How to make the ideal cup of coffee

Once you’re all set up with your Gaggia coffee machine you’ll soon master exactly how it works so you can make your perfect cup of coffee every time.

Here are the tips of the barista trade to make that magic happen in your own home.

Firstly, you’ll always need a very finely ground coffee for your Gaggia coffee machine. The holes are tiny in the filter holder so the finer the grind, the more flavour and crema you’ll get as the hot water flows through the coffee. We do our own top quality Gaggia brand ideal for our machines which you can get direct from our website at https://www.gaggiadirect.com/coffee1.html

When making your coffee always heat the filter holder up first – you can run some hot water through your machine over the holder and into the drip tray to do this - and do the same with your cup.

Hot water is dispensed from a coffee machine at 80°C to 90°C and if it hits a cold cup that temperature will quickly come tumbling down. Many Gaggia coffee machines even have cup warmers on the top of the machine so you don’t have to run hot water over them.

If it’s manual, pour your coffee into the filter holder (called a portafilter in Italy), level it off and then push it down with a little weight called a tamp so it’s nice and condensed. This will get you more flavour out of your coffee as the water will seep through it evenly.

If there isn’t enough coffee in there or it’s not been pushed down sufficiently the water would go through unevenly and too quickly, leaving your coffee taste falling short of what should now be high expectations.

The hot water will come through at a set pace on the vast majority of Gaggia machines so you need to get your coffee amount just right to make the most of that water flow. Don’t worry, you’ll quickly learn what’s right for you.

The first 20 seconds of the hot water flowing through the coffee gets the best flavour so don’t keep running it through the machine to try to fill an americano. Use an expresso or two and then add some hot water from the machine. Think of it like a teabag – you wouldn’t use it twice and, likewise, the coffee residue will deteriorate after that initial 20 seconds.

Don’t have the water too hot as it will burn the coffee – that’s why it’s vital to warm the cup first.

Don’t overheat your milk as you’ll caramelise it and it’ll taste bitter.

All Gaggia coffee machines come with their own inbuilt milk frothers so you can do just what you want with your milk – air it, warm it or froth it big-style. And it gives you that great authentic barista sound!

That’s also how you sort out your cappuccino and your lattes – you’ll quickly get to know how much milk to put in and how much frothing you want.

You also get your hot water from here in case you just wanted to make yourself a cup of tea but, come on, get a grip. This is coffee talk, not tea talk.

Top of the range Gaggia automatic coffee makers have digital displays showing images of the drinks, several milk frothing options and you can even set up your own profile to save the perfect settings for your individual taste, from the strength of the coffee to the heat of the water.

Yes, Gaggia is your ultimate coffee gadget.

So it’s goodbye café society and your fiver a cuppa. Hello to top quality coffee, made to perfection to your own personal preference and in the comfort of your own home for 15p.
That’s some difference.

By the way, if you ever get stuck working out your machine or making your ideal cup of coffee than you can contact us directly in seconds on Zoom and we’ll talk you through it.
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Read more about that at https://www.gaggiadirect.com/blog/why-gaggia-uk-directs-forever-customer-care-service-is-the-best-in-the-coffee-business

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