...split from LMWDP Rollcall by moderator...



After graduating from an Estro Vapore to a NS Oscar and tasting smoooooth lever shots from a LSM lever @ Lux Caffe in Phoenix, AZ I decided I must, gotta, needs to get me a lever. I didn't know any better and hesitated on a Cremina BIN for $250 so ..... I Pulled the trigger on an Ebay La Pavoni for ~200 with shipping, albeit missing the filter basket.

I'd like to get #162 please ....

Now the questions come:
1. where do I get a basket for this?
2. what size tamper?
3. what can I do without the basket to check things out?



Any tips, criticisms welcome....

Check out one of our newer sponsors for baskets etc- Stephano at

http://www.espressocare.com

If it is one of the older Pavonis with the double switch the basket size is 49mm. The actual size of the tamper can be as much as 49.4mm for a tight fit. But to stay safe you may want to get your baskets and measure them for a safe fit.

P.S.
If you are missing your trip tray - you can also get those from Stephano as well. Oh yeah, you might splurge on a piston seal kit - since the shipping most likely wouldn't be more. You won't know if you need it till you get all loaded up with a basket full of coffee. A bad time to have to re-order parts again.

The group is a pretty simple re-seal job. You can do it with very few tools- a couple of end wrenches, a pair of snap ring pliers( el cheapo) and a seal tool- like a very skinny ice-pick- with one end straight and the other a 90 degree bend at the tip.

Good luck

Greg-
thx for the info regarding the seal kit. that's essentially the info i'm looking for - things i can do/order know to ensure good operation now AND in the future.

with regards to the drip tray - is it something that I need or is it a nice to have. the drip 'bucket' seems awfully small and almost non-functional and having a drip tray or rather a drip tray cover seems more for looks than anything.

Your call- it is really just to catch the drips while you are drinking your drink. A small piece of tupperware can do the same.

These little guys have a problem developing some moisture issues under neath already. Heating and cooling of the base / via the boiler. Trapped condensation, tiny leaks- drips from the driptray area via the screw that holds on the base cover etc. A drip catch of some kind will help mitigate this a little.

These little guys will do you a great job. New group seals maybe as often as once a year to as little as every 3 or so. They also like some lube. So if you do not have any foodsafe / heat tolerant lube you check into a tube also- It will last a life time- but something that is important to have.

As far as the whole seal kit- You might just wait on the whole or compare the price of the whole vs the group seals only and see what makes sense- neither is a boat load of money and is a skill easy to acquire and really helps you feel confident with your machine.

Does you boiler look clean inside? If you do have any scale build up- some generic citric acid from a home brewing store( cheap -cheap) will wipe out any traces- if you see no big evidence- then don't over think it. Use Brita water pitcher water. Brita softens and filters your water. Dump your boiler completely maybe every week so you don;t have stale water building up. That can be a personal deal- every day is great- every two weeks or so may not even be noticeable to you.

Have fun- the only real mistake you can do is not getting used to topping the water ever time you prep for coffee - before you power up. Then DO NOT get side tracked on the phone, then forget what you are doing- I.E leave for work and go " DoH"


The later is why you ALWAYS have a full boiler- you can always come back an hour later with a full boiler and just turn off the machine. One left on with a very low boiler could cost you money on an element! A two switch element is expensive- about $145 without shipping!

Develop a routine and it will save you heart ache!

I'll be sure to ask plenty of questions as to how to bring the unit up to prime using condition as well as how to use it once it arrives .....

I would start reading reading the various repair threads on this forum and
http://www.pavoniexpress.com/
which I have found to be an invaluable resource.

I would get some sort of tray esp if your model has a screw at the bottom of the drip tray. The bases all seem to suffer from rust and letting espresso drip there will only speed the process.

The machines are very easy to work on and can be refurbished in a few hours. It's well worth your time to learn how to do it yourself and have a machine in tip top shape.

I just received the unit.

Filled it up, turned it on. I've at least confirmed that the heating element still works!. It has 2 switches. Appears to be on/off and another that has "I"/"II".

After a while, steam comes out of the top - I'm assuming this is a relief valve.
How does one get steam out of the wand? I turned it both ways and no steam? Apparently when I turned the unit on initially, the steam wand was turned all the way ccw.

I "pumped" the lever and water came out of the grouphead. I had the pf on and water actually spurted out through the double spout - would not have made it into the cup. I'm assuming this behaviour is only valid when there is no filter basket in.

Any other basic things I can check?

BTW, there is a screw on the bottom (or is it top?) of the drip tray and there are signs of rust.

Yikes! I just checked the price for a double basket - $28.50! I'll probably go ahead and purchase the upper cup tray and lower tray. Not sure yet about the gaskets.