coarser grind, and tamp
it less so there is less water in the portafilter before the solenoid
does it's work. I think if the filter clogs, the pressure will be
higher and the whoose sound more noticable. Try removing the silver
rod and putting a tall glass in it's place to see what happens. Don't
get scalded though.

[Tom Peterson]

Post by Frankie Chan
Thanks for the replies.
As I said, the espresso seems fine and the pucks are nice and solid,
apart from a small amount of standing liquid on the top of them.
And yes, I have seen water come out of the silver tube into the drip
tray - it was just that the noise was never there and then was.
I'm releived that there does not seem to be a problem and I'll contnue
to enjoy my coffee from it - that is unless I keep lurking here and
get upgrade fever sooner than I'd like.
Frankie

Post by Steven Cook
I had a similar experience with my Gaggia Classic. Slightly different
only in that after I came back from a weeks vacation I was convinced
that my pucks were "wetter" than before and that the woosh that I
thought I heard was no longer as loud as I remembered.

<SNIP>

Post by Steven Cook
I hope the explanation of which side of the valve the pressure is
released from explains why you have slightly wet pucks. I went ahead
and backflushed anyway. It didn't do my machine any harm, it also
didn't seem to relieve my perceived problem, which I now put down to
me altering my ritual after pulling my shot.... However one factor
I've found in getting drier pucks is to use more coffee in the PF!
Steven.

Post by Paul Mortimer
There is nothing wrong with your solenoid valve. The water in the
portafilter is under a lot of pressure. The solenoid switches the flow
of water from the boiler (and pump) to the drip tray. As the pressure
is released, about half the water leaves the portafilter and brew
head, and shoots down the silver tube into the drip tray. The only way
you get a dry puck with a classic is to use a coarser grind, and tamp
it less so there is less water in the portafilter before the solenoid
does it's work. I think if the filter clogs, the pressure will be
higher and the whoose sound more noticable. Try removing the silver
rod and putting a tall glass in it's place to see what happens. Don't
get scalded though.

so, what color liquid comes down the silver tube? clear hot water from
boiler or coffee colored water from group head?

[Steven Cook]

From mine it looks quite clear, but I guess I should put a shot glass
under the outlet to be sure....

Steve.

Post by Tom Peterson
so, what color liquid comes down the silver tube? clear hot water from
boiler or coffee colored water from group head?

[Tom Peterson]

I am asking because I own a Coffee Gaggia. It produces nice pucks, wet on
top unless i cook one during a steaming session. Its tank has two hosed
desending into it, one to draw water into the pump and one apparently to
carry the pressurized water back to the reservoir, based on what I have
learned from a previous post. I will now quit pining away for a Classic
Gaggia. I now believe my Coffee has all the features of the Classis for a
much lower cost. I feel Good.

Post by Steven Cook
From mine it looks quite clear, but I guess I should put a shot glass
under the outlet to be sure....
Steve.

Post by Tom Peterson
so, what color liquid comes down the silver tube? clear hot water from
boiler or coffee colored water from group head?

[Mike Garner]

In article <Vqerb.107869$***@attbi_s52>, ***@seanet.com
says...

Post by Tom Peterson
I am asking because I own a Coffee Gaggia. It produces nice pucks, wet on
top unless i cook one during a steaming session. Its tank has two hosed
desending into it, one to draw water into the pump and one apparently to
carry the pressurized water back to the reservoir, based on what I have
learned from a previous post

You don't have a three way valve. One hose is to draw in water, the
other is to return water from the pressure release valve. Since the
introduction of the Classic, Coffees don't have a three way. If you had
a three way, you would have a hose leading to the drip tray as well.

That being said, you aren't missing out on that much. The Classic and
Coffee will produce equal results.

Mike

[tom b.]

The Baby is the cheaper plastic housing model with a 3 way, which allows
successive shots. To avoid a wait for pressure to dissipate before pulling a
second shot, get a model with a 3 way. Otherwise, don't sweat it, you've got
a nice machine as long as you can get 17+ grams in your basket. Upgrade your
basket if you are using pressurized or 14 gram in any case, a good basket is
key.
tom

Post by Mike Garner
says...

Post by Tom Peterson
I am asking because I own a Coffee Gaggia. It produces nice pucks, wet on
top unless i cook one during a steaming session. Its tank has two hosed
desending into it, one to draw water into the pump and one apparently to
carry the pressurized water back to the reservoir, based on what I have
learned from a previous post

You don't have a three way valve. One hose is to draw in water, the
other is to return water from the pressure release valve. Since the
introduction of the Classic, Coffees don't have a three way. If you had
a three way, you would have a hose leading to the drip tray as well.
That being said, you aren't missing out on that much. The Classic and
Coffee will produce equal results.
Mike

[Mike Garner]

Post by tom b.
The Baby is the cheaper plastic housing model with a 3 way, which allows
successive shots. To avoid a wait for pressure to dissipate before pulling a
second shot, get a model with a 3 way. Otherwise, don't sweat it, you've got
a nice machine as long as you can get 17+ grams in your basket. Upgrade your
basket if you are using pressurized or 14 gram in any case, a good basket is
key.
tom

There isn't a Gaggia made that uses anything buy a commerical style
portafilter. Pressurized baskets aren't a problem with these machines.

Gaggia baskets are on the larger side and hold about 17 grams. However,
this isn't a prereq to good espresso. While many find improvement w/ a
larger basket, 14 gm is the minimum.

[tom b.]

Thanks for correction..
tom

Post by Mike Garner

Post by tom b.
The Baby is the cheaper plastic housing model with a 3 way, which allows
successive shots. To avoid a wait for pressure to dissipate before pulling a
second shot, get a model with a 3 way. Otherwise, don't sweat it, you've got
a nice machine as long as you can get 17+ grams in your basket. Upgrade your
basket if you are using pressurized or 14 gram in any case, a good basket is
key.
tom

There isn't a Gaggia made that uses anything buy a commerical style
portafilter. Pressurized baskets aren't a problem with these machines.
Gaggia baskets are on the larger side and hold about 17 grams. However,
this isn't a prereq to good espresso. While many find improvement w/ a
larger basket, 14 gm is the minimum.

[Mike Garner]

Post by tom b.
Thanks for correction..
tom

Post by Mike Garner

Post by tom b.
The Baby is the cheaper plastic housing model with a 3 way, which allows
successive shots. To avoid a wait for pressure to dissipate before

pulling a

Post by Mike Garner

Post by tom b.
second shot, get a model with a 3 way. Otherwise, don't sweat it, you've

got

Post by Mike Garner

Post by tom b.
a nice machine as long as you can get 17+ grams in your basket. Upgrade

your

Post by Mike Garner

Post by tom b.
basket if you are using pressurized or 14 gram in any case, a good

basket is

Post by Mike Garner

Post by tom b.
key.
tom

There isn't a Gaggia made that uses anything buy a commerical style
portafilter. Pressurized baskets aren't a problem with these machines.
Gaggia baskets are on the larger side and hold about 17 grams. However,
this isn't a prereq to good espresso. While many find improvement w/ a
larger basket, 14 gm is the minimum.

I should say in the current US market. I believe that there are a
couple of Saeco made machines with the Gaggia name. Gran Gaggia didn't
have a commercial PF either.

Mike

[D. Ross]

Mike Garner <***@quar.net> wrote:

| > > There isn't a Gaggia made that uses anything buy a commerical style
| > > portafilter. Pressurized baskets aren't a problem with these machines.
| > >
| > > Gaggia baskets are on the larger side and hold about 17 grams. However,
| > > this isn't a prereq to good espresso. While many find improvement w/ a
| > > larger basket, 14 gm is the minimum.
| >
| >
| >
| I should say in the current US market. I believe that there are a
| couple of Saeco made machines with the Gaggia name. Gran Gaggia didn't
| have a commercial PF either.

Gran is pre-Saeco. It and the Topazio (also small-basket) are still in the
Gaggia lineup; I think neither are sold in the US anymore, but both are
still sold in Canada and the rest of the world.

- David R.

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