Much like the La Pavoni, the Ducati warms up pretty quickly and there's lots of room for operator error.

MrKen

Hi Everybody

My first mistake was going to Italy. In the late '80s my wife and I went on a ski trip to northern Italy. I had never encountered real coffee before that trip. It was either Venice or Florence that we stopped at one of the kiosks and ordered Caps. Fast-walking people would walk up, order a shot, knock it back, and be gone. All in less than one minute. The drinks were good. Really good.

Back in the states I somehow found Thomas Cara in San Francisco (what did we do before the internet?). I came home (to San Diego) with La Pavoni 16 cup. 'Fresh' coffee was something that hadn't been ground yet. Everything I did was probably dreadful, but I was proud. Like most who have a few years of experience with it, I figured out that it would get hot and cooled the group with a wet rag. I occasionally would froth milk to silky smoothness but had no idea why only sometimes. The years passed.

Eventually my wife and I retired but the coffee didn't improve. Something got me going this year. I decided to fix the leak around the piston shaft. After that, I tried to clean the grinder. That allowed finer grinding but the grinder clogged within a week. The toy burr grinder was replaced with a KitchenAid grinder, which is a huge improvement. I read about pull times and temperature stability (heaven knows what the temps are). I started buying freshly roasted coffee and got ... crema! I discovered how fast coffee goes stale.

At this moment I have a home roaster on order. It is clear that small batches of freshly roasted coffee will have the greatest positive impact on my coffee journey. And then there's water quality, and bean varieties. There's even little boiler pressure adjustments which affect the temps so I need a thermometer to read the brew water. It never ends .. or at least I hope it doesn't.

There may be some fancy power pump machine on the horizon. Who knows. But for the time being I am learning so much so fast that the La Pavoni is still the centerpiece.

And lefties pull better shots.

MrKen

MrKen wrote:In honor of another Italian beauty, my '97 Ducati, I would request #97. More on my 15 years with La Pavoni will follow.
Thanks!

Hello MrKen!
Welcome aboard!
Steve has been doing his ghost routine and you do have the #97
Enjoy the fellowship! I look forward to the LaPavoni decade and a ½ tales. I'm a very newby!
sincerely
richard / espressme

Hi ........

May I have 100. I have a La Pavoni 16 cup chrome peacock. I am the 100th HB member, So 100 would be fun.

Thank you!! (I promise to lurk less)

Skip

papalatte wrote:Hi ........
May I have 100. I have a La Pavoni 16 cup chrome peacock. I am the 100th HB member, So 100 would be fun.
Thank you!! (I promise to lurk less)
Skip

Hi Skip, welcome to the ranks of LMWDP! The founder, Steve Robinson, been there and done that! You have #100.
Join in and let us know what you've experienced!
Again, Welcome
espressme / richard

Thank You!!!!!

I don't know what to say.......

I'll tell you my story after some sleep......

Later

Skip

papalatte wrote:Hi ........

May I have 100. I have a La Pavoni 16 cup chrome peacock. I am the 100th HB member, So 100 would be fun.

Thank you!! (I promise to lurk less)

Skip

Welcome Papalatte!

There are a few more than a 100 HB members, but you are welcome to be the 100th LMWDP member!! Lurking is fine, it is a good way to get a "handle" on these machines and to get a sense of what you might want to find out more about. As our Menominee Gnome already said...... Welcome aboard!!

Actually Papa Latte (aka, Skip Lord) was literally the 100th member and even won some swag by joining.

HB wrote:Actually Papa Latte (aka, Skip Lord) was literally the 100th member and even won some swag by joining.

snip..
Dan, This BB is like a Russian doll!:!: Like an onion, layers upon layers! Every time I get jaded, Up pops something like the "worst. ":lol:
About time for a rerun of the "Worst"!?
Best regards to all!
sincerely
Richard / espressme

Another Sink Shots contest? I'm still bitter about losing the Sink Shots Grudge Match, but I suppose it's about time for a rematch. Let me line up a sponsor and schedule it in the next month or so...