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Home / Appliances
By Maxwell Shukuya, CNN Underscored
Published 10:00 AM EST, Mon January 20, 2025
What's in this guide
- Why I bought a used espresso machine
- Why I chose the Gaggia Classic
- How I restored an espresso machine with little prior knowledge
- Step 1: Gather your espresso machine tools, supplies and parts
- Step 2: Open up the machine and start descaling
- Step 3: Replace parts
- Step 4: Reassemble the machine
- Bottom line
- Why trust CNN Underscored

Espresso cleaning and restoration quick picks
To remove oily coffee residue: Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder
To tackle mineral buildup: Gaggia Descaler Solution
To make the exterior look new: Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser
For some extra scrubbing power: Hoppe's No. 9 Phosphor Bronze Utility Brush
When I walk into any hardware store, I’m struck by how little I know about tools. (I’m about as handy as a 10-year-old with a toy hammer.) Despite my mechanical inexperience, I managed to find, clean and restore a 15-year-old Gaggia Classic espresso machine with just a few tools and a little patience.
Now, I realize this guide has a niche audience. Maybe you’re content with your daily pour-over brewer or you already have an espresso machine. Still, anyone interested in making creamy lattes and sweet shots of golden espresso can learn from this guide, whether it’s how you can get into home espresso on a sub-$200 budget or basic maintenance.
Why I bought a used espresso machine
The best espresso machines and accessories are expensive. The Breville Bambino Plus, our favorite model, starts at around $500. The successor to the model I refurbished, the Gaggia Classic Evo Pro, sells for the same price. In other words, if you want to make cafe-quality espresso at home, you’ll have to spend at least $500, though that could easily climb to $1,000 or more when you price in a quality grinder, coffee tools and upgrades. But that’s only if you buy new.
Willing to dig on eBay and Facebook Marketplace? With a little luck, you could build an at-home espresso bar for a couple hundred bucks. As someone who loves coffee but hates spending money, that was enticing, so I spent months sending messages on Facebook Marketplace to find the right machine.

Why I chose the Gaggia Classic
If you want to buy used, I suggest narrowing your search to two machines: the Breville Bambino and the Gaggia Classic. Both models are common, affordable, well-built and fairly simple to use.
For anyone completely averse to buying used, you can snag the latest Gaggia Classic, the Evo Pro, for about $500. If you encounter problems or want to upgrade, it's easy to modify and repair, thanks to an active DIY community and widely available parts. Used models abound in my city too.
The Breville Bambino is one of the most consistent, simplest espresso machines out there, and it's great for people who want a low-maintenance machine. The downside is that it's quite difficult to repair or modify. I find plenty of used models in my area, but new ones come at a reasonable price.
Folks who want a user-friendly experience should opt for the Breville Bambino (or upgraded Bambino Plus). Though difficult to mod, repair and refurbish, it’s easy to use and hardy, assuming you find a well-maintained machine. Tinkerers will prefer the Gaggia Classic (or slightly newer Gaggia Classic Pro), which has a steeper learning curve but is easy to modify and fix, thanks to its sturdy, straightforward construction and widely available parts. I searched for both but ultimately bought a 2010 Gaggia Classic because it was $125 and I wanted a project.

Any used machine — let alone one that’s 15 years old — will likely have a buildup of mineral deposits called “scale” from years of heating water at high temperatures. These minerals gum up the machine, rendering it unusable in the worst cases. (Another reason why you should use filtered water.)
Whenever you buy a used machine, you should find the manual online and follow the descaling protocol. If the machine has been well-maintained and/or is new, that might be enough. But seeing as my Gaggia was more than a decade old, I opted for a full tear down and clean, replacing the deteriorating rubber gaskets and boiler, as well as deep-cleaning the internals.
How I restored an espresso machine with little prior knowledge
I’m not mechanically gifted and I’ve never worked on espresso machines or other home appliances. Even so, I opened up, disassembled, refurbished and reassembled my entire Gaggia Classic without making any catastrophic mistakes.
It wouldn’t have been possible had I not found this nine-year-old YouTube video. Todd Salzman, Whole Latte Love’s vice president of sales and product development, walks through an entire clean and rebuild of the Gaggia Classic in just over 30 minutes.
I won’t rehash the full video here, but I will break down the process into a few key steps so you can get an idea of espresso machine maintenance and cleaning. But provided you’re working on the same machine, Salzman’s video (and maybe a supplement or two from forums and other Whole Latte Love videos) will be sufficient.

Assuming your machine works and simply needs a deep clean, you won’t need much to restore it. And if you’ve got a toolbox with a set of Allen wrenches, an adjustable wrench and screwdrivers, you’re more or less set for disassembly.
The only specialty cleaning products you need are a descaler and a coarse brush. Parts, of course, will depend on the scale of your project and the condition of your machine. You can deep-clean your machine without swapping out any parts; you can complete a full rebuild, replacing the gaskets, the boiler, the pump and more; or you can settle for something in between. My suggestion? It’s a pain to open up and deconstruct your machine, so you might as well do as much as you can while it’s disassembled. In my case, I deep-cleaned the machine and replaced the boiler and gaskets.
Below, you’ll find a list of products and parts that I used — or wish I’d used — while restoring my Gaggia Classic. While most of these products will work for any espresso machine restoration, some (the parts, for example) are only compatible with the original Gaggia Classic.
Espresso machine cleaning essentials
Cafiza is the industry standard when it comes to removing oily coffee residue. Soak your parts in it to remove built-up grime, or use it for a daily backflush. (Backflushing is when you force water and cleaning solution back through the machine to clean it.) Either way, anyone with an espresso machine should have this around.
Descaler removes mineral buildup within your machine. During your tear down, you’ll use it to soak and clean metal parts (like your boiler). You should also descale your machine every month or so without taking it apart.
After hitting grimy parts with Cafiza and/or descaler, I used this utility brush to clean off any extra buildup. A toothbrush will do in a pinch, but ideally you’ll want something that’s a little tougher.
Protect your skin and wear gloves while working with Cafiza and descaling solutions, which can be corrosive.
Ditto for your eyes. Both Cafiza and descaler can easily splash and hit your face, especially while working with the brush.
Use rags or microfiber cloths to dry everything after cleaning. They’ll also come in handy if you want to polish the machine’s exterior.
Editor Favorite
If you want to see your reflection in your espresso machine, clean it with Bar Keepers Friend, which will erase residue, rust and scale.
Read our review
Espresso machine tools
While any 5-millimeter Allen wrench will work on the Gaggia’s screws, I wish I had this long T-handle model, which allows you to easily reach in and loosen the boiler from above.
You’ll also need some smaller hex keys. Again, any set will do, but I like these because they’re self-contained.
You either need a set of wrenches or an adjustable model like this one, which comes highly recommended on DIY forums.
There are only a few normal Phillips screws that you need to remove, but it’s worth investing in a multi-tip model that you can use for other projects.
I only used pliers once or twice, so I don't recommend buying them if you've got an old pair lying around. That said, you need them to loosen the solenoid valve's hose clamp.
Step 2: Open up the machine and start descaling


Before you do anything: Unplug the machine! Better yet, remove the power cable from the machine if you can.
Now that there’s no risk of electrocution, you can look under the hood, revealing a bunch of wires attached to the boiler. Before you remove the wires, take a permanent marker, label each one and take photos (as seen in the video I shared above). Continue to take photos as you progress. Skip this step and you won’t know how to reassemble your machine.
Next, you’ll use an Allen wrench to unscrew some bolts, removing and disassembling the boiler and group head for cleaning. During disassembly, carefully remove rubber gaskets to avoid tearing them, unless you plan to replace them. Wear gloves and use Cafiza (for old coffee and oils) and descaler (for mineral buildup) to clean the following:
- The boiler: Turn the boiler upside down, close the steam valve and fill the reservoir with descaler and hot water (a 1:1 ratio is fine, but no need to be precise). Let it soak for around 20 minutes, though longer won’t hurt. Attack scale with your brush. Rinse off the boiler. If there’s lots of scale or corrosion, replace the boiler.
- Three-way solenoid valve: Take apart the solenoid valve and soak the metal parts in descaler. Only soak parts that have rubber rings in descaler for a few minutes, or risk destroying the seals. Rinse off the cleaner and scale.
- The group head: Disassemble the group head and soak the parts in the descaler and hot water, just as you soaked the boiler. Remove scale, corrosion and coffee remnants with your brush and Cafiza if necessary. Rinse off the cleaner and scale. If your shower screen and/or holding plate are too calcified or corroded to salvage, replace them.

Step 3: Replace parts

The old boiler (left) and new boiler (right).
You don’t always need to replace parts during a deep clean, though you may as well change the rubber gaskets, which are cheap and degrade quickly. Though the boiler was in excellent condition in my machine, I broke off some ceramic insulation while wrenching on it, so I replaced it to be cautious. You can consider upgrades and mods during this stage too.
Espresso machine parts
Some boilers are just too crusty to keep. Luckily, buying a new one isn’t expensive. Note that you’ll have to transfer the thermostats (and thermal paste) from your existing boiler to the new one.
This is the kit I used to replace the gaskets on my Gaggia Classic. I picked the 8-millimeter group gasket, but the 8.5-millimeter will also fit the classic. According to Shades of Coffee, the difference is how the portafilter locks in. The smaller gasket allows the handle to rotate further.
If your dispersion plate is crusty, swap it out with a new one from Shades of Coffee. Both brass and stainless steel will perform well, though Shades recommends brass for machines with a PID temperature control modification and the latter for stock machines. If you don't know what a PID is, you likely have a stock machine.
Pump on the fritz? Replace it with this one, which fits the Gaggia Classic and some other old models. I haven’t replaced a pump before, but there’s a great Whole Latte Love tutorial.
Step 4: Reassemble the machine


Maxwell Shukuya/CNN Underscored
As long as you have detailed photos, marked wires and follow the video, reassembly shouldn’t be difficult. Just take your time and be gentle.
Now, before you pull your first shot, I recommend two things. First, make sure everything is dry. You’ll notice that the boiler has ceramic insulation underneath its connector pins. If you get water on these (understandable, given the cleaning process), it might take a while for them to dry out. And if you turn on the machine while they’re wet, it’ll trip your breaker. So, be sure everything is dry before you reassemble and turn on the machine.
Second, run water through your group head and steam before making coffee. That’ll test the machine and give its insides a rinse.
Bottom line
Here's my first espresso! While the shot is far from perfect — you can see the espresso sputtering (aka channeling) — the machine works like new again after the restoration.
I’m not an avid DIYer who can fix things after watching a five-minute YouTube video. I’m an average guy who loves coffee and would probably struggle to change a tire. So, don’t underestimate yourself. The Gaggia Classic is a bulletproof machine with a simple anatomy, an abundant stock of replacement parts and a passionate following.
If you have the right tools and a little patience, you can restore one of these machines. Should you run into any roadblocks, you can ask for help on r/GaggiaClassic or one of the many specialty coffee forums. I did and commenters replied with a solution within hours. And for readers who don’t have an old Gaggia lying around, I hope this guide serves as a general maintenance primer and a reminder that you can pull great espresso on a pre-loved machine.
Why trust CNN Underscored
CNN Underscored has a team of writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted.
To write this guide, Maxwell Shukuya bought an old Gaggia Classic and refurbished it himself, testing cleaning products, tools and parts along the way. In his time at Underscored, Shukuya has also covered the best instant coffee, best manual coffee grinders and the best gifts for coffee lovers.
Maxwell Shukuya Associate Writer, Updates
Maxwell Shukuya is an associate writer for CNN Underscored who covers updates across a variety of verticals. He has a particular passion for gear, especially when it comes to coffee, hiking and climbing.
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