Thanks Mo- I have citric acid but was looking for something a bit more thorough. I tried using citric acid when I first got the machine and the scale was heavy, and it didn't seem to do anything. I ended up using lime/rust/scale remover which worked ok, but that was when the machine was disassembled...

So what is this infamous McSubstance, and how can the rest of us plebeians get some, or at least a generic McSubstitute? I happened upon this thread as I prepare to clean my Cremina after a complete teardown/rebuild about 9-10 months ago. At the time there was zero scale, and I don't see any now, ev...

Sorry John, been out of town a few weeks. I tapped into the cross member that runs from the boiler to the sight glass. Worked like a charm! {image} {image}

Hey Karl- Congrats on the new machine. Let me know if you want to add the pressure gauge, it's a nice complement to a custom machine. I'm a fan of the DI handles, but liked a green tint, so I went with the Verawood on mine. I'm interested in your comments about getting a better shot

The plate as well as the Oly badge are in the drawer awaiting...? No real reason to put them back on, esp if I end up getting it powdercoated in the future. The Oly badge goes on the back-I may relocate that to somewhere that it could be seen-like the side. What's the purpose of putting it

The handles are, of course, by Les. They're verawood, which is called 'false lignum vitae' as its high density and other properties are similar. It's got a green hue which goes well with the case color (metallic gunmetal gray), which is very similar to the new ones which is why I picked it-I thought...

...finally. {image} {image} {image} {image} [img]{link}[/img] Thanks Klaus!

When the machine is started up and heats to operating temp, the pressure again builds, eliminating the vacuum. The only way I can see milk getting sucked into the steam system is if you were to attempt to steam milk when the machine is cold, stuck the wand in your pitcher of milk, opened the valve, ...

That's exactly my point, as others will attest who have used both-you can pop the portafilter off immediately after pulling a shot on the Cremina, but on the Pavoni you've got to wait for awhile until it outgasses/depressurizes. Not a big deal, but when you're pulling several shots in a row with a P...

You must be thinking of the La Pavoni Europiccola. The Cremina's boiler is covered and the cover gets warm, but not hot. The Pavoni has a bare boiler that can kill. The Cremina has a 1 liter tank, the Pavoni is about half that size and requires, er, twice as many fillups. The Pavoni also has