[creative nickname] wrote:Another temporary solution while you wait for your new element is to drop an immersion coil heater into the tank. Especially if you start with hot water from a kettle, this should have you pulling shots as hot as you like with very little wait time.

Thanks Greg and Mark!

Could someone post up a video showing NOT the shot glass, but the actually lever up/down technique. I'd like to see how the pre-infuse, if any is done, and how to get at least an 18-20 gram shot. For whatever reason, I will get water easing out the sides of the PF, obviously too much water. I know there is the spot just SLIGHTLY down from the top where the water no longer fills. I've got that.
Also, is the light supposed to go out when a set temperature is reached? I notice the second I unlock the kettle (turning the little metallic knob at top) the light will again come back on...

lastly, looking at the machine in back, I read the inner knob is fine adjustment, the larger protruding knob is large adjustment? Facing the machine's BACK, to increase temperature, would I rotate the knobs) clockwise?

Sorry for not going through the thread, but there are so many different machine versions...

If water is coming out the sides of the PF during the pull your group gasket probably needs replacement or you are not tightening the PF enough.

The light and the heater go out once a set temperature is reached. It depends on which version of the machine you have which direction you need to turn. For most machines look at the top of the knob and turn that into the desired direction. Can easily be figured out by trial and error.

For pull technique I lift the lever to the top, let water flow in, then press down until the first drop comes out, wait for a few seconds and then pull down all the way.

I'm so dumb. Where I had it I couldn't see all the way back, and once my reading glasses were on, i could plainly see the sticker.
I'm surprised how tight I can get the grind. Nearly as tight as 4.5 on the K30 Vario, and one notch from the top on the Forte, with the Micro half way down.
I tried my Kym manual, but it's too much time and mess, going from the Kym to a little plastic container, then dosing it in. The tamper from Francesco, is about 3mm in diameter too small for the basket, which, like all baskets this age is a bit out of "round."
As to the tamp, I just slight over fill with 13.5 grams, then do a sort of bastardized Stockfleths with my palm, a circular motion with about 5#'s pressure. When all is right...I'm a Caravel newbie here(!), the shot is all crema. a couple of 2" lifts, and pushes helps drain the puck. 1 minute later, most of the soup is gone. IMO, the slower and steadier you can do this without undue force, the better the result. Different than the caravel, which you could adjust on the fly, due to having more distance from top to bottom to adjust with.

As mentioned earlier my Caravel's condition is exemplary, better than Francesco's conservative "very good", IMO.





Edit...John, it's a brand new gasket. I'll try tightening more, but I suspect I screwed the pooch on the water volume.

Easily reach 93c...if I want to..I just measure temp, and when my K Probe reads 92c, I pull...this coffee likes this temperature. Shots are always sweet, though not nearly as complex due to the shorter dwell time and overall contact. The pucks are soupy even a 1 minute after pull is complete, but I guess that's the nature of the beast. I know I'm not grinding too fine, as the pull down needs about 20#'s tops, and it's even.

the caravel makes a soupy puck- you can dry it out by doing a few little half pumps of the lever after your shot. This was actually mentioned in one of the early original Caravel manuals.

As to the water coming over the PF: is it escaping from where the lever arms enter the piston? This is normal- especially when the boiler is over %75 full. If the boiler is only half full it shouldn't happen.

IMAWriter wrote:Could someone post up a video showing NOT the shot glass, but the actually lever up/down technique

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MyAstcbuZ2w

sorrentinacoffee wrote:the caravel makes a soupy puck- you can dry it out by doing a few little half pumps of the lever after your shot. This was actually mentioned in one of the early original Caravel manuals.

As to the water coming over the PF: is it escaping from where the lever arms enter the piston? This is normal- especially when the boiler is over %75 full. If the boiler is only half full it shouldn't happen.

yes, I've read the soupy puck thing, but I was surprised at how much water was on top...overflowing. OI suspect this basket may be over the hill, based upon some observation glancing through it held to the light.

The water was escaping around the outside of the PFD. Not a problem after really tightening down, new gasket, and more than 75% filled kettle. The perfect storm.

pafcio0 wrote:http://youtube.com/watch?v=MyAstcbuZ2w

My 2nd viewing. I watched this 2 months ago, before deciding g to purchase a Caravel. Pretty much resembles what I do.

Off topic, but I could pull 5 shots on my Strega in the time it takes to do 1 with the Caravel. I grind directly into the basket via the Forte, but I love that shot glass to basket transfer. All good stuff, and your video should be a sticky.

This Caravel still works as a charm, and my routine is more/less the same. 2 cappuccini every morning (which takes me not more than 5 minutes overall) + some espressi every afternoon for about 2 years so far. The setup has changed a little - monstrous Fiorenzato F6 took the place of Eureka. Deffinetely not thinking about any other machine so far