Food & Drink

Gaggia Brera - tweaks and tips for better coffee?

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  • Nov 12th, 2020 3:21 pm
Sr. Member
Dec 27, 2017
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Gaggia Brera - tweaks and tips for better coffee?

Any Brera users here?

We have a Gaggia Brera that fairly new, but it makes very poor espresso with almost zero crema.
We like a long espresso and I've played with grinder settings, shot time, experimented with freshest beans possible, but cannot get a decent cup. For comparison, a $40 kijiji purchased basic Krups espresso machine that is 11 years old makes great crema from a pre-ground Lavazza Rossa (yes, you've read that right, don't fall off your chair - we prefer Robusta to Arabica taste). When I put those same grounds into Brera, flat coffee comes out.
What gives?
Any hope for the Brera?
The convenience wins, but when there's time my wife and use the Krups machine - which even makes a better cup than our previous semi-auto Breville.
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is it dripping the coffee or coming out a strong stream? You may want to prime the machine before making the coffee. Run the steam or hot water so it gets the machine warmed up before making your coffee?
If still the same, check the grind settings. If still the same exchange as it maybe defective.
Sr. Member
Dec 27, 2017
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durrsak wrote: is it dripping the coffee or coming out a strong stream? You may want to prime the machine before making the coffee. Run the steam or hot water so it gets the machine warmed up before making your coffee?
If still the same, check the grind settings. If still the same exchange as it maybe defective.
Thank you. We bought it used, so no returns. :(

Yes, the coffee comes out like it should. It does prime itself like it should and water drips from the spout before it's ready.
How long the machine is on and warming up seems to have no impact. Our grinder is set on the second dot from the finest setting. I've watched WholeLatteLove tips on the machine and followed those, but still getting pour results. Maybe that's just the nature of these superautos.
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eljay0 wrote: Thank you. We bought it used, so no returns. :(

Yes, the coffee comes out like it should. It does prime itself like it should and water drips from the spout before it's ready.
How long the machine is on and warming up seems to have no impact. Our grinder is set on the second dot from the finest setting. I've watched WholeLatteLove tips on the machine and followed those, but still getting pour results. Maybe that's just the nature of these superautos.
Two suggestions come to mind:

1. You bought a used machine. Are you certain it has been properly descaled and cleaned? I think the first thing you should do, is run a cleaning product suited for your machine(espresso tablets). Or you can go over the top and do a full cleaning as demonstrated in his video.

2. You are re-grinding already ground coffee? I recall hearing this is not recommended and will result in weaker coffee. Run whole beans through the machine.

Good luck!
Sr. Member
Dec 27, 2017
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Jruuu wrote: Two suggestions come to mind:

1. You bought a used machine. Are you certain it has been properly descaled and cleaned? I think the first thing you should do, is run a cleaning product suited for your machine(espresso tablets). Or you can go over the top and do a full cleaning as demonstrated in his video.

2. You are re-grinding already ground coffee? I recall hearing this is not recommended and will result in weaker coffee. Run whole beans through the machine.

Good luck!
Thank you. Yes, it has been descaled properly 3 times when I bought it and regularly (3 times now) since then using proper espresso descaling product.
We run whole beans through it. I was just saying that when I use the same ground coffee as in our semi-auto Krups (Brera has an option to put in ground coffee dose), the difference in crema is obvious. This is so, I'm comparing the same grinds with machine (and it's settings) being the only difference.

Maybe we're getting what is expected and should just live with it.

I will try to post a picture showing both results.
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eljay0 wrote: Thank you. Yes, it has been descaled properly 3 times when I bought it and regularly (3 times now) since then using proper espresso descaling product.
We run whole beans through it. I was just saying that when I use the same ground coffee as in our semi-auto Krups (Brera has an option to put in ground coffee dose), the difference in crema is obvious. This is so, I'm comparing the same grinds with machine (and it's settings) being the only difference.

Maybe we're getting what is expected and should just live with it.

I will try to post a picture showing both results.
Posting a pic helps although it sounds like you know what crema looks like.
Do you have the manual, are there any adjustments that can be done?
Perhaps better to post on Gaggia Brera specific discussions or even YT videos. You can PM other Gaggia Brera owners questions.

https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/comme ... g_lavazza/

Good luck. I'm sure whatever the problem is, it can be fixed.
We're all bozos on the bus until we find a way to express ourselves...

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eljay0 wrote: Thank you. Yes, it has been descaled properly 3 times when I bought it and regularly (3 times now) since then using proper espresso descaling product.
We run whole beans through it. I was just saying that when I use the same ground coffee as in our semi-auto Krups (Brera has an option to put in ground coffee dose), the difference in crema is obvious. This is so, I'm comparing the same grinds with machine (and it's settings) being the only difference.

Maybe we're getting what is expected and should just live with it.

I will try to post a picture showing both results.
I understand the frustration of figuring things out on new equipment. I had the same experience when I bought my drip machine, and again when I got a new grinder. Figuring out the correct settings, while wasting coffee is not fun. A video of the coffee brewing might also help shed some light on what is happening.
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Dec 27, 2017
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Finally, I had a chance to record them side by side.
Both machines were turned on and completed their warm-up. I have used the exact same amount of pre-ground Lavazza Rossa coffee. For the Brera, I used that option for using pre-ground coffee instead of beans in the grinder. So, the beans, their freshness, grind size is out of the equation.
Both shot times were around 19 seconds after the pre-infusion.
Here's video of the process

... and the results:
Image
Image
Image

The puck from the Brera after the cycle is nice and compact, not runny, but firm. So, I believe the tamping done by the machine is adequate.

Any idea how to get the $900 Brera up to par with $40 11-year old kijiji find? I don't know what else to do.
Sr. Member
Dec 27, 2017
739 posts
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gr8dlr wrote: Posting a pic helps although it sounds like you know what crema looks like.
Do you have the manual, are there any adjustments that can be done?
Perhaps better to post on Gaggia Brera specific discussions or even YT videos. You can PM other Gaggia Brera owners questions.

https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/comme ... g_lavazza/

Good luck. I'm sure whatever the problem is, it can be fixed.
Jruuu wrote: I understand the frustration of figuring things out on new equipment. I had the same experience when I bought my drip machine, and again when I got a new grinder. Figuring out the correct settings, while wasting coffee is not fun. A video of the coffee brewing might also help shed some light on what is happening.
I posted the pics and video above.
Any suggestions on what I need to do/try are welcome.
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That looks like the Gaggia is lacking in pressure, or perhaps loosing the pressure during the brew cycle from somewhere. Also, do you have an instant read thermometer? What's the temperature of the brew as it first comes out, and at the end of the cycle, measured in the cup?

https://coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/17785- ... ater-temp/

You could also have a faulty thermostat that doesn't allow enough pressure in the boiler. I have Rancillio Sylvia that had the same issue, that I never got around to fixing. She eventually suffered freezing damage from a long distance move during a cold January.
Last edited by Gr8irlbot on May 13th, 2020 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Not a Brera user but I have been looking at this model to eventually replace my old Saeco. As noted, it could be a loss of pressure/pump issue. But you may wish to call or take it to a shop that sells & services these (may be a challenge during this pandemic).
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Dec 27, 2017
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my0gr81 wrote: That looks like the Gaggia is lacking in pressure, or perhaps loosing the pressure during the brew cycle from somewhere. Also, do you have an instant read thermometer? What's the temperature of the brew as it first comes out, and at the end of the cycle, measured in the cup?

https://coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/17785- ... ater-temp/

You could also have a faulty thermostat that doesn't allow enough pressure in the boiler. I have Rancillio Sylvia that had the same issue, that I never got around to fixing. She eventually suffered freezing damage from a long distance move during a cold January.
Thank you! I don't have an instant thermometer, but I'll see if I can get one from somewhere and check the temperature. From what I recall, the coffee comes out "quite hot". That is I haven't noticed it being different from what the cup feels like from the Krups. And the steam wand produces hot steam, although I've never successfully produced any frothed milk on any espresso machines, so I chalk that one up to faulty operator.
broken1arrow wrote: Not a Brera user but I have been looking at this model to eventually replace my old Saeco. As noted, it could be a loss of pressure/pump issue. But you may wish to call or take it to a shop that sells & services these (may be a challenge during this pandemic).
Yes, that is tough these days. Plus the cost of servicing these machines makes them disposable like most things these days, so I hope to troubleshoot myself and replace parts where needed. I had it apart before as it was not flowing any water when I bought it. After 3 descale cycles, it started working properly - that is the way you see it working.
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my0gr81 wrote: That looks like the Gaggia is lacking in pressure, or perhaps loosing the pressure during the brew cycle from somewhere. Also, do you have an instant read thermometer? What's the temperature of the brew as it first comes out, and at the end of the cycle, measured in the cup?

https://coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/17785- ... ater-temp/

You could also have a faulty thermostat that doesn't allow enough pressure in the boiler. I have Rancillio Sylvia that had the same issue, that I never got around to fixing. She eventually suffered freezing damage from a long distance move during a cold January.
I agree with the above points. Now that you have the videos, it wouldn't hurt to reach out to Gaggia for their opinion as well.
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eljay0 wrote: Thank you! I don't have an instant thermometer, but I'll see if I can get one from somewhere and check the temperature. From what I recall, the coffee comes out "quite hot". That is I haven't noticed it being different from what the cup feels like from the Krups. And the steam wand produces hot steam, although I've never successfully produced any frothed milk on any espresso machines, so I chalk that one up to faulty operator.

Yes, that is tough these days. Plus the cost of servicing these machines makes them disposable like most things these days, so I hope to troubleshoot myself and replace parts where needed. I had it apart before as it was not flowing any water when I bought it. After 3 descale cycles, it started working properly - that is the way you see it working.
Took a long time (almost 20 secs) before any water flowed out of the Gaggia. I think the person who sold it to you may have shelved it for a long time ...perhaps a few more descale cycles is in order. My baby Gaggia is likely going to be like this as it's been sitting dormant for quite a while now.
We're all bozos on the bus until we find a way to express ourselves...

Failure is always an option...just not the preferred one!
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To descale, most of the retail level descalers are meant to be gentle. In your case you may need some brute force.

Get food grade citric acid, available at Bulk Barn, most Indian grocery stores and other good baking supply stores. Dilute 2 tablespoons in a litre of warm water and run a few cycles through the machine. Ensure the last cycle remains in the boiler, and discard the rest of the water that came out of the machine and wait 2 hours. Mix another litre, and repeat the same, but this time, let the last cycle remain for even longer than 2 hours, like 3 or 4. You may repeat again if you feel that it needs it, but not too many times. Citric acid is hard on the seals, rubber hoses, and the coating on the heating element.
Now run a few cycle using clean water.

One more thing, you may also want to run a couple cycles of the acidulated water through the steaming wand. For safety, just put clean water into your milk jug and steam it out as you would making milk foam.
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Dec 27, 2017
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Thank you!
I got it about a year ago and at that time there was no flow.
It finally started to flow after about 3 descale cycles with the Urnex Dezcal espresso descaler. Since then, it has been descaled around 3 times as the machine asked for it.

Should I still try the citric acid method above?
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I should also add that when I had the machine apart troubleshooting the initial no-flow problem, I looked in the flow valve thingy expecting that I woukd have to scrape up some water scale, but found none. It was clean. So, was the flow meter. Not sure if this matters, but may point to those other issues with temperature and pressure.

I'll try the citric acid regardless and see if it makes a difference.
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eljay0 wrote: Thank you!
I got it about a year ago and at that time there was no flow.
It finally started to flow after about 3 descale cycles with the Urnex Dezcal espresso descaler. Since then, it has been descaled around 3 times as the machine asked for it.

Should I still try the citric acid method above?
More likely that the heating element is scaled up and not bringing the water up to high temperature. Just enough to build up some steam, but not enough to bring that steam to full pressure. The range is usually 93`C to 97`C, I can assure you that espresso made with 93`C water is inferior to one made with 97`C water.

Citric acid will work wonders, and then maintenance with Urnex to keep up. I used to use citric acid to clean a counter top electric kettle. Eventually, it wore down the coating on the exposed heating element and it failed. It took two years, for a kettle that should have easily lasted five.
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Dec 27, 2017
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I have done the citric acid cleaning cycle as suggested above.
The crema improved a bit (i.e. it's not flat white), but it's still quite bad. Both with ground coffee and beans going through the grinder.
Shall I repeat the cycle a couple more times?
Also, on the part of leaving the solution in the boiler - does this happen all the time? That is, does water sit there after each shot or do I need to essentially cut power in the middle of a shot to ensure it stays there? May that was the flaw in my cleaning.


FYI: DIY wine places sell citric acid. I was able to find a bag at Noble Grape.
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eljay0 wrote: I have done the citric acid cleaning cycle as suggested above.
The crema improved a bit (i.e. it's not flat white), but it's still quite bad. Both with ground coffee and beans going through the grinder.
Shall I repeat the cycle a couple more times?
Also, on the part of leaving the solution in the boiler - does this happen all the time? That is, does water sit there after each shot or do I need to essentially cut power in the middle of a shot to ensure it stays there? May that was the flaw in my cleaning.


FYI: DIY wine places sell citric acid. I was able to find a bag at Noble Grape.
Each machine is different on how much water it leaves in the boiler, some leave a full boiler, some leave just enough that it starts pre-heating as soon as it's turned on, and then fill as it gets hotter. I don't know how the Brera works, as i don't own one. but yeah, turning power off, just before it start the shot, will ensure water stays in.

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