MrShades Gaggia Classic Pro OPV Spring Mod Kit 

Came here looking for the same thing 🤭 was easy enough but a video to follow along with would have been lovely 😊

The process is said to take 5 hours, would be a big video.

LOL - well, that's one interesting way to do it - and yes, it should indeed work. Pulling the tube at an angle, and helping it off with a flat bladed screwdriver usually works.

Hey, you can just pull the hose up, and unscrew the brass fitting with the hose still attached, then feed the tube back down into the reservoir. I show how to do it here: 9 Bar OPV Mod for Gaggia Classic Pro: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-txWyLHnuuz0.html

@@TomsCoffeeCorner Big brain move. Worked a charm for me. Thanks!

@@TomsCoffeeCorner they're not talking about taking the tubing off the fitting. They're talking about the brass fitting on the black plastic piece. The threads of the brass fitting has some kind of threadlocker, so if you don't hold the black plastic piece while applying torque to the brass fitting, you can easily snap the black plastic. Leaving the tubing on isn't relevant to this.

@@_gyepy Ok, well these threads were not too tight on my machine - maybe because I did the mod right after purchase. Cheers!

Mine was quite loose, maybe heating up the Maschine an flushing with hot water before disassembling is a good idea to get the sealant more flexible.

What do you mean you didn’t think about the tubes? Do I need to do something with the tubes? I just purchased the springs for the Pro.

@@ryrymckelvey3gaggia produced two types of the classic pro in terms of water tubing. some have one tube leading to the water tank (like the one in the video, before the modification), some have two tubes. If you got the one tube classic, all the excess water will run into the drip tray instead of the water tank. with an unmodified OPV thats no big deal because its not that much water but after you've changed the opv spring the amount of water will increase. i didnt realize that this little extra tube could solve that problem...thats what i meant.

@@claudegable179 thank you for the explanation. My machine is the 2019 Gaggia Classic Pro with two tubes. So I’m guessing I don’t have to worry about the tubing then.

Due to global shortages of silicone tubing (and many other silicone products) we've had to change the tubing spec that we use multiple times over the last year or so - and we were using a thinner/smaller tube, but are now using a larger one... so it's now easier to fit over the nipple.

Honestly only pulled one shot in a hurry since I changed the spring and had the same exact feeling.. seems to do magic. Now I want to go back and revisit all the coffees I tried and felt were too acidic and sour to see if it changes that..

Installed a adjustable opv, set it to 9bars but the shots tasted like the 12 bar shots. But I only pulled 3 shots since swapping timing wise they weren't perfect but with the 12 bar spring I only had sour schots at the beginning when dialling in my coffee

+1, except I did this at 9pm and a second shot now would keep me awake til dawn

Second that, shipping without tracking came no drama to australia in under 2 weeks

The Classic Pro in the US usually has the two tubes already. The Classic 2019 in the EU, and elsewhere, often only has ONE tube (the OPV routes to the drip tray for some crazy reason). If you only have ONE tube then you need the PLUS kit (which has the extra plumbing for the second tube to the tank), if you already have two tubes then you just need the standard kit (which is just the springs). Hope this helps!

Is there another way to order your standard kit not through coffee forums uk

@@christopherma1718 Reach me on Reddit u/MrShades30 if that helps?

@@christopherma1718 www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/

@@ShadesofCoffee thank, that answered my question too

Did you figure out anything with this? Doing this mod right now and the inner valve came out for mine and idk which direction it goes.

@@furyln5671 I got it figured out the small end goes toward the spring I had to contact shades of coffee to help me. Someone told me the opposite, so for a while I was fighting it.

Yes - fit a PID kit!

Higher pressures are used to pressure the pressurized baskets used for "bad" coffee like pads or pregroud, most of the clients for this machine will use either of those, if youre using fresh ground coffee youre more likeley using a non pressurized basket in wich the coffe builds the pressure, for extracting fresh coffee out of non pressurized baskets 9 bar has proven to yield better results but since most buyers will use pressurized baskets gaggia had two chices, find the middle ground for both or add pressure regulation wich adds cost and makes the machine less user firendly.

@@bsenay911 I have had this same question and never found a good answer. Thank you!

@@bsenay911 ahh that makes sense. I guess I'll go ahead with the mod in that case. Thank you

@@bsenay911 Thank you. I had wondered. Your answer makes perfect sense.

@@bsenay911 ​ Absolutely! Thanks for the reply - it's exactly aligned with the reply that I was going to provide - so I won't bother typing it again, as you've done a great job.... almost as if I'd written it myself.

I have the exact same problem, same results with stock double and IMS basket, finest grind, proper tamping but still get 6-7 seconds. I am not quite sure if OPV mode will fix it as other people are still able to get proper shots will stock machines

@@ersinjetrane8886 i never did get it to work, and the pump went out on my machine- thankfully while still under the send back time- so i got money back for it- then i tried a Cafalet Robot- got much better results because with that one you control the flow yourself because it is manual

@@Nazareth434 I am glad that you've managed to put an end to your miseries. I am now considering getting rid of my Gaggia as well, apparently this is a common issue and nobody has a solution for it except for repeating "grind finer" argument

@@ersinjetrane8886 i actually got rid of the robot too- stomach just isn't able to take coffee anymore- i never id get a good espresso- and it was a quite expensive adventure- kind of a relief to not be trying to get a good cup lol-

The easy way to install the correct one is to download the instructions that are sent with the OPV kit and read them - as this explains what each one is and how to select the one you want. Please download the instructions and read them.

Ricardo Costeira thanks very much for your kind words... whilst I must confess to never actually having used a pressurised basket, it certainly SHOULD work ok with 9 bar of pressure. The valve within them should release at between about 8 and 9 bar so it should work OK.

​@@ShadesofCoffee thank you for your reply. It just occurred to me that even if it doesn't work I'll still be able to reverse it easily. Time to order myself a kit :) again, thank you!

Hi, I did the 9bar mod, and test using the pressure gauge, the reading is somewhere 11.5 bar, is this normal, if not, what should I do, thanks

Adrian No - backflushing (either with or without the plus kit) will always be to the drip tray, never to the tank.

Yes, I can personally confirm that it is. The difference between shots is night and day. You also get a 6.5bar spring which is also pretty neat for espresso.

Glad it helped!

On some European Classics the output from the OPV goes (wastefully) to the drip tray rather than the tank. So the Plus kit includes the extra pipe so that it can be rerouted to the tank instead. This is usually how all US machines are already configured - so you will only need the Standard OPV kit.

@@ShadesofCoffee ok thanks

Both work well - try them both and let your own personal taste buds be the judge. Many people prefer the taste and mouthfeel of the 6.5bar extractions - and no-one can tell you that one is better that then other, though you may prefer one over the other. Try them both.

maybe you got a chunk of scale stuck in the valve? Maybe another descaling will fix you.

Yes, it sounds like your solenoid valve isn't sealing properly - strip it down and clean it, or remove it and soak it for a few hours in citric acid solution.

I'm pretty sure that Gaggia use the exact same valve with the exact same spring within a number of different machines - so yes, I'd expect it to work in other machines using the same pump-mounted OPV valve.

Again, the above reply is from me - just using the wrong account again!

You would read the instructions which are available at the URL that appears on the piece of folded paper that came with your kit (which says “Instructions inside” on it)

That is the model he is demonstrating on.

Correct - you don’t need the plus kit (most people don’t). You only need the standard kit

An accurate gauge should show 10 bar yes. Make sure you don’t have a basket and that you have no leaks at all, as even a drip makes a difference.

@@ShadesofCoffee There is no leakage because I did the insulation and my basket is not in. I am not sure my gauge is accurate but it at least shows consistent level of pressure each time. I actually don't worry much about difference of 1 bar, I just read it is a matter of discussion if 9 bars is better or 8 (or even 7). I am only curious about why I can't get sweety shots like the ones in coffee shops even with a PID kit and OPV mod installed. As my grinder is also a quality one like Eureka Mignon Specialita, I was suspicious about my OPV not functioning properly (shot times variating too much). This is now eliminated as well and I believe you have done your part perfectly with this spring:) It is on me now. I cleaned my grinder and on the way to check my water, how soft it is:/ If any other ideas, please let me know. Thanks

@@muratozt making espresso is more of an art than a science - you can have all the right equipment but it’s still a challenge to get everything working well together and get the right results. Grind, dose, temperature all have a big effect on end results. It’s not easy.

@@ShadesofCoffee I even thought of buying a more premium espresso machine but decided to push the limits of GC until I am sure I can't do better. If I can, I will never leave it:) Thanks for your support on my journey

pedro cruz you don’t need a portafilter manometer no, the spring pressure is fixed and whilst you just fit it, you can obviously still check pressure with a gauge if you wish - but it’s not needed in the same way that it’s essential for the OPV mod for earlier Classics.

Cómo te fue con el Mod? Estoy viendo si hacerme con la gaggia, me podrías dar tu opinión en si vale la pena?

@@Cenicebri0 qué tal, el opv lo instalé en 5 minutos y cambió radicalmente el sabor del café. El dialing de los granos es bastante más consistente debo decir, con la presión original era mucho más difícil encontrar el molido y dosis adecuados. Ese de entrada vale completamente la pena, y estoy considerando que para ciertos granos muy particulares incluso podría cambiar periódicamente por los de menor presión siendo que es tan rápido y fácil. También es mucho más fácil espumar la leche, aunque sí se siente mucho menos potencia comparado al original. Pero creo que esto se arreglará con el PID al modificar la temperatura. Compré también un PID que no he instalado por mi carga de trabajo pero no parece especialmente difícil tomando en cuenta todo lo que hay que conectar, viene bastante bien explicado. Una vez que lo haya probado te dejo saber de su funcionamiento, pero de entrada me parece indispensable, te dejaré saber qué tal una vez lo haya probado.

@@Cenicebri0 sobre si comprar o no la Gaggia, vale completamente la pena, pero debo decirte que es muchísimo más importante el molino que la máquina a la hora de obtener buenos resultados o siquiera poder repetirlos. Tienes alguna experiencia con máquinas de este tipo? Yo tuve una Brieville automática barata y es como el día y la noche, ahí los resultados eran más bien mediocres y no había más que hacer. En la gaggia he conseguido de los mejores shots que he probado en mi vida, aún comparado con cafeterías de especialidad. Pero también he tirado muchos que eran insoportáblemente malos mientras aprendía sobre el molido, la temperatura y la extracción. Si de verdad quieres invertir tiempo (y dinero) en aprender y lo disfrutas, no podría valer más la pena. Si sólo quieres un buen café rápido en la mañana hay otras opciones para eso y ambas posturas son súper respetables. Si quieres algunas recomendaciones escríbeme por aquí y con gusto te comparto

@@pedrocruz5265 muchísimas gracias! La verdad está sería mi primera maquina de espresso y me gusta que se puede modificar para mejorar su funcionamiento, además que en México es de las pocas que no le incrementan su precio exageradamente. ¿En donde conseguiste los kits del PID y éste OPV?

I was hoping to find the same answer!

Take a look at the FAQ page on our website where this question is answered in full : www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/faqs

Gaggia made some machines where the OPV water goes into the drip tray via the solenoid valve vent tube. This is just a stupid design, so I believe they’ve changed it back now so that it correctly vents into the tank again. If the machine is venting OPV pressure into the drip tray it only has one pipe in the tank; if it is correctly venting back to the tank then it has two.

Poz , da li ti ie stiglo do Srbije i koliko si cekao dostavu, pozdrav

The new hose is only needed for some RI9480 (EU spec Classic 2019) made in 2019 and early 2020, as these all have the OPV venting to the drip tray. The new pipe changes this to vent back to the water tank. All other machines (esp all US sped RI9380 Classic Pro models) already vent back to the tank and don’t need this additional tube - you simply reconnect the original one.

Firstly, this won’t work with older models - as older models have an adjustable valve, so you can change the pressure with simple tools. Search on RU-vid and you’ll find videos showing what to do. For the “why?” please check the FAQ page on our website for a full answer.

Usually a lower pressure requires (or allows) a finer grind, yes - especially when you get down to 6.5 or 5 bar.

This has nothing to do with the solenoid - it’s the OPV. The water from the solenoid always goes into the drip tray.

They do this sometimes - lift the black plastic funnel at the same time as turning the screw, that normally works.

Vibe pumps make less noise the harder they are working - hence more noise the easier they are working… so yes, it will usually make more noise. Flow and pressure are different - just because you’ve reduced the pressure doesn’t mean that you’ve reduced the flow - in fact it’s often the opposite (as you’ve seen) and you can often have faster flow through the puck at lower pressure, and you’ll need to grind finer or increase the dose.

@@ShadesofCoffee thanks for your reply!

That’s only in the PLUS kit - 95% of machines don’t need it

Please take a look at the FAQs on our website where we answer this question in more detail

This isn’t for a 2004 Classic - it’s only for later models I’m afraid

It's a similar size - though often not identical.

the 12 bar is there for people who don't grind their own coffee, and instead use pre ground, and the pressurized basket. The moment you grind your own beans and use the non pressurized basket, you want to lower to 9 bar which is industry standard. Otherwise you pull shots too fast and they dont taste as nice.

The tube has to be replaced and rerouted on some early (2019-2020) EU spec machines, as these have the clean overflow water from the OPV diverted to the drip tray rather than back to the tank as standard. We supply the pipe to replumb them and correctly route the excess clean water back to the tank.

It’s really very easy - the pipe pulls off, though it’s easiest to remove if you pull at an angle rather than trying to pull it straight off (it’s designed not to fall off or come loose, so pulling at an angle helps it come off easier). If you struggle then reverting the pipe off with a flat screwdriver also helps in some cases. Once you have the pipe off then you unscrew the nipple, change the spring and screw the nipple back in again - it feels obviously tight when it’s fully inserted, and as I mention in the video and instructions it’s easier to feel this if you use a proper wrench rather than trying to do it with pliers. Then it’s a single case of pushing the pipe back on again - wetting the inside of it or wetting the nipple can make this easier, though again it’s not difficult - as you can see in the video. If you put slightly soapy water on the nipple then it will slide on very easily. This really is one of the simplest mods you can do to a Classic and you shouldn’t be worried about it!

@@ShadesofCoffee thanks! I'll work up the courage and do it soon. Hope to report on much improved coffee asap

The only thing you would probably need to adjust is the grind size and/or dose. Depending on the pressure you switch to, you may have to grind finer or coarser.

On a RI9480 machine from 2019/2020 the pipe leads to a Y piece where it joins with the output of the solenoid valve and goes to the vent pipe - and hence into the drip tray.

@@ShadesofCoffee is the Gaggia Classic Pro Thunder Black the same as RI9480 ? Is there any explanation for those series numbers somewhere ? Trying to figure out which model / differences I can expect if I order this thunder black version i see online

@@Gunnl if your machine was made in 2021 or 2022 then you don’t need the Plus kit anyway. Ultimately it’s simply “do you have one or two pipes in the water tank” - if it’s two then you don’t need the Plus kit. RI9480 is U.K./EU spec and RI9380 is USA/NA spec.

@@ShadesofCoffee I haven't acquired the machine yet... just researching atm .. thanks for the help

Typically no, it shouldn’t

It’s only in English

Hi Michael - the standard spring in the machine is around 12 bar, which would read as 13 on a portafilter pressure gauge. Our 9 bar would show as 10 bar on a portafilter gauge. It therefore looks like your gauge is reading about 1 bar too high - with the standard showing as 14 rather than 13 and our 9 showing as 11 rather than 10. I wouldn’t get hung up on what the cheap gauges show - either way it’s significantly lower than you had before :-)

No, don’t put the basket in - water and pressure will leak out.

Sure - 1. Your current OPV dumps excess water to the drip tray; if you lower the OPV pressure then you'll get more (and more again, if you lower the pressure even further using the alternative springs) water being sent to the drip tray... to the point that you may see the drip tray filling (with completely good clean water!) within one or two shots. As I said, it's perfectly good clean water that is being routed to the drip-tray, so it should really go back to the tank (as every Classic has for the last 30+ years). 2. If you want to add an adjustable OPV (as used on the original Classic) then, yes, that's also a great solution - though much more expensive and less quick/easy than this - especially when most people don't own (or want to own) a pressure gauge to properly set the pressure. Furthermore, you can't quickly/easily swap between (eg. 9 bar and 6.5 bar) with an adjustable OPV unless you take quite a lot of time and effort, and again have a gauge to reset it each time. Springs are just much easier.

@@ShadesofCoffee Thanks for irrefragable answer! I've already made an order for you kit)

@@ps4058 Many thanks - glad I could help. "Irrefragable" - what a great word!

If you’re trying to use coarser grounds then you possibly want to stay with higher pressure. The lower pressures and especially the VST baskets will usually make flow higher - not lower.

@@ShadesofCoffee thanks for the video -I’ve just installed the 6.5 bars spring but flow is now very limited (il barely flows down to the cup) and as a result, for a reason not entirely clear to me, there is a ton of pressure build up in the porta filter, to such a point that the puck kinda explodes when I remove the portafilter once I’ve pulled a shot. I tried to dial in with coarser grind but for the moment with no result. So quite the opposite effect to what you mentioned above. Any clue about what might have done wrong?

@@turlututuuu4321 it just sounds like you need to grind a bit coarser - or dose a little less; as puck resistance seems too high which is slowing flow

Thanks Maurice - it's a very easy mod. Regarding the "Why 12 bar as standard?" - Gaggia want to make these machines work with coffee-pods, and the manufacturers of these pods need the machines to be much higher pressure than if they were brewing "proper" espresso from fresh beans using an unpressurised filter basket. As Gaggia want to market the machine as suitable for use with coffee pods, they have to adopt the higher pressure as standard to achieve that approval/certification.

Aha, that solves the mystery. Thank you! I’ve looked at guidance on installing a PID, and I fear that really would be beyond me. I imagine there are professionals who will do that for a suitable fee ….

@@ShadesofCoffee that sounds sad. Who buys a 400 dollar machine for pods ?! LOL

No, sorry - and there's no easy way to adjust pressure on a Gaggia Coffee

I don’t know of any issues with Gaggia pumps caused by modding the OPV - either with this method or with the adjustable brass OPV that thousands of users have adjusted for probably 20+ years. I have machines with pumps that are 20+ years old and still going strong with a modded OPV. When users don’t observe the pump duty cycle (typically 1min on / 2 min off) then the pumps can burn out - though this only usually happens when people accidentally or otherwise just leave the pump running (WiFi and timer switches don’t help with this - as you can leave the pump on but remove power to the machine, only for the pump to start when the timer turns power back on - causing the machine to pump the tank dry and probably burn the pump out shortly afterwards).

A 2012 Classic has an adjustable OPV on the back right of the boiler - you can adjust it with simple tools

This has no affect at all on the solenoid valve and the way it functions (to release puck pressure and excess water at the end of a shot). It continues to work exactly as it did before and isn’t touched during the installation.

@@ShadesofCoffee perfect. I'm still on the fence about getting the gaggia classic pro or the Bezzera New Hobby. If i get the gaggia I'll get the mods for it

It’s not 9 bar - it’s a maximum of 12 bar - and this has been measured by us and many others with the OEM spring. Gaggia even call it an 11 bar safety valve. Look at part no. 421944028581

@@ShadesofCoffee Thank you very much for your reply. So I guess the following statement is wrong, "The brew pressure in portafilter with correct grind setting should be apx 9 bar even with the 12 bar OEM spring".

@@DarkKnight-yc8nw no, that’s not wrong - what he’s saying is that if you can grind correctly and get exactly the correct grind and dose that provides exactly the correct resistance - then it’s possibly to obtain a 9 bar pour, even with 12 bar maximum pressure. However, with pressure limited to 12 bar rather than 9 bar then it’s far too easy to exceed 9 bar and if that happens then channeling and various other issues normally occur. Limiting the pressure to 9 bar makes life much much easier to get good extractions and save (what would previously have been) bad shots. With 12 bar maximum pressure you can have no coffee in the basket and have a pour at 0 bar - or a full basket of fine coffee and have an extraction (or attempted extraction) at 12 bar - and by varying dose and grind you can (as with all espresso machines) have any pressure in between.

@@ShadesofCoffee Thank you. Now it is clear to me. :).

My PID manual is 70+ pages of A4 and has loads of images and instructions, and gotchas and diagrams and well - lots of things - and I won't be offering any video on RU-vid concerning fitting of a PID.

Yea, what he said.

There are many other factors to the design of the springs than just the length of them - so you can have springs that are the same size but all have different compression rates

@@ShadesofCoffee ok so I bought kit and the biggest one was obviously just the 9 bar correct? Was happy with the kit , it came quick no issues just wasn’t sure.

@@andrewvela5064 no that’s the 6.5 bar - please download the instructions that are in the PDF linked to at the URL given on the folded piece of paper that comes with the kit that says “Instructions inside”. The instructions show and explain which spring is which. You’re also emailed a link to these instructions when you first buy the kit.

Yes - if you use a spring with too low a pressure (eg 5 bar) then the additional steam pressure can cause total boiler pressure to exceed it; though there are ways to avoid steaming issues - such as starting to steam about 10-15s after pressing the steam button.

@@ShadesofCoffee Could you explain a little more? Would it affect steaming milk? Would it affect the quality of steamed milk?

I am thinking to try 6.5bar spring

Read this www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/ive-installed-the-opv-mod-and-now-i-dont-have-much-steam-power---whats-up

Technically, if you changed it then probably - yes; however you can just swap the original spring back in at any time and it would be almost impossible to be able to tell.

older

If you have the original style OPV valve, that is brass and mounted on the back of the boiler - then yes, you can remove the pipe from the top, remove the nipple, and inside the valve body there is a hex screw that (with the aid of a portafilter mounted pressure gauge) you can adjust the pressure, before reassembling.

@@ShadesofCoffee So if you have this type of machine the spring kit is not appliable?

@@hugensmugen correct

Reducing the maximum pressure doesn’t necessarily reduce flow - they are two different things. The only way to reduce the flow rate is to increase the resistance generated by the puck and this means grinding finer or using more coffee. Hope this helps.

@@ShadesofCoffee oh Yeah your correct....what was I thinking....pressure is not related to flow

@@ShadesofCoffee quick question does the coffe grind puck need to touch the shower screen head? Or should there be a gap in between the portafillter puck and shower screen head?

@@jmoore9806 there should always be a reasonable gap. Put a coin on top and lock in and then remove. If it pushes the coin into the coffee at all then there’s too much coffee (or the basket is too small).

@@ShadesofCoffee Yeah ok cool I can get the gap distance between like you said but still getting a disrupted puck at the top after pulling a shot that's why I didn't know if it needed a gap or it didn't matter.

It just depends on whether it uses the same pump mounted black plastic OPV or not. Many of the newer machines do. If it’s older and has a brass fitment on top of the pump then it probably has a brass adjustable OPV mounted on the boiler that can be adjusted with simple workshop tools.

@@ShadesofCoffee it looks like this, so completely different haha ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oCN2nfz_QQM.html&ab_channel=iloveslideking so I guess I'm looking for the parts he describes if you can help?

@@ShadesofCoffee thanks for the fast reply by the way :)

It is not! but there is a hype on the net , missunderstanding....that 9 bars are the golden holy gral for pulling espresso shots. ...it reminds me of a lamb jumping ftom a cliff and all the others are doing the same. Fact is that the pump is pulling approx. 15 bars and all the pipes and valves and at least the medium coffee with tamping will reduce this pressure to

An odd reply above.... the PUMP is circa 15bar, and then in older Classics an adjustable OPV would reduce this down to around 12bar. The current Gaggia Classic Pro / Classic 2019 also has an OPV that is fixed at around 12 bar. With the older Classics the pressure could be adjusted down to 10bar static (circa 9 bar dynamic); and my OPV spring mod kit for the Classic Pro / Classic 2019 does the same for newer Classics that have the fixed OPV on top of the pump. If you DON'T modify a Classic in some way, then it WILL pump water into your coffee puck at circa 12 bar max (obviously if you dont have a proper dose/grind and water just flows straight through it, then pressure won't build this high - but your coffee will taste awful anyway!). So - yes - 15 bar is too high, but even the standard Classics won't hit the coffee with 15 bar - it'll be around 12 bar usually... which is still too high. 9 bar is considered "industry standard" though I, and many others today, prefer something lower - which is why my kit includes both 6.5bar and 5bar springs. I pull most of my espresso at 6.5bar.

@@ShadesofCoffee odd reply?!...you are altering something that is not ment to be altered, at least in this version of Gaggia classic. Someone purposely changed the OPV, so you shouldn t change this by modding the spring!!...this is important to know, and like i said...you can believe what ever you want , but Gaggia Classic - Users should be aware of this hype od 9 bar....Luca Bezzera also mentioned this 9 bar madness...check the internet and the facts. I can only present my experience to new users, i have 2 classic model , one with spring valve and 15 bars , and another classic with OPV, solenoid and PID ....and after lots od "modding" i changed the pressure to 10 bars where i have personally the best shots. The new Classic in not ment to be "modded" in any way!

@@toniculjak "You shouldn't mod this spring".... again, an odd thing to say. You have, yourself, said that you "changed the pressure to 10bars where I personally the best shots" (I think I know what you mean) - and that's exactly the point. You are probably measuring your 10bars with a portafilter mounted pressure gauge, so your 10bar is ACTUALLY a 9 bar dynamic pressure - so you're saying yourself that the best shots come from 9 bar extractions. The Classic Pro / Classic 2019 (this new one) is factory set to 12 bar (I know, I've measured it) - and Gaggia do this for a good reason (it's not so that you can produce the best espresso from nicely ground and prepared coffee!). The 12 bar OPV needs reducing to circa 9 bar (10 bar static) or even lower if you wish - and that's only really achievable by either fitting an additional OPV (like the original Classics), cutting the factory spring down, or fitting a replacement spring. The new Classic, much the same as any new car, is not "meant" to be modded in any way as far as the manufacturer is concerned - but if you want it to produce better espresso, then you have to mod it.

You might also want to read this thread: coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/machines/711022 - Where it states that newer Bezzera machines have the OPV set to 9 bar now rather than the erroneous 11.... and they released a kit to "correct" the previous 11bar to 9... by changing the spring by the look of it. Now, there's a shocker - someone (Bezzera) "modding a spring".

Can you please tell your in and out grams and extraction times before & after? (ie 18g in 36g out, 10secs before, 20secs after nodding) Thanks in advance!

@@ersinjetrane8886 hey the basic: 18 in 36 out in 30 seconds ( 3 seconds i do preinfusion: open the steam valve just a bit at the beginning of the shot to get the puck wet while the pressure is halved as 50% of the water goes through the steam wand. This way you avoid channeling caused by puck breaking)

@@radusebastianionita803 thanks for the reply. Is this after the OPV mod? Could you get the same result before the mod? Because I have been trying the technique you've mentioned but it doesn't help much

Don’t remove hose next time.. lay machine back down. Loosen with wrench while twisting hose with fingers from outside part. Super duper easy…