New Gaggia MDF - how to best use with Saeco Barista?

[RocknPop]

Hi guys, (first post in this forum! :coffeecup


I just bought a Gaggia 8002 MDF Burr Grinder and I wanted to get your input as to what the best settings and procedures are.


I bough the grinder solely to grind the beans in the morning before I pull shots for my cortados or lattes and iced lattes before work.


A few questions I have off the top of my head:
- how fine is too fine (can I damage the machine? - the logic here is that the pump would be overworked if water can't get through
- The Saeco Barista has a pressurized portafilter and it's a single boiler machine - does this make a difference?
- What are some tricks or tips with this machine?
- I know I should clean the machine often, other tips on maintenance?
- Any other comments would be greatly appreciated

 

[shadow745]

The MDF is a good solid espresso range grinder. Only minor complaint I've read about is a lack of steps in the adjustment mechanism. This probably won't affect the typical user, only those really anal retentive.

There are no "best settings" as all grinders/machines/coffees are inherently different. Variables such as ambient temperature/humidity and bean age affect grind fineness, sometimes on a daily basis.

Regarding procedures... keep it clean as old coffee is never a good thing. I personally like to start with an empty grinder and end that way. Meaning whatever goes in must come out so very little is left behind to stale. I never leave coffee in the hopper for more than a few hours and never overnight.

Don't get caught up in perfecting the doser as every doser I've used only worked well if at least half full in order to properly fill the vanes. My suggestion would be to grind and swipe the doser clean as needed using a gram scale until you get the hang of it.

Too fine will choke any machine, home or commercial. Yours may have some sort of OverPressureValve that allows excess pressure to be diverted. *Will try to find a schematic for a more detailed look.

Pressurized systems typically require a more COARSE grind setting than non-pressurized systems. Your machine can be converted to non-pressurized AFAIK. Non-pressurized (standard) will give a much better extraction in terms of balance, texture and flavor profile.

Single boiler makes no difference in the grand scheme of things. Simply means you can't steam/extract at the same time and have to switch back/forth as needed.

The Barista is a good solid home machine. Keep it clean, descale based on your water quality and just work on perfecting every drop that comes out of it. It should serve you well.

Last bit of advice is to keep the water reservoir clean. A mild dish detergent/hot water scrub/rinse every few weeks should suffice. This is an often overlooked bit of maintenance with home machines.

 

[RocknPop]

The MDF is a good solid espresso range grinder.
<snip>.. with home machines.

Thank you so much for the advice! This is along the lines of what I was looking for.

To convert the Estro Vapore (Barista) to non pressurized, do I simply modify the portafilter by taking out the pressurized piece?

 

[shadow745]

De-pressurizing the Starbucks Barista - YouTube

Pressurized vs Non-Pressurized Portafilter - Saeco HD8323 - YouTube

Don't sell the MDF short OR listen to any negative CoffeeGeek, etc. comments on the matter... for some time (2.5 years) I used a Nuova Simonelli Grinta on a commercial level for low volume decaf espresso. Similar build quality and same burr size as the MDF and it did rather well. Was a bit slow at 18 seconds for 14-15 grams and could've used a bit of refining on the grind (stepped) adjustment, but it got the job done time and time again.

 

[RocknPop]

Don't sell the MDF short OR listen to any negative CoffeeGeek, etc. comments on the matter... for some time (2.5 years) I used a Nuova Simonelli Grinta on a commercial level for low volume decaf espresso. Similar build quality and same burr size as the MDF and it did rather well. Was a bit slow at 18 seconds for 14-15 grams and could've used a bit of refining on the grind (stepped) adjustment, but it got the job done time and time again.

Thank you for the links. Very useful. I've been using the grinder for three days now and I'm loving the coffee with the pressurized pf. I'll have to take it off and start tamping to taste the difference. Looks like non-pressurized gets better results - why?

 

[shadow745]

Pressurized systems are designed with beginners in mind and allows a lesser quality grind and/or older coffee to be used and still achieve satisfactory/repeatable results. This is accomplished through controlled pressure and flow via the mechanism. End result will typically be less bold and thin bodied due to restricted flow.

Incorporating a standard (non-pressurized) system allows a better flow rate, more even puck saturation and a finer grind to be utilized, which ultimately extracts more flavor. This does require more skill and consistency be incorporated when grinding, dosing, distributing and tamping as those variables are what ultimately control flow and pressure.
End result will typically be more bold, more body (thicker mouthfeel) and a layered flavor profile due to more solubles being extracted.