Pressurised vs Non-Pressurised Baskets

H

Hedomystico

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207
Location
Torino, Italy
Greetings gents,

I have recently embarked on my maiden voyage into the realm of espresso after having acquired a Gaggia Classic just a few days ago. I'm getting fairly decent espresso so far, although it is lacking in consistency as I'm trying to fine-tune all the variables: beans, tamping, dosage and grinding (I'm using a Hario Slim)...

What are your opinions with regards to pressurised vs non-pressurised baskets? Are there any conspicuous advantages of one over the other? So far, I've only been using the standard pressurised basket + 'crema perfetta' pin that came shipped with the Gaggia.
 
A pressurised basket will tolerate greater variability of grind for an acceptable extraction, non-pressurised won't but will give you more control enabling you to get a better fuller extraction.
 
Will definitely give the non-pressurised a shot then (pun intended). ;)
If only Happydonkey still shipped outside the UK.
It's surprisingly difficult to find coffee accessories here in Italy... Astounding considering it's where espresso is said to have originated from!!
 
Hedomystico said:
Will definitely give the non-pressurised a shot then (pun intended). ;)
If only Happydonkey still shipped outside the UK.
It's surprisingly difficult to find coffee accessories here in Italy... Astounding considering it's where espresso is said to have originated from!!
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You should be able to get la marzocco baskets in Italy.

Agree with all that has been said above. The crema perfecta device creates a false crema by forcing the coffee through a single small hole at pressure. Real crema comes from fresh beans (always try and buy beans with a roast date) and correct grind/technique. It should be possible with the hario but maybe not as consistent.
 
For the time being I have been 'forced' to put the crema perfetta pin back in the portafilter after initially removing it, as recommended on many of the various coffee forums.
When I removed the pin from the portafilter, the coffee started spurting out at a 90 degree angle Instead of dripping straight down into my espresso glass. I tried putting the Crema Perfetta pin back in and the problem stopped.
My uneducated guess is that this is due to the excessive pressure produced by the Gaggia during the extraction (15 as opposed to the optimal 9 bars for espresso). I'm hoping that a non-pressurised basket would resolve this issue.

Neill said:
You should be able to get la marzocco baskets in Italy.
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Do the baskets come in a standard size across different brands?
Very difficult to find a reputable seller online. May have more luck in physical shops.
 
Yes, you do not need a Gaggia basket. I have Vst baskets. They're a bit more expensive than standards. IMS are another popular make. As long as they're for a 58mm portafilter they'll fit.

Yeah you need the plastic device in when using the pressurised basket otherwise it will spay everywhere. The pressurised basket has a double skin on the base, inside the basket it has multiple holes but on the bottom skin if only has the single central hole so in increases pressure in the basket and sprays it through that hole creating fake crema. Without the plastic bit to direct it it will spray everywhere. When you replace the basket the plastic bit is no longer needed but you will have to adjust the grind to get the extraction right.
 
Thanks for the thorough reply. Glad to know my initial suppositions were correct and it wasn't a problem of dosing / tamping.
I'm still trying to get the hang of this whole espresso brewing thing, but so far it's been a very rewarding process.
 
Based on your suggestions, I went out on a mission to find a non-pressurised filter basket yesterday... and was finally rewarded when I chanced upon a small town shop selling replacement parts for electronic appliances (the lady working there had no clue of what a 'non-pressurized' basket was - but we finally found it).
Used it for my morning cup today... and I can say I already do notice a conspicuous improvement (which may also be partially due to the new beans I'm trying). I seem to get hints of a far vaster range of flavours than with the pressurised basket - recommended!
 
Now do the OPV (over pressure valve mod) theres usually a ready made pressure kit going around on loan on the coffee forums or post a want to borrow add here etc.

Trickiest part of it is writing out a wiring diagram for the wires that go onto the switch block.
Well worth it though.
Oh and get yourself the Rancillo Silva steaming wand ;)
 
jaycey said:
Now do the OPV (over pressure valve mod) theres usually a ready made pressure kit going around on loan on the coffee forums or post a want to borrow add here etc.

Trickiest part of it is writing out a wiring diagram for the wires that go onto the switch block.
Well worth it though.
Oh and get yourself the Rancillo Silva steaming wand ;)
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Thanks for the helpful suggestions Jaycey.
The OPV mod seems to be highly recommended by many coffee enthusiasts, and would definitely like to give it a try. Apart from obviously lowering the extraction pressure, how does this mod affect the quality of the espresso itself?

I'm not sure if anyone would be willing to ship the kit overseas (I live in Italy) for me to borrow, but will try post an ad... you never know - I've been surprised time and time again by the generosity of this forum.

The standard Panarello wand has such a unanimously bad rep that I installed a Silvia wand directly after unboxing the Gaggia :p
 
You'll get a fuller extraction at lower pressure, the default pressure from the factory is set high for the pressurised basket and use of coffee pods.

If you don't find someone who's willing to send you one you should be able to source all the components for a gauge for no more than 10 - 15 euros.
 
Opv not essential but it does help. No wiring diagram required by the way. You shouldn't need to remove any wires, just the tube connected to the top of it and then I think there's a nut to remove. It's been a while since I did it.
 
It's not essential to have a pressure gauge to do the pressure mod. You can instead measure the amount of water dispensed through the OPV return in a given time and refer that to Ulka's pressure/flow graph for the pump model you have to work out its approximate setting.

Easier than I've probably made it sound. I'll let you do the googling but let me know if you can't find the method and I'll see if I can find it.
 
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