Reddit reviews 58mm Coffee Distributor,Coffee Distributor 58mm,Coffee Distribution Tool 58mm,Coffee Distributor Tool 58mm,Coffee Distributor/Leveler Too 58mm

(2/2)

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LIST OF PARTS/BUILD LIST TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE:

Gaggia Classic: new they come in around $3-$400, but you can pick up a refurb from Whole Latte Love for about $290, or even cheaper on the used market (I picked one up that was basically just out of the box for half a decade but never used for $250. After some cleaning she was in perfect condition)

https://www.wholelattelove.com/refurbished-gaggia-classic-brushed-ss-espresso-machine?source=googleps&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2eCjlYLJ4AIVrr3tCh1zHg6yEAYYBCABEgIaVvD_BwE

Mr Shades PID Kit: £89 - and worth every penny. How to get in touch with Mr Shades to get it I already explained above

https://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?27931-MrShades-Gaggia-Classic-PID-Kit-Complete-PID-kit-with-full-guide-%A389

Baratza Sette 270WI: They come in at around $550 new for the latest, and most updated WI model (that we think is the move for overall durability and ease of use). There are other 270 and W models all available for cheaper, but the most desirable WI model dskot got refurbished from Baratza’s site for $450, but only when they have them available.

https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-270Wi-Grind-Weight-Conical-Grinder/dp/B01G82WTZ2/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?hvadid=267969625121&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9021717&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12162448283058120052&hvtargid=kwd-470582918388&keywords=baratza+sette+270wi&qid=1550621304&s=gateway&sr=8-3-spons&tag=googhydr-20&psc=1&smid=A302OQK4GZWXCC

20g VST PF Basket: $20 - Competition grade baskets from VST just help to take out another potential layer of uneven extraction, closer examined by having bottomless PF’s. We’ve also noticed this just helps the consistency of shots a little better, but like I said earlier, we’re not certain if it was more due to the PID or the basket, as we put them in at the same time. Not meant to be a scientific review, all you gotta know is this thing will help your extractions.

https://store.vstapps.com/products/vst-precision-filter-baskets

Tamper: $57 (or much cheaper) We would recommend getting a precision tamp to work better within the VST basket, which is precision machined to 58.4mm. Just fits together a lot nicer than a standard 58mm tamp, and will prevent any further potential for uneven distribution, but realistically, you can get just any 58mm tamper. I got the Cafelat precision zebra wood tamp linked below, but recently upgraded to the Eazytamp 5 star pro because I’m lazy and find myself tamping unevenly, but this is just part of my OD nature in doing things. There are cheaper options depending on the wood you choose from them, just look on amazon to whatever fits your preference. Just whatever you do, DO NOT drop your tamper on the floor or counter. I learned the hard way on accident and had to buy another because they will dent/bend and any chance of precision is now out the window, but thats my fault, and not just because of the type of metal they use.

https://www.amazon.com/Cafelat-Zebra-Wood-Tamper-58-35mm/dp/B01MG3ZDKH/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=cafelat+tamper&qid=1550621500&s=gateway&sr=8-6

EVERYTHING BEYOND THIS POINT IS OPTIONAL, BUT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO HELPING YOU MAKE GREAT, AND CONSISTENT EXTRACTIONS

Distribution tool: $18 - We both went the cheap route, and got the OCD knockoff tool from amazon. There are a handful of other options from the Pullman, OCD, BT Wedge, and so on, but are all very expensive, and for $18, we didn’t think it could be a bad move. Major differences are the 3 fins vs 4 fins on the OCD, and also very likely any type of precision milling will not be there on the knockoff, but realistically, they do the same thing, and we’ve both been able to get near perfect center streams almost every time within 10-15 sec of extraction. Only reason why it would take longer or wouldn’t go perfect center is bc I’ll occasionally lop side my tamp, or in the beginning when we didn’t necessarily understand how to properly use the tool yet (Once height is dialed, I use 6 counterclockwise turns to distribute, followed by 4 clockwise turns to smooth the top. There are plenty of videos and tutorials online on how to get your tool dialed in if you decide to get one)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077BZ4CV6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bottomless PF (PortaFilter): $35-65 Few different options here - just make sure you get one that will work with the Gaggia classic, or most Gaggia machines as they have different flange positions than most other machines or E61 group heads. Cheaper/simple black version is on the first link, but if you’d prefer to go down the same route I did and get the walnut handle, I bought the one off of ebay from Portugal. I know there are a few other links on the web for a walnut handled PF for the Gaggia, but I only care to include things from experience, and even though I can’t really tell you if it’s legit/high-quality wood or not, I’m more than happy with it and it’s looks.

https://www.amazon.com/Bottomless-Portafilter-Gaggia-Filter-Basket/dp/B00KRR4K2K/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=176952831569&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9021717&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4233166420998163957&hvtargid=kwd-46401287557&keywords=gaggia+classic+bottomless+portafilter&qid=1550622553&s=gateway&sr=8-1&tag=googhydr-20

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bottomless-Portafilter-Gaggia-6-6-mm-Wings-Walnut-Wood-Handle/222827423587?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Rancilio Silvia Steam wand: $25 - a very easy mod (just an unscrew and trade of the nut to connect it to the machine, (don’t use the extra washer from the Rancilio wand)) to upgrade the machines milk steaming capabilities. Also plenty of videos online how to do so. I decided to go with the Silvia wand instead of the pannerello for the extra durability (full metal wand vs plastic part trade off) and also easier to keep the Silvia wand clean and sanitary. Up to your personal preference, I get good results with the Silvia wand but have heard and seen good things from the pannerello alternative.

Acaia Lunar: $225 - will probably put you over the top of the $1k range, and isn’t directly necessary, but is a very useful tool to time your shots accurately, as well as have a very accurate scale setup to weigh everything out. Great for logging your shots and helping to develop recipes for different beans. You can essentially do the same thing with a normal scale sensate down to .1 grams, and then either a timer or your phones timer, but if you have the bread for the lunar, it’s definitely well worth it with it also being water resistant (they say in a video you can’t list something as waterproof unless it can operate under water, and you obviously can’t get an accurate reading of coffee weight while the thing would be underwater).

And finally, if you care to go down the exact same route I did with wrapping it, you can basically buy any type of automotive 3M wrap (color and finish of your choice) and just take off all the components and wrap the front facade. Little tedious, but if you like the look it’s well worth it.

That should basically do it for the full writeup of where we’re at with our home setups, and hopefully can aid in giving you some insight to what you might want to do with yours. Might be a lot to digest, but hopefully we included enough detail and info to get you started. If not, feel free to ask either of us any questions, or if you’d care for any of our suggestions on if any piece of this caffeinated puzzle would be worth it or not, just shoot away in the comments.

Outside of that, happy extracting :)

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(2/2)

What I am using since starting my collection over the last 14 months:

Tamper

Tamping mat

Distribution tool

Decent Pitchers (got the 3 set)

My Weight Scale

Bottomless Portafilter for Gaggia Classic

What grinder are you using? That is something you should consider investing money in more-so than anything else.

Not quite the same scale as pictured (but I bet it is the same internals)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PLXTYCN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think the picture is the same leveler I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077BZ4CV6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And since I was uncertain about leveling vs tamping at the time:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MTJ9224/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All three items are doing exactly what I want.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JG1PXLC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077BZ4CV6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Caveat: I'm an espresso noob, but think I'm sufficiently well informed to address this.

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Your OXO conical burr grinder is at the low and cheap end of espresso-capable grinder, so it will likely become the first upgrade. I don't know if the one in the Barista Express is better, but upgrading it will only be possible by upgrading the whole expensive device. There are other grinder-related arguments against machines with built-in grinders.

The New Classic Gaggia (Pro), one of which I recently purchased for $418 after discount from Whole Latte Love, comes with a plastic tamper which you should not use. I bought an Apexstone leveler for $18 which sits on a $10 mat and does close to a perfect job [See caveat]. It's one of the best entry level machines because it does the basics very well - pushing sufficiently hot water [See caveat] through coffee in a proper filter basket (i.e. not the pressurised filter) in a proper 58mm plated brass portafilter. It also comes with a proper steam wand which can be used shortly after a press of one of the three buttons which operate the machine, which is normal for a single boiler machine.

Most of the modifications discussed relate to the not-New/pro Classic (which does not preclude modifying the New/Pro Classic).

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Before buying I was also watching the price of the Breville BES840CBXL for a long time since it's competitively priced and looks much nicer, matching my the Smart Grinder Pro, however others' experience with the product and both my and others' experience with the manufacturer recommend the Gaggia. Note that the cheaper Breville grinder - the Dose Control Pro - is the better choice between the two for just espresso.

Congrats! I have the same machine (w/Sette 270) also bought second hand and it has served me very well. A few things that will help you with getting excellent shots consistently:

-Get a scale (if you don't have one already)! Preferably with .1 gr precision. This cheapo one I have isn't perfect but has worked for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073TVC1N8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

-Practice tamping on a bathroom scale (30lbs) so you can develop a feel for the right amount of pressure

-Grooming devices aren't crucial but I've found one to be helpful with distribution, here's an inexpensive one that's well-made: https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Distributor-Leveler-tool-Distribution/dp/B077BZ4CV6/ref=sr_1_11_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1538574694&sr=8-11-spons&keywords=espresso+tamper&psc=1

-Use fresh coffee, ideally no more than 2 weeks off roast. The more espresso you make the more you'll see the impact that freshness of the beans has on the resulting appearance, texture and taste.

-If you really want to get nerdy then buy a bottomless portafilter (I found mine cheaper on eBay). They are unforgiving of grinding/tamping issues and will give you an indication when something is off.

Have fun and enjoy the coffee!

I never got any splashing. I do have a pretty strict workflow though.

I single dose into my MonFlat into a LW blind shaker then I distribute into my basket and use a distribution tool ( https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Distributor-Leveler-tool-Distribution/dp/B077BZ4CV6/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1540521611&sr=1-4&keywords=distribution+tool) and then a eazytamp to ensure consistent pressure.

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With all of the above I get zero issues from my first naked shot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dwE995wNV8

Yes this shot is WAY too fast this was my first shot. It only gets better from here :)

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I will preface this by saying I worked in coffee for a good chunk of time before getting my Rocket so I think the familiarity with those type of machines was beneficial. But I will say that your concern about a better machine being inconsistent has not been my experience. The Rocket will have a different learning curve than what you’ve had before, for sure. But I probably spend 2min max in the morning pulling shots and I make consistently better coffee than even the fancy coffee shop in town. You’ll have to get more and more familiar with the variables that affect extraction to be able to change things on the fly. But a better machine, especially a big of a jump as a Rocket, will make learning a lot easier and if you do your homework you will end up with consistently good shots.

Also, get a distribution tool. It will take out some inconsistent variables in tamping especially if you’re new to it. This link

I use this one:

Coffee Distributor/Leveler tool, Coffee Distributor 58mm, Coffee Distribution Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077BZ4CV6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D9YADbA3TCPAB

Coffee Distributor/Leveler tool, Coffee Distributor 58mm, Coffee Distribution Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077BZ4CV6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.OTDDb414EZ6E

Ey! Welcome to the Gaggia fam! Check out r/gaggiaclassic

A couple of things I bought to help my espresso game a little easier

This is the frothing pitcher I use. I've found it to be simple to use. Although look up videos to learn how to properly steam milk if youre like me and dont know.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016ZOFTGY/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I found a calibrated tamper to help with tamping at 30lbs pressure. I'm thankful for this guy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N977TNG/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also use this distributor to help level my grind before tamping
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077BZ4CV6/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gonna need a good tamping mat too. This is cheap and works well
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077C41TJS/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A knock box is really convenient. I found a decent priced one that gets the job done
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FHYFP6N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Also, if you have the Classic 2015 model. I'd suggest replacing the steam wand with the Rancilio Sylvia model wand. It fits, and people mod their classic to get better performance with steaming.
https://www.amazon.com/Rancilio-Silvia-Version-Steam-Wand/dp/B018F88X34/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=rancilio+silvia+steam+wand&qid=1569554756&s=home-garden&sr=1-1

r/gaggiaclassic has more if you really wanna get crazy! I've enjoyed my gaggia for the 8 months that I've had it. Just keep up with the maintenance and its said to last years. I have no buyer's remorse whatsoever

I had some channeling issues myself and found that the $20 distributor/leveler tool has really helped. I use it before ramp to make sure the puck is really evenly distributed before tamp


Coffee Distributor/Leveler tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077BZ4CV6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This is the one I use for my breville dual boiler. Coffee Distributor/Leveler tool, Coffee Distributor 58mm, Coffee Distribution Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077BZ4CV6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_6Wz7BbZK2D2S6