Help With My GAGGIA CAREZZA

leebs

Hi guys. I posted a similar thread on CG, and although I had some very helpful advice from 'Kaanage', I thought I'd replicate my post here as I'm still having trouble getting my head around the basics and find it hard to get a consistently drinkable shot from my machine. The whole problem started when I couldn't figure out what the lights on the Carezza meant, and which ones to look out for to know the machine is ready to go. Forgive this fairly large post, but I'd be most grateful for input from anyone in 'the-know'

.................I must say, I am a bit perplexed as the first couple of days I was getting fantastic shots using preground coffee (havent got the grinder yet) which made really drinkable espresso's. However the last two days I have been getting bitter (slightly sour) ones !

What I have done below is try to summarise the information you provided into a step by step guide for dummies (me), as I feel there is less room for error if I have a series of steps to follow. PLease let me know if I have it in order, as I will then give it a go............

1) Add water to top of machine to ensure sufficient water is in jug
2) Turn on Machine
3) 'Prime' the machine by pumping a little water through the steam wand as soon as I turn it on - this ensures that the boiler is full.
4) To get the machine up to temp quickly,  let it heat from cold in steam mode until the green light comes on and then pull a blank shot (empty PF inserted in the  machine) until about 75ml is in the cup
5) repeat and then flick the machine to brew mode.
6) pump about 75 ml into the cup with the machine in brew mode just after I dose and tamp to force the machine into a heat cycle
7) lock in the PF, wait until the green light comes back on and pull the shot immediately.

lars

Don't know the Carezza, and this may sound a bit 'left of centre', but pre-ground coffee can deteriorate very quickly; have you tried fresh coffee? -Lars

FreshCoffee2

Re: "... 1) Add water to top of machine to ensure sufficient water is in jug 2) Turn on Machine 3) 'Prime' the machine by pumping a little water through the steam wand as soon as I turn it on - this ensures that the boiler is full. 4) To get the machine up to temp quickly,  let it heat from cold in steam mode until the green light comes on and then pull a blank shot (empty PF inserted in the  machine) until about 75ml is in the cup 5) repeat and then flick the machine to brew mode.   6) pump about 75 ml into the cup with the machine in brew mode just after I dose and tamp to force the machine into a heat cycle 7) lock in the PF, wait until the green light comes back on and pull the shot immediately.   OK first work out whether the "light on" means the electric element is ON and heating, or whether it's the other way around. Usually the "light on" signifies the element is heating and when it goes off, the boiler has reached temperature and the element has been switched off. If this is a regular domestic boiler machine, and the "light on" is as I have described above, here are a couple of further personal ideas in reply to your your numbered points from above: 3) Unnecessary operation UNLESS the machine was last used in steam mode and the operator DID NOT refill the boiler before switching it off. 4) I cant see any advantage in doing this in steam mode. The boiler will be hotter than required, but the rest of the salient parts of the machine **are still not hot enough** after the cold start...so may as well switch it on in coffee mode and still have to flush brew water through the system to heat it all up. Besides, with boiler machines it is too easy to forget you are still in steam mode, thereby not switching back to coffee mode, thereby burning the next round of coffees from pushing 125 degree water through the grounds. 7) I guess you are most probably doing this because you are worried the brew water wont be hot enough, so you want to brew when the element switches on and the brew water temp is rising. This is a personal choice, but I on the other hand hate having my coffee burned when the brew water might be too hot (and this is a COMMON occurence on domestic machines), so I prefer instead to wait until the element light has gone out (and a few seconds more) so the brew water has peaked at its hottest, then purge the group of overly hot (spitting & steaming) water just to the point where it quiets down..then stop the flow & insert the group handle and brew immediately. This works for me but I make dead sure the group handle and cup have been very well pre heated so there is no loss of temperature through those avenues. Re: "....................I must say, I am a bit perplexed as the first couple of days I was getting fantastic shots using preground coffee (havent got the grinder yet) which made really drinkable espresso's. However the last two days I have been getting bitter (slightly sour) ones!..." Dont be worried by this. Apologies beforehand for saying this but usually it just means you dont know what you are doing yet and you have changed your technique somewhere along the line...and there is only one way to learn so keep going. The more you use the machine the more familiar you will become with the way you need to operate it to get the best reault. If you think the coffee is "bitter" but you are using EXACTLY the same coffee now as when you started out & it was at first making good coffee, then it is most likely your technique. Suggest therefore, a) you MAY NOT be puttig enough grounds in the filter (underdoseing); b) you may be burning the coffee due to the way you have been brewing while the element light is on, and the temperature is rising; c) and in addition, the grind may not be right for the machine but as you say you have been using the same coffee all the way through, it wouldn't have been right in the first place so it wouldnt be the direct cause your latest run of "bitter coffee". Just personal thoughts, & hope this helps, FC.

Unknown

Ristretto putting out sweeter coffee with above advice - thanks FC