Hello home-baristas! I got mine for Christmas to replace my 10+yrs old Pavoni Stradivari, the machine is bigger but still manageable in an average kitchen setup. One thing I've noticed: it needs a lot coarser grind (Cimbali Max grinder) than what I was using with my lever, and first shots were almos...

Hello, With my Stradivari, I usually pull the shot first and steam milk right after removing the cup from the drip tray... I prefer watching crema fading out than microfoam. As for steaming, I usually start aerating with less steam (only half a turn of the knod) and then open wide (2 to 3 turns) for...

We came down to the same conclusion here: "WBC: flushing one group while brewing with another ?"

Very interesting, thank you j7on ! I wonder whether it's the reason why they have changed the lever design on the Stradivari, giving a different angle and a slight offset

Well, on my old Faema Family, the OPV was dumping cold water to the water tank, so I assume this water was not coming from the boiler. Different machines, different layout... well if you change for a Vetrano you will get rid of the OPV thanks to the rotary pump. For me, that's a good reason to fall ...

How do you preheat your Stradivari ? I have found on mine that the double basket needs more heat in the grouphead than the single: I usually let mine heat for 7min then I do 5 dry lever strokes, waiting for the pstat to kick in between them, before I pull the first double shot. It's usually at the r...

Check if the grouphead gasket is still in place, or reinsert it with the portafilter without a basket in it

If only I could find a Pavoni triple basket with cone-shaped bottom

Nice TC mount, neat and solid. You must be right with the SD3C, I wonder if it's a viable solution As for the AST sensors, I have failed to find one that works over 85°C so I guess it is a tad low for the inside of a boiler. The one I have found is

Thanks Ian So you mean you are using an AST pressure sensor instead of the thermocouple in your Domobar ? As for the PID, it seems the Watlow SD3C can do it as stated here: {link}