Just picked up a nice Riviera Espresso lever, some questions and a "hello" to everyone - Page 2

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RioCruz
Posts: 631
Joined: 14 years ago

#11: Post by RioCruz »

LA_Beans wrote:RioCruz- just tried a bit of experimentation. I removed the screen, pulled piston up (machine off / cold), ran my finger around the barrel with some olive oil. then worked the piston up and down a few times. this will get some lub onto the lower seal. i then heated up the machine and it reduced the dripping by 1/2.
Get some Dow 111. It's food safe and very thick and will do a much better job of lubricating than olive oil. It stays on the seals for a long time, unlike olive oil that washes off after one or two pulls. You'll need some eventually anyway for when you get new seals. You can find good deals of Dow 111 on eBay.
LA_Beans wrote:Question- Does your single and double basket just fall right out of the PF?
Yes. There's nothing to hold the basket in. Same for my Pavoni.
"Nobody loves your coffee more than you do."
~James Freeman, Blue Bottle

LA_Beans (original poster)
Posts: 19
Joined: 7 years ago

#12: Post by LA_Beans (original poster) »

RioCruz wrote:Get some Dow 111. It's food safe and very thick and will do a much better job of lubricating than olive oil. It stays on the seals for a long time, unlike olive oil that washes off after one or two pulls. You'll need some eventually anyway for when you get new seals. You can find good deals of Dow 111 on eBay.
Agreed- The olive oil was only for a quick experiment without having to disassemble group. Although I could live with it this way perfectly fine as it only loses about 1/2oz of water and then stops completely once pressure builds.

I have to source some seals though- going to try Chris Cara up in NorCal. I'm tempted to order a set from 1st-line coffee for the PV, just to see if they work. http://www.1st-line.com/store/pc/Grouphead-c577.htm (diagram, seals and internals look the same).
RioCruz wrote: Yes. There's nothing to hold the basket in. Same for my Pavoni.
Thanks mainly wanted to make sure I had the actual original baskets- all of the parts I have with it look so new it's like they just came from the store.

I have two double baskets, one used and one brand new, and also a single basket. On the "used" double basket, it looks like the previous owner made dimples on the basket inside to out so it was more of a pressure fit into the PF. These are not machine made dimples or locking dimples- you can clearly tell these were "home made" dimples- not very precise... lol.. but hey it works.

I really need a decent tamper though - what are you using? the OE tamper leaves something to be desired.

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LA_Beans (original poster)
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Joined: 7 years ago

#13: Post by LA_Beans (original poster) »

crazy4espresso wrote:The vast majority of portafilters did not have the twist and lock mechanism, ie a machined groove where the basket divots would travel and essentially lock the basket in place. If you acquire a basket with the divots, you can grind them down a bit so that the basket is a snug fit, and so won't fall out.

Thanks for the tip on that! and it seems that is what the previous owner attempted to do with the original double basket- there are several outward dents which clearly look home-made. it keeps the basket in the PF more snugly.

do you know if you can use the group / piston seals from the PV Export / Lusso on the Riviera? they are cheap and readily available at 1st-line coffee. http://www.1st-line.com/store/pc/Grouphead-c577.htm

elvice2000
Posts: 25
Joined: 8 years ago

#14: Post by elvice2000 »

Hi Kurt, nice machine that you found! I have the same but with black base, like the one on francesco ceccareli's website, but it had loosened the black cap, when I found it.I found parts at lamacchinadelcaffe, and zacconi workshop also have spare.Mind because there is three kinds of diameters for riviera/zacconi, mine have a 41 mm basket,unlike second generation,45mm, and last, with a generous pavoni-like 50 mm ...
about the coffee, I never managed to get a good crema, but as you said the taste is very powerful.But I prefer my homemade riviera boiler with his pavoni grouphead!

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RioCruz
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#15: Post by RioCruz »

LA_Beans wrote:I have to source some seals though- going to try Chris Cara up in NorCal. I'm tempted to order a set from 1st-line coffee for the PV, just to see if they work. http://www.1st-line.com/store/pc/Grouphead-c577.htm (diagram, seals and internals look the same).
Let us know the results of both. Since these machines are totally out of production at this point, we will need a good source for seals...and other stuff.
LA_Beans wrote:I really need a decent tamper though - what are you using? the OE tamper leaves something to be desired.
I should think Reg Barber would make something for you. The basket diameter of mine is 45.9mm inside and my tampers are 45.85mm for a very nice fit, but it would be best to send Reg one of your baskets for a perfect fit.

Also... It's very simple to adjust the pressure permanently on these machines. There's a little wheel under the base that does it just by turning it counterclockwise to lessen the pressure...clockwise to increase. Somewhere on this list there are photos showing it...
"Nobody loves your coffee more than you do."
~James Freeman, Blue Bottle

coffee cat
Posts: 85
Joined: 7 years ago

#16: Post by coffee cat »

Not trying to hijack someones posting, but, picked up relatively new Riviera yesterday. Pressure is fine,but no matter what I do, very little crema, regular grind-very slow one sided dripping, coarse grind, still slow one sided pour, and the taste is horrible!!!! Pumping action to increase the doze did not help, but what I noticed is the water in the sight glass is getting BROWNISH.
Suggestions?
Thanks

elvice2000
Posts: 25
Joined: 8 years ago

#17: Post by elvice2000 »

Hi, maybe your new riviera just need a deep clean ,though it's not a very old one, depending on how the last user took care on it...

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LA_Beans (original poster)
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#18: Post by LA_Beans (original poster) »

coffee cat wrote:Not trying to hijack someones posting, but, picked up relatively new Riviera yesterday. Pressure is fine,but no matter what I do, very little crema, regular grind-very slow one sided dripping, coarse grind, still slow one sided pour, and the taste is horrible!!!! Pumping action to increase the doze did not help, but what I noticed is the water in the sight glass is getting BROWNISH.
Suggestions?
Thanks
Hello! No hijacking at all- this is a good place to share info on our machines. crema is not going to be big with this type of machine. you must use a very fine grind. I grind much finer than I do for my La Spaziale or Wolf automatic. I can use the same exact roast, pull a double in the Wolf and it has an inch or more of crema. I pull a double in the Riviera and crema is maybe 1/8" but the flavor is so exquisite! i get different notes out of the roast that I did not get with my other machines. and very mellow, not bitter. Play around with the grind and try up-dosing the double basket. see picture this is today - double basket tamped firm to 1/4" from top lip. pull lever down hold for 8 seconds - let lever raise for 5 seconds, pull lever down again and then let lever complete its up motion. pretty decent shot. This is with some really nice Harrar Longberry roasted 30 seconds into 2nd crack. For grind i used my baratza virtuoso on "0". I use a Rocky for my La Spaziale and I don;t like changing the setting on it so I break out the baratza whenever I need to test different grinds. it's "ok" for a grinder, gets the job done. I also have a Baby Gaggia doser but it is messy as heck to use.

Not sure why you would have brown water in sight glass unless your boiler is dirty. try cleaning it out with vinegar solution?



coffee cat
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#19: Post by coffee cat »

Hi Kurt. Thanks for your advice, the shot you pulled there looks real nice.
This morning I followed your instructions to the T and it worked not bad, I pulled out a decent shot (very,very strong) exactly half ounce measured in the shot glass. Seems very little, is it normal for this machine?
Also, about browning of the water, maybe my mini Fellini causes it? Yesterday I was doing several full strokes up and down to increase the yield,this morning only half way up and so far water looks ok. Keep my fingers crossed.Could the piston seals be worn? how do you know when its time to change them?
Thanks
Jack

LA_Beans (original poster)
Posts: 19
Joined: 7 years ago

#20: Post by LA_Beans (original poster) replying to coffee cat »


Hi Jack- Well I really don;t know a whole lot about this machine yet, everything I know about it I have read on this site in several threads. you should search here in the lever espresso section for other Riviera / La Cara related threads. basically these machines are made to produce small demitasse types of shots so your noted amount is normal. if you have a good grind, updosed double basket, and the first pull looks good you can run a second pull and even a third. I have made a decent "americano" for the wife with 4 pulls (she likes it more like coffee, but with the good espresso flavor of course!

As with any espresso machine watch your output into the cup. Same process different type of machine. With the right grind, dose and tamp, your first pull should see one or two drips with lever in down position, after holding the lever down for 8 to 10 seconds (this is giving a good pre-infusion of the grounds). then let lever up and you should get some decent steady drips. if you have a stream and not drips on your 1st pull then your grind is too coarse, or basket not updosed enough (experiment with both).
During 1st pull let the lever travel up for 5 seconds, then pull it down / hold for half a second, let it up again and finish. this should give you a thin stream and it should still look dark to some striping. (5 seconds on the lever going up should put it about halfway to 2/3rds of it's travel. if it goes up faster then your grind is too coarse or not enough dose). This 1.5 pulls process should produce a nice cup of double espresso with thin crema on top and nice mouthfeel to the cup. it should be smooth on the flavor but sometimes that can be due to roast level or the bean used. I do a lot of SO shots and as an example, my dark roasted Monsooned Malabar SO is way mellower than a dark roasted Harrar. but each has a distinct flavor profile which really blooms when the shot is pulled correctly.

you can experiment with one more pull and you should see the stream get a bit stronger and lighter. this will put you into americano territory and will make for a nice cup of strong coffee.

you won't see more than a couple of ounces even with three pulls! but the beauty of this machine lies in it's unique flavor profile and authenticity of "pulling a shot".

Again I'm new with this machine so others can chime in if I made any mistakes on info - as for your seals I guess if it is holding pressure and not dripping out of the group head then it's fine. try using it a lot more maybe some use will flush out any brown stuff- it could very well be coffee residue - maybe it fed back up through the group and tinted the water? just guessing.