Riviera Water Line Connection

[bill]

I have a question for owners of the Riviera. My machine has a connection for a water line to the boiler and a push-button on the base that I assume actuates a solenoid valve. I've never used it and Chris Cara at Thomas Cara in San Francisco told me not to. Has anyone used this feature? If so, have you experienced any problems?

[e61brewski]

i have not used my water line connection. partly because the button appears stuck and unuseable, partly because the gook in it presents quite the cleaning challenge (it's not unsightly, but getting around those elbows to perfectly clean out the heavy scaling seems iffy), partly because cara also advised me to avoid and partly because i've heard that using it can endanger one's heating element (a serious and horrific thing with the older rivieras). cara cannot get you a new one, although i've seen one person on CG offer to custom make them. the notion is, i think, that the risk of running your boiler too low on water is greater when using the water line, and that such an event is very dangerous for the element. they're known to go out anyway, according to cara.

i, for one, would like to know if you try, and how well it works.

[bill]

Hi Ben,
Thanks for that information. Chistopher Cara advised me not to use it, too. I have the same concerns about the heater that you do and don't want to do anything to shorten its life. Another thing that makes me wary is that if it worked well all the other manufacturers would have the feature.
As a side note, I'm still using the small wood tamper that came, I think, with the machine. Brian at espressoparts.com said he'd custom make me a 45mm tamper so I'm getting ready to order one. Sounds like you've got a really nice one; can you tell me if it has a flat and convex bottom?
Bill

[e61brewski]

the tamper has a flat bottom:


a friend -- a high-end woodworker more accustomed to making $10,000 coffee tables and such -- lathed it for me from the aforementioned wild african olive wood (as opposed to the cultivated varieties). it turns a nice, darker shade of red as it ages. he has a number of exotic hardwoods at his disposal, including african pink ivory and the like. my tamper doesn't have a metal core, as i find it unnecessary given the lighter tamp necessary for lever machines. but he could do it. and he's expressed a willingness to make more, for a reasonable price ($50 range). i know there are espresso-savvy folks who do it for a living, but i've been heartily satisfied with mine. also, i haven't used the ones from thor, for example, but they don't appear to be proportioned as nicely (quality pieces though they are). i love the stick shift, top-to-bottom balance of the piece. it's a joy to hold.

[bill]

Ben,
Thank you! I thought I wanted one with a flat bottom and you've confirmed it.