Gran Gaggia

[ElsieD]

My next door neighbour came over today to tell me she is getting rid of some kitchen stuff and did I want any of it.  I came back with this machine.  I have never had a machine like this and can't find any information specific to this model.  To tell the truth, I'm not even sure all the parts are there.  There is no manual.  Can anyone who currently has this machine or maybe had one in the past tell me something about it?  Like what the buttons on the right hand front are for and the knob on top of the machine?  Meanwhile, I'll keep searching the internet.

Edited April 10, 2019 by Smithy
Corrected title spelling (log)

[thurbers]

I can't help with the manual, but the Gaggia site does have other manual espresso machines. And from glancing at those I hope you also got a piece that would look like a handle with a scoop that will twist onto the black gasket under the overhang of the machine. It probably also has a metal filter that fits in that scoop to hold the coffee. 

 

Gaggia page with accessories that shows the filter holder.  I think looking around that site you might find something similar where you could use the manual to get an idea of how to use the machine. Scrolling down the page of the Gran Gaggia Deluxe I did find a link to download that manual. Just a thought. 

[eugenep]

 

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

  Like what the buttons on the right hand front are for and the knob on top of the machine?  Meanwhile, I'll keep searching the internet.

 

 

 

I worked in a coffee shop in college and I own a Gaggia fully automatic. It's not the same model but I think I can sort of accurately guess how to work it. 

 

It looks like the buttons from left to right are: 

 

1. steam wand (to turn on the metal rod on the right hand sand next to the milk pitcher) 

2. brew the coffee 

3. on/off button 

 

Not sure what the knob is for - interested in having a top photo 

 

Please let me know if my guesses are right. 

 

You should have a portafilter too if this is a semi-automatic which it looks like 

 

 

 

[teonzo]

I tried some searches in Italian with no luck, I did not find anything looking like that. Gran Gaggia is a series of coffee machines for home use, models change with the years (different design and so on). Your model seems to be quite old, I would say 20+ years  judging from the buttons on the right (that kind was common on most home appliances decades ago). Finding a pdf manual seems unlikely, if I'm right this model comes from before the internet age. Finding the original paper version seems even more unlikely, I doubt someone would ever try to sell it on ebay without the actual machine.

Judging from the photo you are missing the most important accessory, the filter holder, without that it's impossible to brew coffee. Without that, you can only use the vapor hose (beware of burns) for frothing milk for cappuccino (but you would need coffee made from another source) or heating water for infusions (tea and so on). Try asking politely to your neighbor if there is any chance to retrieve the filter holder, most probably the ones that are sold nowadays won't fit your machine.

The 3 buttons on the right are for (from right to left):

- 0/1 button is for turning on the machine (heating water), the red light is on when the machine is on;

- the cup button is for activating the pump to force hot water through the filter holder and brew the coffee, the green light is on when the pump is working (it takes some seconds for the first coffee to drop down, it keeps dropping for some seconds after you turn off the button);

- the vapor button is for activating the vapor hose, no light here because you hear the noise of the vapor coming out from the hose (I repeat, be careful since vapor burns).

The knob on the top is for filling the tank with water (open the know and pour the water). You should be able to open the top of the machine to remove the water filter and be able to clean and the machine tank.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, eugenep said:

 

 

I worked in a coffee shop in college and I own a Gaggia fully automatic. It's not the same model but I think I can sort of accurately guess how to work it. 

 

It looks like the buttons from left to right are: 

 

1. steam wand (to turn on the metal rod on the right hand sand next to the milk pitcher) 

2. brew the coffee 

3. on/off button 

 

Not sure what the knob is for - interested in having a top photo 

 

Please let me know if my guesses are right. 

 

You should have a portafilter too if this is a semi-automatic which it looks like 

 

 

 

 

This is a picture of the top knob.

[eugenep]

hmmm...it looks like pressure from low to high and then a smoke cloud maybe? 

 

It's to control pressure but I wonder for what?

 

I've actually never encountered one. The only thing close would be grind settings for coffee grinder in my automatic Gaggia. 

 

The only two possibilities seem to be for: (1) pressure of hot water being blasted out for coffee; (2) or the pressure of the steam wand. 

 

But I never had a pressure button for either of them. So I think both guesses are wrong. 

 

@teonzo any ideas? 

 

I wonder if it's an older antiquated function that was phased out. 

 

@ElsieD let us know if you find out (without blowing it up... j/k) 

[cdh]

The top knob is a twist on/off valve for the steam wand.

 

The three buttons on the front are power, pump, and temperature toggles.  Far right turns the machine on and gets it heating up.  Middle switch activates the pump and sends heated water through the shower screen on the group head.  Left switch changes the target water temp in the boiler from espresso making temp, around 200F to steaming temp, 212F. 

 

Looks like you're missing the portafilter handle... the thingy that locks into the group head and holds the basket of coffee in place for the water to get forced through it.  Looks like you're missing the coffee baskets too. 

[teonzo]

11 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

This is a picture of the top knob.

 

That should be where you fill the water tank: you open the knob turning it counter clockwise, then pour water inside the tank. The cloud is the signal "beware of vapor": if you open the knob few time after using the coffee machine, then the water in the tank will be hot and vapor will come out of the hole, so you risk serious burns. Same risks you face if you use the appliance with a water tank to iron your clothes (don't know the name in English).

Another possibility is that you can adjust the vapor pressure that comes out of the hose, from what I remember it was not a feature in those old machines (but I could be mistaken as well), they should have only the "on/off" features.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[cdh]

I don't think you're right, Teonzo.  That knob on top is the steam on/off valve.  There should be a water reservoir accessible to fill, but that knob has nothing to do with it.

 

This looks like the same controls and layout as my old Gaggia machines. Slightly different shell, but the guts are all in the same relative positions.

Edited April 10, 2019 by cdh (log)

[ElsieD]

Thank you all, you are very helpful.  This machine is not like anything I am used to.  I went back over the my neuighbour and she found the rest of the parts, picture below.  It is an older machine but for the last 13 years of her husband's life he didn't use it and she never did.  As you can see, I now have the instructional video which will explain how to use it.  Should help a lot.

@teonzo the water reservoir just has a lid that that fits over it.  I don't think the lid has anything to do with the top knob.

Edited April 10, 2019 by ElsieD
Added picture (log)

[teonzo]

15 hours ago, cdh said:

I don't think you're right, Teonzo.  That knob on top is the steam on/off valve.  There should be a water reservoir accessible to fill, but that knob has nothing to do with it.

 

15 hours ago, ElsieD said:

the water reservoir just has a lid that that fits over it.  I don't think the lid has anything to do with the top knob.

 

Good to know, thanks, my apologies for my mistake. I don't remember seeing that feature here, but I must say those machines were far from common, people prefer to use moka or Neapolitan coffee makers at home.

 

@ElsieD I'm really glad your neighbour found all the missing parts. Nice to see it had an instructional VHS, hope you still have a player. If it hasn't been used for long time, then I suggest to run it for few cycles and discard the coffee before starting drinking it.

 

 

 

Teo