Hello Coffee friends! I hope this short video helped with your microfoam! Feel free to comment on the video, give your own tips, and if it helped, please like (and subscribe if you want 🤗) Join the coffee club! (subscribe): th-cam.com/users/TomsCoffeeCorner 0:00 Intro 0:22 Method 1: Stabilizing on Tray 6:04 Method 2: Stabilizing against Steam Wand
Only problem with your milk technique is if you don't purge the steam wand first, it'll dump the residual water into your milk. Best to purge the water first then steam 👌🏼
I'm still practicing, and this little machine can make really nice microfoam, even with different angles. The biggest thing is to get the timing right after flipping the switch. Waiting 10-15 seconds has been working even better lately, giving me more steam power to start with.
Thank you Tom - I’ve been working at getting better on the Gaggia’s steam wand - your ideas are most welcome! I think the steaming on the Gaggia has a lot of potential (plus it’s fun!)!
The steam wand is bent, it is already tilted, so I purge first, then keep the cup level and the tip just below the surface with wand resting on the pourout spout. Too near the top of milk gets you a froth, a bit lower creates a foam. Listen to the sound; watch the swirl - to "dial" in what you want!
Agreed. The angle is already pretty good - just the clearance is a little difficult. I have gotten better with this steam wand since making this video. The key is actually to wait 20 seconds, for the best power. Cheers!
Excellent video friend! I just got this machine and am trying to teach myself how to steam properly. 🙃 Still not good at it but your tips have helped me not volcano my milk out of the pitcher lol.
Hey there Sniper! Thanks for the feedback! Wand placement is really the key, and to get that milk swirling before injecting air. Then, only inject air until the pitcher has the same temp as your hand, then submerge the tip further again, and make sure to position the tip to get a nice circular swirl to incorporate. There is a fine line between injecting too much and too little air, by the way. Happy steaming!
I’m gonna try the 9 bar spring. Too easy of a mod to pass on. I also use a bst 18g basket but depending on the beans it’ll hold between 18g for darker and closer to 20-20.5 for lighter. I’m using a 58.5mm metal screen/filter. Used more coffee prior. Screen takes up 1-2g worth of coffee.
Edit: I read your reply to another post… you’ve improved your timing and tech for sure. steam timing is way way off… you’re adding a bunch of water to the milk also. Use a timer.. So when I turn on the steam I also trip the timer. I turn it on right away to drain the water for 5 sec or so. Then drunk water from the cup I use for this then back to under the wand. I then wait till 20-25 sec on timer then another 5 sec of extracting water without putting it in the milk cup. Then around 35-40 sec it’s ready to steam. I basically want the steam to be as hot as possible without tripping the sensor (steam light turns on). Not the end of the world if it does but just takes longer to steam by 15 sec. Using my method it only takes 30 sec to steam 6 oz of milk. Give it a shot and let me now what you think. It’s been 4 months so maybe you’ve made some changes sense then. It took me a month or so to figure out how I like to do it
Hey Damon, thank you for your feedback. I tried out your hack this morning. It worked quite well. Lately, I have been waiting about 25 seconds to start steaming, and I purge just before steaming. Using your hack, it took me a total of one minute and 15 seconds to steam for a large cappuccino, including the heat up phase. Line happy coffee drinking! Tom
I’ve had this machine for a few weeks now. You’ll want the steam to heat up longer than six seconds. Ideally 20 to 30 seconds. Also, how were you able to do all of that with the power switch off? The light was on, but the switch was actually off.
I've watched like 6 different videos from various people including Gaggia's channel to get nice froth on my new gaggia classic, but after 1 week of mediocre cappucinos, still no luck. We used to have a gaggia baby and had no problem. I miss my baby! I think I am positioning the steam wand as you are saying, I am getting the "vortex" but still no foam, or very little. We use half and half, but I have also tried whole milk with no luck. Any additional thoughts or advice Tom?
Hi Melissa, the Gaggia Classic is the trickiest machine I have ever had to use to try and get microfoam. You need to time the tiny boiler, and you need to find the right angle. Perhaps I should do an updated version of this video. I have been waiting now 20 seconds to start steaming instead of 7, and this gives much better power. Power is important for injecting air. Then, the angle is just experimentation. Do you have the GCP, or a different Gaggia Classic? They are all different, and the earlier ones were even more difficult to steam with.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner thanks so much for the quick reply! Ok I just made another attempt, waiting longer as you suggested and also turning the steam on to a more full throttle - I don't think we were turning it far enough. I struggled to get the vortex at first, so while it wasn't amazing foam, I did get SOME foam - so I will consider it progress!! We have the Gaggia Classic Pro even though it doesn't state "Pro" anywhere on the box or machine, it says 2019 (Model RI9380). So I have another burning question, is the spoonable cappuccino foam now out of style? What makes microfoam better? We were used to the thick spoonable foam we got with our Baby. You think it's even possible to achieve that with this one? An updated version of this video with your latest tweaks would be awesome. thank you!
@@MelissaCara Hi Melissa, I will see about updating my video with a few tweaks that should help. You do have the GCP, which is good. It does have potential. You can make the foam as silky or as thick as you want, based on how much air you inject. Just takes practice. And you can do it however your preference is. 👍 Cheers! Tom
@@AnujGupta-ux3ln Ah shoot, I do not know what kind of beans you have in Canada, but a quick google maps search shows that Pilot Roasters in Toronto is highly rated. Try some of their freshly roasted beans, would be my recommendation. www.pilotcoffeeroasters.com/coffee/blends/
Agreed, this is a good question, after doing my own research, I found out at the 15 Bar spring the GCP comes with for the factory is so it has enough pressure to brew with the non-pressurized baskets. The GCP is one of the few entry level espresso machines that work with ESE Pods and Pressurized Baskets for those without a grinder for that reason.
Thank you for the video. Let us know how the upgrades go. Watch these for ideas. I believe the dimmer is the single greatest improvement allowing you to fix flow on the fly. Gaggia Classic Pro Gauge PID Dimmer - How I Did it All! th-cam.com/video/3HrBZlgE1yE/w-d-xo.html SAY ESS-SSPRESSO! Perfect Espresso/Cortado on Upgraded Gaggia Classic Pro GCP th-cam.com/video/val-K-Z_YCM/w-d-xo.html
Hey Kyle, how long are you waiting after flipping the steam switch, before frothing? Lately I’ve been waiting about 15 to 20 seconds, and then I have quite good steam power. Another thing to consider is tip placement. If the tip is placed just under the surface of the milk, you should be able to aerate it enough. If you go to deep, you may not have the steam power in the pull any air in.
Hello Coffee friends! I hope this short video helped with your microfoam! Feel free to comment on the video, give your own tips, and if it helped, please like (and subscribe if you want 🤗)
Join the coffee club! (subscribe): th-cam.com/users/TomsCoffeeCorner
0:00 Intro
0:22 Method 1: Stabilizing on Tray
6:04 Method 2: Stabilizing against Steam Wand
Only problem with your milk technique is if you don't purge the steam wand first, it'll dump the residual water into your milk. Best to purge the water first then steam 👌🏼
Did you even watch the video? He clearly did this in Method 2 @7:10.
After steaming Dump and clean the water inside the steam wand
Thank you, watched alot of videos, this was by far most short and concise to understand and go back to if needed.👍
I'm still practicing, and this little machine can make really nice microfoam, even with different angles. The biggest thing is to get the timing right after flipping the switch. Waiting 10-15 seconds has been working even better lately, giving me more steam power to start with.
Thank you Tom - I’ve been working at getting better on the Gaggia’s steam wand - your ideas are most welcome! I think the steaming on the Gaggia has a lot of potential (plus it’s fun!)!
It takes practice, but it's worth it!
Thanks! Just got this machine today, your video is great!
Awesome! Thank you, Shane! Have fun with this sweet machine!
Yes! Finally! Thank you for a good video on Gaggia Classic Pro
Glad you liked it, Serge! Hope you enjoy some nice silky milk!
I just got my GCP and a Mignon Silenzio. Thanks for sharing tips with the milk frothing, it's been fails for the last few days 😅
The steam wand is bent, it is already tilted, so I purge first, then keep the cup level and the tip just below the surface with wand resting on the pourout spout. Too near the top of milk gets you a froth, a bit lower creates a foam. Listen to the sound; watch the swirl - to "dial" in what you want!
Agreed. The angle is already pretty good - just the clearance is a little difficult. I have gotten better with this steam wand since making this video. The key is actually to wait 20 seconds, for the best power. Cheers!
Do you mean 20 seconds versus the 7 seconds you counted in the video?? Or 20 seconds to steam/froth?
Excellent video friend! I just got this machine and am trying to teach myself how to steam properly. 🙃 Still not good at it but your tips have helped me not volcano my milk out of the pitcher lol.
Hey there Sniper! Thanks for the feedback! Wand placement is really the key, and to get that milk swirling before injecting air. Then, only inject air until the pitcher has the same temp as your hand, then submerge the tip further again, and make sure to position the tip to get a nice circular swirl to incorporate. There is a fine line between injecting too much and too little air, by the way. Happy steaming!
I’m gonna try the 9 bar spring. Too easy of a mod to pass on. I also use a bst 18g basket but depending on the beans it’ll hold between 18g for darker and closer to 20-20.5 for lighter. I’m using a 58.5mm metal screen/filter. Used more coffee prior. Screen takes up 1-2g worth of coffee.
Recently found your channel & subscribed. I’m a newbie and really enjoy your vids, thanks 😊👍
Thanks Mike!
I might put the old pinarello wand on my new Classic, it is so much easier to froth the milk.
Thank you dude
With the bellman I can get microfoam, but with the gaggia is a mix of micro and macro.
that is a whirlpool not a vortex . a vortex pulls the top downwards . you need the want in the spout
Ah, ok. Thanks!
Edit: I read your reply to another post… you’ve improved your timing and tech for sure.
steam timing is way way off… you’re adding a bunch of water to the milk also. Use a timer.. So when I turn on the steam I also trip the timer. I turn it on right away to drain the water for 5 sec or so. Then drunk water from the cup I use for this then back to under the wand. I then wait till 20-25 sec on timer then another 5 sec of extracting water without putting it in the milk cup. Then around 35-40 sec it’s ready to steam. I basically want the steam to be as hot as possible without tripping the sensor (steam light turns on). Not the end of the world if it does but just takes longer to steam by 15 sec. Using my method it only takes 30 sec to steam 6 oz of milk. Give it a shot and let me now what you think. It’s been 4 months so maybe you’ve made some changes sense then. It took me a month or so to figure out how I like to do it
Hey Damon, thank you for your feedback.
I tried out your hack this morning. It worked quite well. Lately, I have been waiting about 25 seconds to start steaming, and I purge just before steaming. Using your hack, it took me a total of one minute and 15 seconds to steam for a large cappuccino, including the heat up phase.
Line happy coffee drinking! Tom
I’ve had this machine for a few weeks now. You’ll want the steam to heat up longer than six seconds. Ideally 20 to 30 seconds. Also, how were you able to do all of that with the power switch off? The light was on, but the switch was actually off.
On my model, if I wait that long, then the boiler will stop heating, and I quickly run out of steam. The new Evo models might be different...
I've watched like 6 different videos from various people including Gaggia's channel to get nice froth on my new gaggia classic, but after 1 week of mediocre cappucinos, still no luck. We used to have a gaggia baby and had no problem. I miss my baby! I think I am positioning the steam wand as you are saying, I am getting the "vortex" but still no foam, or very little. We use half and half, but I have also tried whole milk with no luck. Any additional thoughts or advice Tom?
Hi Melissa, the Gaggia Classic is the trickiest machine I have ever had to use to try and get microfoam. You need to time the tiny boiler, and you need to find the right angle. Perhaps I should do an updated version of this video. I have been waiting now 20 seconds to start steaming instead of 7, and this gives much better power. Power is important for injecting air. Then, the angle is just experimentation.
Do you have the GCP, or a different Gaggia Classic? They are all different, and the earlier ones were even more difficult to steam with.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner thanks so much for the quick reply! Ok I just made another attempt, waiting longer as you suggested and also turning the steam on to a more full throttle - I don't think we were turning it far enough. I struggled to get the vortex at first, so while it wasn't amazing foam, I did get SOME foam - so I will consider it progress!! We have the Gaggia Classic Pro even though it doesn't state "Pro" anywhere on the box or machine, it says 2019 (Model RI9380).
So I have another burning question, is the spoonable cappuccino foam now out of style? What makes microfoam better? We were used to the thick spoonable foam we got with our Baby. You think it's even possible to achieve that with this one?
An updated version of this video with your latest tweaks would be awesome. thank you!
@@MelissaCara Hi Melissa, I will see about updating my video with a few tweaks that should help. You do have the GCP, which is good. It does have potential.
You can make the foam as silky or as thick as you want, based on how much air you inject. Just takes practice. And you can do it however your preference is. 👍
Cheers!
Tom
Hey Melissa, I made a review video of the GCP, and I updated my steaming tips. Check it out here: th-cam.com/video/o1aGefXcSog/w-d-xo.html
Hello. Nice video. Which coffee beans are you using there? Seeing that crema was a pleasure!
Hey Anuj, oh man I cannot remember. Either Lavazza Purple, or Dinzler Roma. Where are you from? Maybe I can make a recommendation.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hey Tom! Thanks for the reply. I’m based in Toronto, Canada.
@@AnujGupta-ux3ln Ah shoot, I do not know what kind of beans you have in Canada, but a quick google maps search shows that Pilot Roasters in Toronto is highly rated. Try some of their freshly roasted beans, would be my recommendation. www.pilotcoffeeroasters.com/coffee/blends/
Stock spring in the US is 9 bars.
I heard they changed that on the Evo. Nice!
May i know for the commercial double stock basket for GCP, what is the ideal dosage? Say 16g min? 20g max?
The one it comes with is for about 16 grams. You can buy nicer IMS baskets made for 18, 20, and 22 grams though: amzn.to/3MhjhLK
How much do you open the steam valve? I open it all the way,that is obvious wrong because I run out of steam very fast.
Just make sure to start steaming after 10 seconds - otherwise the boiler stops heating for steaming. Good luck!
Do you know why Gaggia doesn’t sell the machines with 9 bar spring?
That is a good question...I don't really know.
Agreed, this is a good question, after doing my own research, I found out at the 15 Bar spring the GCP comes with for the factory is so it has enough pressure to brew with the non-pressurized baskets. The GCP is one of the few entry level espresso machines that work with ESE Pods and Pressurized Baskets for those without a grinder for that reason.
do you have a watch for each hand? :D
thats a terribe pull at 6:50
what about the condensation in the steam wand?
Yes, it is good to let the condensation out. I now have a little bottle that I purge into, before steaming. Works pretty well. ;)
Thank you for the video. Let us know how the upgrades go. Watch these for ideas. I believe the dimmer is the single greatest improvement allowing you to fix flow on the fly. Gaggia Classic Pro Gauge PID Dimmer - How I Did it All!
th-cam.com/video/3HrBZlgE1yE/w-d-xo.html
SAY ESS-SSPRESSO! Perfect Espresso/Cortado on Upgraded Gaggia Classic Pro GCP th-cam.com/video/val-K-Z_YCM/w-d-xo.html
Thanks very much, One Handed! I’ll have to check those out before my next mods. Cheers! ☕️
I can’t get any foam at all. Like zero.
Hey Kyle, how long are you waiting after flipping the steam switch, before frothing? Lately I’ve been waiting about 15 to 20 seconds, and then I have quite good steam power.
Another thing to consider is tip placement. If the tip is placed just under the surface of the milk, you should be able to aerate it enough. If you go to deep, you may not have the steam power in the pull any air in.
Gaggia needs better security. It should not be this easy to hack into their system like that.
😅