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checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

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sniggings
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Joined: 27 Apr 2007
Posts: 49
Location: UK
Expertise: Just starting

Posted Sat Mar 17, 2012, 5:16pm Subject: checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

just been reading up the my new Gaggia classic and checking the pressure is at 9 bar is a recommendation that seems to get mentioned a lot,I think I understand how to change the OPV setting but unsure how to test when I have the correct pressure,can this be checked without a pressure gauge with measuring the amount of water in a given time? read 100ml in 30 seconds is about right? tried searching the answer but it's just left me more confused!

SJM
Senior Member

Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 1,508
Location: CA
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Sat Mar 17, 2012, 5:44pm Subject: Re: checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

sniggings Said: can this be checked without a pressure gauge with measuring the amount of water in a given time? read 100ml in 30 seconds is about right? tried searching the answer but it's just left me more confused! Posted March 17, 2012 link If you can read your fortune in tea leaves you can probably use that method for measuring the adjusted pressure. If not....make yourself a pressure gauge. If I haven't already, let me invite you to join the Gaggia Yahoo Group in my signature. Everyone there has a Gaggia....Lots of input to help you make decisions.... This is not to denigrate the information you get here, but to give you a broader base that is totally dedicated to Gaggias.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Gaggia/

D4F
Senior Member

Joined: 15 Mar 2012
Posts: 1,191
Location: USA
Expertise: I like coffee

Espresso: Gaggia Classic PID
Grinder: Preciso

Posted Sat Mar 17, 2012, 9:18pm Subject: Re: checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

You can open the valve about 270 degrees and be close for most. You can augment that method with flow, sounds like you have found some internet sources. Or, you can get a couple brass connectors and a pressure guage and measure off the bottom of your portafilter by removing the double ears and connecting the gauge. Search Gaggia and pressure gauge. The pressure set up is around $15 or less in the US. There are a couple of Youtubes that show you the set up and measuring.

sniggings
Senior Member

Joined: 27 Apr 2007
Posts: 49
Location: UK
Expertise: Just starting

Posted Sat Mar 17, 2012, 9:41pm Subject: Re: checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

yeah think I will give the 270 adjustment a try first,see how I go with that,most of the stuff I've read has been on the older Gaggia classic models,I believe in 2010 philips took over and altered the machine,is the 270 adjustment still good for these latest models?

tegee
Senior Member

Joined: 29 Feb 2012
Posts: 47
Location: New England
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Brewtus IV-R
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Sun Mar 18, 2012, 7:01am
Subject: Re: checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

sniggings Said:

yeah think I will give the 270 adjustment a try first,see how I go with that,most of the stuff I've read has been on the older Gaggia classic models,I believe in 2010 philips took over and altered the machine,is the 270 adjustment still good for these latest models?

Posted March 17, 2012 link

It is not terribly difficult to setup a pressure gauge. (1) 3/8" brass elbow and (1) 3/8" x 1/4" brass reducer and (1) pressure and gauge and you are in business. I did it to mine and it was a piece of cake. Definitely worth the small investment.....imho.

tegee
Senior Member

Joined: 29 Feb 2012
Posts: 47
Location: New England
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Brewtus IV-R
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Sun Mar 18, 2012, 7:03am Subject: Re: checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

Sorry...I can not seem to find a way to upload pics. Maybe someone can chime in and instruct me on how to upload pics so I can show you my setup???

sniggings
Senior Member

Joined: 27 Apr 2007
Posts: 49
Location: UK
Expertise: Just starting

Posted Sun Mar 18, 2012, 7:20am Subject: Re: checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

not sure about loading pics. did you put the gauge on the PF or the wand?

tegee
Senior Member

Joined: 29 Feb 2012
Posts: 47
Location: New England
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Brewtus IV-R
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Sun Mar 18, 2012, 9:46am
Subject: Re: checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

sniggings Said:

not sure about loading pics.

did you put the gauge on the PF or the wand?

Posted March 18, 2012 link

I put it on the PF.....much easier and less expensive imo.

AndyPanda
Senior Member

Joined: 12 Jul 2010
Posts: 768
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Olympia Cremina, Various...
Grinder: Mazzer Major, Fiorenzato,...
Vac Pot: vintage Corey
Drip: AeroPress
Roaster: BreadMachine/HeatGun

Posted Sun Mar 18, 2012, 10:45am Subject: Re: checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

Making the gauge is easy and really well worth the effort. But since you asked ... just to explain what those other posts you read were talking about ... a pump is supposed to supply a certain volume of water in a certain amount of time while pushing against a certain amount of back pressure. So if every pump were brand new and behaved exactly according to spec, theoretically you could set your OPV by measuring the volume of water that the OPV valve bleeds off. But in practice, every pump is a bit different (even identical models) and there are lots of different models that were used. So using a gauge is the way to go. However, I still think that the way we arrived at 9 bars in the first place was someone (Illy?) tasting shots made a little higher and a little lower and finding the sweet spot which happened to measure out to 9 bars. So you could loosen your OPV 1/4 turn at a time and pull shots and then another 1/4 turn and pull a few more shots and find the sweet spot where you think it works best and maybe after you find where you like it best if you were to put a gauge on there you might discover you like 8.5 bars best or 10 bars might be your sweet spot.

sniggings
Senior Member

Joined: 27 Apr 2007
Posts: 49
Location: UK
Expertise: Just starting

Posted Sun Mar 18, 2012, 11:05am Subject: Re: checking pressure on the Gaggia classic

thanks Andy,so 9 bar is a good default pressure then,plus or minus half a bar is ok but 11 or higher is almost always too high.Think I will do the test then I'm in the UK, all the links I have came across have been for USA suppliers of gauges, I need to try and source one here that doesn't cost too much.

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