Hi, I wonder if you can help me with a problem in relation to high temperature that reaches my coffee machine, really is giving me a lot of headaches.
I have read many posts in the forum but still I can not find the answer.

The machine is a Europiccola 1997, without pressure gauge, and has a pressure stat (glued). I have placed a thermometer to take the temperature in the group and teflon gasket at the joint between the group and the boiler. After filling the boiler with water, turn it ON, the light goes OFF after 5 minutes! which would indicate the pressure inside the boiler it is correct (at this time the thermometer reads 60 ° C and the other 75 do not understand why), I let out the false pressure, and make a flush of water. In less than two minutes more, my thermometer reaches mark to 95 degrees, the temperature begins to rise about half a degree per second. Most of the time the coffee comes out burnt, or a little sour, if lift the lever with out doing a flush of water to warm more the group, to prevent spongy pulls (that help me sometimes).

There are very few times that I get a decent and balanced coffee. Almost half a year ago I have this coffee machine and still can not get the temperature control. What could be the problem? Hope you can understand my primitive english , sorry.
Thanks for taking the time to read this
Fede

A teflon gasket is futile with the second generation La Pavoni because the machine is designed to keep the top of the group at boiler temperature by having it always filled with steam. I would get rid of the teflon gasket immediately. You do need to have the pressurestat adjusted properly. The temperature of the boiler (and hence also the top of the group) should be about 115-6 or so, or about 0.75 bar pressure. Perhaps the easiest way to measure the pressure is with a gauge attached to the steam wand after removing the tip. On all La Pavonis the threads are M6x1.0, the standard M6 pitch. You should not be having overheating troubles on the first or second shot. After the second shot you can fill a ramekin partly with water and pull water into the group for a few seconds between shots. Raise the handle about half way and count to 5 is my method. Great care is required to measure temperatures of surfaces.

You might try pulling the shot at a specific time after the bleeding operation. Three minutes delay seems about ideal. Be sure to raise the handle during the bleed operation or your group will still contain air. Raise it just enough to release a bit of steam and water and then lower it slowly.

Be sure to pull the shot immediately after attaching the portafilter. I raise the handle to emit a bit of steam, and then immediately lower it a bit and have it near the position where water will be released. Then I attach the portafilter and instantly pull the shot. This prevents pulling air through the puck and results in their being steam in the chamber under the piston.

The espresso should not be boiling as it emerges! To me the last liquid from a shot should be at about 93 degrees or so.

Hi Robert, thank you very much for such a complete answer. I also think it should be the PSTAT setting set too high, I should try to remove the glue carefully turn and try and see what happens, while taking pressure registration with the gauge attached to the steam wand. I'm intrigued to know why is adjusted in that way the pstat, because it has the glue factory.
As for the gasket teflon, thanks for the advice and I will remove, I thought it would work, and would reduce even a little temperature.

Before ungluing the pStat you may want to check that the pressure is indeed too high. You can cobble together an inexpensive low pressure gauge with a barb adapter and a 1/4" ID rubber automotive hose like this that should fit on that wand.


The other option would be to buy the right adapter (there are two sizes, you need to get the right one) and put a permanent gauge on top of the sight glass.

Some presta bicycle tyre gauges can be placed over the end of the steam wand after removing the tip. Also you can possibly find a pressure gauge, and get a brass pipe cap to put over the end of the gauge outlet. You can drill and tap the top of the cap with M6x1.0 threads, and screw this on the end of the steam wand. The pressure gauge by the bottomless portafilter in this post is set up this way:

Test measuring devices for La Pavoni and others

It is rather difficult to make brass caps with pressure gauges as in the above HB reference.

There seem to be several pressurestats on La Pavoni machines.

You might try pulling the shot at a specific time after the bleeding operation

Or measure the temp of the side of the group and pull when it reaches X (about 76C if the pressurestat is correct). If you start from a cold machine, you can always get one shot as cold as you want.

Hi all, I was doing some tests and I got the results I expected. First, i bought a gauge brand Winters, quite cheap but ideal for Lp size. My intention was to try to find some nut to adapt and leave fixed. Walked around Buenos Aires and it is really impossible to get a piece of the same size, so I had to settle for what I could find.
Purchase a hose fitting and a metal clamp, and a piece of mesh hose. The hose was snug thanks to the steam wand tip, which has almost the same diameter as the hose.
After a few minutes, 5 to be more precise, the green light went out and the gauge marked 1.2 Bar of pressure, while losing just a few drops of water from the hose, I think if I had been better adjusted the gauge could have scored even more.
I think I should check the PSTAT, you think?
Greetings!

1.2 gauge pressure corresponds to about 124 degrees. It should be about 0.7 bar gauge pressure, or around 115 degrees.

Since your pStat is glued, you want to be very careful. That adjustment ring is fragile and will break if you force it. Carefully cut and scrape away the glue first. You may need to remove the pStat from the tube in order to get to it easily.

If you set it so that it turns on at a pressure of 0.5 bar or higher, and turns off at a pressure of 0.8 bar or lower you should be in a reasonable range for this model. Pavoni sets the pStat on their machines a little higher nowadays - at 0.8 - 1.0 bar - but new machines are a different design (millennium group) less prone to overheating.

If you find it inadequate for steaming you can go a little higher on the pressure and take steps to pull with a cooler group, cooling the group after the first shot or two.