Question about espresso
Hi, I have recently got a Gaggia Classic Pro. So I am quite new to espresso. After I pull my espresso shot, the grounded coffee puck has imprints of shower screen (photo attached)
Is this normal? If not, how do I solve this?
I am filling it up with 18 grams of pre ground coffee (commercial espresso fine grind) in a pressurized basked.
It looks like the stock baskets that come with the Gaggia are a little too small for a full 18 dose.
Superb. So I will try with 16 grams and a coin test
I’m probably the last person that should be answering this, just getting into espresso myself, but you can buy a mesh filter that goes between the espresso and the machine. They’re pretty inexpensive and can help protect the screen from making contact with your puck. I believe they’re also supposed to help with water distribution?
If you dose by weight, you will have differing volumes in the basket with light roasts compared to dark.
It's not supposed to touch the shower screen. Mine does sometimes, too. Try decreasing the dose. Remember that light roasts weigh more than dark roasts per volume unit, so 18g of a dark roast is higher volume than 18g of light roast.
While not specific to your basket, it illustrates the differences.