Re: Gaggia Evolution sometimes running out of steam

"yoddeb" <yoddeb@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1157275129.163232.99030@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The wand is much better than the old one. With proper technique,
microfroth is possible.
I just read Your reply again and I think I understand now. I'll change
my routine to this:

* Grind
* Run appr. 6 cl of water through group and porta by pressing brew
button

You don't need to run that much through. When water starts coming through,
the boiler has filled- so you can stop.

* Fill filter, tamp
* Load filter, pray and pull shot
* Remove porta (new)

You can leave it in if you wish... really doesn't matter. Just have
something under it.

* Run appr. 6 cl of water through group by pressing brew button and
clean at the same time (new)

Clean? What's that? I don't have a clean button... just power, brew & steam.
And again, you don't need to run much through. When water starts coming
through, the boiler has filled, so you can stop. But you can run 6 cl
through if you want, it won't hurt anything.

* Hit steam switch
* Let water out of steam wand after 25 sec
* Start steam after 30

That's it exactly- but you should add this right at the start:
"Insert the empty filter holder into the brewing head to warm up.
Wait until the machine has reached the correct temperature with filer holder
inserted (heating time of about 6 minutes)"

This is straight from the Gaggia manual. They add the following:
"Use this time to set table, prepare cups, coffee, milk, etc"

So- don't forget to set that table! ;-)

Seriously though, it's important to get the filter holder good and hot by
leaving it in the brew head for a while.



Perhaps my problem is that "Run appr. 6 cl of water through group and
porta by pressing brew button" in my routine sometimes did remove to
much or to little water from the boiler.


Not likely. Running water through runs the pump, & keeps the boiler full.

Were you running water through the group *between* pouring the shot and
steaming? That refills the boiler. I find it's not always necessary. If I'm
just making myself a latte I don't bother refilling before steaming. If I'm
doing a couple of lattes, I'll refill before steaming so I don't run out
toward the end.


I'm really enjoying my Evolution. $80 from eBay! The sellers replaced it
with... a nice shiny Breville 800! Unbelievable. I think the Evolution may
have been too messy/too hard for them... you do have to get things just
right for an OK shot.


Disclaimer:
The more I learn about espresso, the more I discover there is to learn...


Natalie Drest skrev:

"yoddeb" <yoddeb@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1157270009.017077.230770@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have a Gaggia Evolution and I have replaced the steam wand with the
Rancilio wand. Most of the time I can produce great froth by following
the often recommended procedure of beginning the frothing before the
steam ready light lights up. Appr. 30 secs after hitting the steam
switch I start steaming, most of the times it works great. But
sometimes the machine/wand starts screaming and runs out of steam. I
can tell right away when it is going to happen, the temp. does rise
very slowly in the milk right from the beginning. So: what is happening
in these instances? I feel crippled cause I'm still not quite sure how
exactly a machine of this type works internally. If I did, I'm sure my
chances of avoiding this (HATE when it happens when a friend is here
waiting for a cappuccino) would increase.
TIA


Hi.
I'm just learing to use my new Evolution, & had exactly that happen to me
about 15 minutes ago.
Home Gaggias have very small boilers. You've probably used much of the
water
in it to pour your shot, leaving not much for steam production; either
that,
or you're steaming a lot of milk.

The boiler gets filled by the pump, which is switched on when you push
the
espresso button. The manual says to do this *before* loading your
portafilter, to ensure the boiler is filled with water. I'd forgotten
about
that- I just remembered this afternoon, did it the proper way & made some
great shots- then had the steam prob.
If you're going to be steaming more than a little milk, you might like to
fill your boiler first by running some water through (as though you were
pouring a shot). Then push the steam button in so the boiler heats to
steam
temp, & start steaming whenever you like.
If you run out of steam, just run a little water through again (you'll
hear
the change in the sound of the pump when the boiler is full), bring up to
steam temp again & you're good to go.

So- how's the new wand? Mocopan Melbourne is out of o-rings, so I have to
wait til mid-Sept. for mine. I've made do by putting some Blu-tack around
the gap in the Turbo-Frother (perfect for making huge volumes of *cold*
froth) that lets the air in. I can now use it normally- it's not too bad,
though I'm looking forward to a new Rancilio!


--
"I won't go into binary counting here. For further information you can
search the Internet, or cut off all but one of your fingers."
-Roger Nichols







As I understand it, when you pour your shot, the pump fills the boiler
with
water from the reservoir & heats it to espresso temp- ~92 deg C.,



.