wrxdriver Senior Member Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 21 Location: Adelaide, Australia Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: ECM Giotto Premium Grinder: Isomac Gran Macinino
Posted Wed Jan 5, 2005, 11:34pm Subject: Cleaning a Giotto Group Head
Hi,
just wondering if anyone can tell me how you clean the group head on an ECM Giotto? i had a look at the how to on here but there i can't see how you undo it on the giotto.
Olings Senior Member Joined: 24 Jul 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Oslo, Norway Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: ECM Giotto Grinder: Dualit
Posted Fri Jan 7, 2005, 7:40am Subject: Re: Cleaning a Giotto Group Head
Your tips looked to do the trick, but when I tried it I chickened out after a while afraid that I might break something on my precious Giotto. Does it really have to be that hard? One of the tips was to pry lose the screen itself with a dull screwdriver. That almost broke the screen (or it felt like it was going to break). The second tip was to take out the rubber ring and then the screen and everything would follow. I tried that with a dull knife, but again I chickened out when I almost scratched the metal around the rubber ring. I now I might just be to worried about scratching my machine but if this is the only way to clean the screen and it involves almost breaking something each time you do it, you might as well just buy a new screen every time. That would be a bit expensive though. Is there any other way to do it, or can someone go through the dos and don'ts with me a bit more thoroughly? I know this might seem like whining but I'd really like to clean that screen! I appreciate all the help given on this site. I just hope you guys have patience for an overly careful Giotto-owner. (Is there perhaps a specially designed tool for this? And why did ECM make it so hard for us poor suckers?)
Posted Fri Jan 7, 2005, 7:06pm Subject: Re: Cleaning a Giotto Group Head
If you are doing water backflushes after each session and monthly espresso cleaner backflushes, you'll be disappointed how squeaky clean it is behind an E61's dispersion screen (yes, curiosity drives me to pop out the screen every couple months). Many home baristas simply replace the screen and gasket as a set when it no longer seals well and don't worry about destroying the gasket in the process by sticking it with an awl.
While this setup may seem like a pain, the advantage is there's nowhere behind the screen for grinds to hang up (no screws), so it's pretty easy to keep clean without disassembly. In the end, there's no practical reason to remove the screen before the gasket is shot as long as you keep the machine regularly maintained.
-- Dan
PS: I don't remember if the Giotto uses a groovy or ungroovy dispersion screen. The groovy one (right) is easier to remove. If you do scratch anything, it will be the side of the screen itself, or if you're unlucky, the underside of the grouphead.
Olings Senior Member Joined: 24 Jul 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Oslo, Norway Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: ECM Giotto Grinder: Dualit
Posted Sat Jan 8, 2005, 4:58am Subject: Re: Cleaning a Giotto Group Head
Thanks for the patience. My Giotto has an ungroovy dispersion screen judging from your pictures. Although I backflush after each session and perform (at least) monthly backflushes with espresso cleaner I'll try once more to remove the screen. Thanks for your great advice, Dan! It helps building up my confidence handling my Giotto the right way. Bit by bit I feel that I get more control of the process and getting closer and closer to that God-shot. This is no small thanks to this forum and it's well informed and patient members and admins. I hope that I'll be able to pay back the help soon!
Posted Sat Jan 8, 2005, 7:24am Subject: Re: Cleaning a Giotto Group Head
To satiate my curiosity, I removed Valentina's dispersion screen this morning -- it's been several weeks since the last espresso cleaner backflush. You can see some grime along the interior walls in the image below. This buildup and that on the brass water jet breaker would easily wash away with espresso cleaner.
I've heard that an occasional test of patience is good for the soul, so I installed an ungroovy dispersion screen. Indeed, it was a minor pain to extract. The screen has no edge to catch with a screwdriver and the thin metal band will just peel off if you pry against it. I used a stubby flat screwdriver and pried against and downward on the sides of the dispersion screen using the grouphead channel for leverage. It took several tries at the three, five, seven, nine and ten o'clock position. The screen's sides have a few new scratches now, but they're only cosmetic.
I advise leaving well enough alone until a gasket change, although I do understand an interest in what's behind the screen.
Posted Sun Jan 9, 2005, 6:14am Subject: Re: Cleaning a Giotto Group Head
Liam,
To backflush, you replace the portafilter's normal basket with a blind (no hole) basket, then run the pump to pressurize the system. Lowering the handle forces all the water / espresso cleaner out through the pressure release valve (*) into the driptray.The Routine and Intensive Maintenance section of Mark's review of the Isomac Zaffiro explains much more and his instructions apply equally well to your Giotto.
-- Dan
(*) Often called the "3-way solenoid" on this board, although there's no solenoid involved for an E61.
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