I have a Baby Gaggia, several years old. I buy IZZO ESE pods, which I understand should fit the holder. They do not in that a pod sits loose in the holder, with a margin round the edge between it and the metal circumferfence, so that it slides around a little. When I operate the machine, the water comes out very slowly. I also have at another property a Dualit, using same pods, where the holder is less large that in the case of the Gaggia and a pod fits snuggly and the water comes out quickly. I am advised that ESE pods are a standard and should work in both machines. Please advise as to anything I can do to 'fix' the Gaggia problem.. Many thanks.

Hello, Chris -

The problem may lie with the small tube which pokes a hole in the coffee pod. The tube may be blocked by bits of coffee grounds or loosened scale.

You will need to remove the holder into which a pod is to be inserted.

You then should be able to snap the holder apart.

Then, you should find the small tube which pokes a hole in the pod for brewing.

Use an unbent paper clip to try to gently dislodge anything that may be blocking the tube. Do this over the kitchen sink while water runs over the tube.

There are also tubes which inject water into the pod. Find them and use the paper clip to dislodge any clogs.

Reassemble the coffee maker.

Without inserting a pod, run water through the machine in the brewing cycle - 3 separate times. Place a glass or metal measuring cup to collect the water. Notice if any debris comes out with the "brewed" water.

Then, insert a pod into the machine and run the brew cycle to determine if the coffee is properly brewed.

If the coffee still isn't brewed properly, I suggest you contact Senseo (owned by Philips) Customer Service by telephone. I have no idea where you live, so I cannot provide you with the correct telephone number to call.

I am answering from the USA.

Best wishes.

You need to use the single-serving size one-hole basket, not the double, with the diffuser valve seated beneath the basket. Then the Illy ese pod should be inserted with the decal facing up. Finally, and most importantly, when you lock the filter assembly into the machine, you need to close it firmly. Brown water can mean that the basket assembly is not sealed in tight enough.

I HAVE BEEN USING THE GAGGIA CLASSIC FOR 34 YEARS AND I ALWAYS BELIEVED THIS MACHINE IS BEING DESIGNED FOR SPECIFIC COFFEE QUALITY. THE ILLY ESE PODS ARE NOT FOR THIS MACHINE, TRY LAVAZZA PODS INSTEAD THAT IS SHAPED PERFECTLY WITH GAGGIA FILTER HOLDER FOR PODS.

My X1 came with an ESE pod holder and a ground coffee holder so they are definitely available.

You just need the pod adapter for the portafilter.

Yes, as far as I know most machine that use pods just have a different portafilter, because of the way the pods are setup.

Coffeeduck refillable coffee pod 2 podholder for Senseo
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I don't know if you've tried this, but it works like gangbusters for me. I use non-senseo pods with the 2-pod holder, and they're too big for the 1-pod holder but not quite big enough for the 2-pod one.

I would frequently end up with a lousy, weak cup of coffee, and after a little investigation I deduced that water was flowing into the pod holder and AROUND the pod, without going THROUGH the pod directly. The name-brand senseo pods fit perfectly, and always produce a strong cup, even if I don't like their coffee, and it's because there's such a tight seal between where water flows in and where it flows out.

Simple solution: Put your pod in with the flat part facing up, and the bulgy part facing down. Press it down hard into the 2-cup holder. Run a little HOT tap water, and lightly wet the surface of the pod--not so much water that the pod starts floating in the holder, but enough to get it soggy. Then make your cup of coffee. The water will flow through the pod first, and kind of like siphoning gas through a hose, once it's started going through the pod it won't stop. Instant awesome cup.

Are you tamping the coffee at all?

The ground coffee needs to be compressed, using a tamper, to form a hard puck that the water will then get squeezed through.

This has already happened to the ese pods so needs to be replicated in the portafilter when you place freshly ground coffee into it.

The plastic tampers provided with your machine are not fit for purpose and a metal tamper is highly recommended. The base of the tamper should be 58mm

You can get the user manual on this link if you need it; http://www.gaggiaparos.co.uk/ Check page 6 of the download, page 12 of the manual - the spout should just pull off and push back on. If it wont, then either something needs cleaning more, something is stuck in the tube or more likely the part of the nozzle that comes off, something is broken, or you need to use a little bit more force. If it appears broken, (check in particular for a fine crack that is only visible when the nozzle is stretched i.e. when in place. This type of plastic often will close a crack enough to be near invisible when not under tension.) then you could try gluing it although i doubt if this would work. You could just put a stainless steel hose clamp around it, tighten up just enough to make the nozzle spout stay on (bit of a pain, but may work). You can contact gaggia for a replacement - in the USA; Importika 596 Fishers Station Dr. 14564, Victor, NY Mr. Salzman Ph. 585.742.5178 Fax 585.924.1499 web site: www.importika.com e-mail: [email protected] Hope this helps - if you can post back a photo or two close up of the problem area, i may have more ideas :)