As a seasoned user of a pre-millenium la pavoni pro, overheating has always been an issue. I've done the wet towel trick, ice cubes, never moved on to liquid nitrogen, but there just aren't that many options for cooling down a super heated pavoni. Solution: sucking ice water from a cup through the group screen. Just be sure not to life the lever to the point that hot whatever comes in. The great thing about this is that it dissipates heat from the inside, where it really counts. Even if you let the machine sit 10 or 15 minutes, the surface temp may go down, but the inside temp is still going to be significantly higher. If you are worried about the group heating up when you turn the boiler back on, you can just hold the lever up with cold water inside.

My name is Joe. I solve problems.

Hi Jo,

nice first post and another way of achieving quick Pav cooling as.... I'm afraid ...... recommended on various occasions on this very forum by.... I think .... Mojo.

Good reminder, though.

I find that in most cases a cold wet cloth and rinsing the portafilter under the cold tap are enough.... but it all of course depends on how many people you are serving and with what....

Cheers

Mike

Not to insult you or anything, but I remember reading about that trick when I first got my La Pavoni, over 2 years ago.

....and certainly for me at least, not as effective as holding a couple of icecubes either side of the group - all somewhat inelegant half solutions. Great though if it works for you.

They are wonderful machines make no mistake, but they are not cut out, or even designed for, multiple shots

I love mine, and for my personal needs only, it's the best! If I were faced with a dinner party, however, well, no. But as a solitary espresso experience, it can't be beat.

I may be revealing my own ignorance here; but is there any possibility that this radical temperature difference of the hot and iced water (about 200*F, right?) will/can somehow harm the group?

My thoughts exactly. Ice cold water on extremely hot metal can't be a good thing. If the grouphead is too thick to crack, what about warping?

I've played with the ice out of curiosity but frankly find it a total nuisance and don't get worse results with a rag dipped in icy water, which is much easier.

I've never had any problems with the group head finish peeling or flaking on chrome models (and never had a brass model).

Not unreasonable to be cautious from going very hot to freezing quickly but I also have had no issue in the icing technique in the couple of years i've being using it. I suspect the chrome and brass metals used are relatively soft and malleable and designed to handle large temperature swings.

Having said that I would never pour cold water on white hot heating element coils.

Letting a Pavoni overheat and then trying to bring it down to temp is a crap shoot for hitting the sweet spot. Turning it off before it overheats is more reliable.

Two hours of good temperature shots with a Pavoni