I'm new to this site and lever machines. This is an upgrade from my modified Gaggia Baby Class which currently makes great espresso. I want to thank everyone that has contributed invaluable information that has helped me when searching this site.

I just picked this up from Amazon as a "used but like new" open box item for six hundred dollars


This is what was in the box.


Well let me explain. Amazon had the Stradivari ESC-8 for sale as a used like new offering for $600 so I taken the chance because I thought it would be a great deal but at the same time I was worried what I might find.
When I received it, I was disappointed to see the Europiccola on the box and it started to make sense why the offer may have been mislabeled, but as I peeked in for a glimpse the first thing I saw was the curved handle.

Anyway before I added the pressure gauge and one hole steam tip I decided to inspect the machine. It appears that it's brand spanking new and never used. Not a blemish on it and the drip grate still had the protective film coating. I started the machine, noticed steam passing though the over pressure valve as the machine got hotter and the indicator light never lit. It then became apparent that who ever got this machine first probably encountered this problem and returned it to Amazon. I removed the valve assembly, cleaned up the surfaces, re-installed the valve and it worked. I think the valve may have been misaligned and not dirty. I then added the pressure gauge adaptor, pressure gauge and noted .8 bar peak before the boiler element shuts off.
I inspected for leaks and everything seems to functional so I'm very happy that I got a great deal on essentially a new machine.
I have a new tamper on order so everything is on hold for making espresso until Thursday but I do have one question.
I know it really depends on the type of coffee used but what would be a good recommended dose for pulling my first shot of espresso using the double basket.
Thanks in advance
Dev

Dev wrote:I know it really depends on the type of coffee used but what would be a good recommended dose for pulling my first shot of espresso using the double basket.

The usual double is 14-16 gram.

$300 off the going price for new. Not bad at all! 16 gm seems about right. You'll know if it's too much if you can't lock it in. The LP 51mm double basket holds as much or more than the Elektra 49mm double.

Thanks, I appreciate the response. I look forward to literally pulling a shot with this machine rather then it being a figure of speech with my vibration pump machine.

My Stradivari came in a box with the picture of a Europiccola on one side and a Stradivari on the other.

Your right.
I just checked the other side and it was a picture of a Stradivari.

I have another question I cant seem to find in the search.
When I'm done for the day and everything is cleaned up can I leave my portafilter attached to the group head or will it prematurely damage the gasket.

I pulled my first three shots today and everything looks good right off the bat. All that is needed is a little tweaking to get the group head temps warm enough for the first pull.
Maybe I'm lucky, or that I have read in great detail of so many posts here but on the whole it was much easier then I thought it would be.

Dev wrote:Your right.
I just checked the other side and it was a picture of a Stradivari.

I have another question I cant seem to find in the search.
When I'm done for the day and everything is cleaned up can I leave my portafilter attached to the group head or will it prematurely damage the gasket.

I pulled my first three shots today and everything looks good right off the bat. All that is needed is a little tweaking to get the group head temps warm enough for the first pull.
Maybe I'm lucky, or that I have read in great detail so many posts here but on the whole it was much easier then I thought it would be.

I admit, I leave my PF locked in many times on my Strega, and have for my last shot for many days....maybe it wears out the rubber a bit more, but I don't worry about it a whole lot. Whenever I see it locked in, I do try to unlock and knock the puck out.

With a lever, you'll have to replace the rubber eventually, but in between replacement a good disassembly, clean and lube job should keep the seals going for quite some time. It's been over 2 years for me and I still haven't replaced them (and I bought my machine used).

Oh and by the way, congrats on the machine, and on your skill of pulling a shot. My Pavoni was challenging sometimes, but a lot of it came down to roasters that promised me it was "fresh" coffee and turned out to be question mark old bin coffee. Once I started home roasting, things improved a lot. Of course in the US you can mail-order 5lb+ beans at a time from known good roasters.

Sometimes you expect something to be harder than it is, and generally the Pavoni is challenging, but if you read a lot about it, and are willing to dedicate your energy to it...great shots will come. The harder part is getting many great shots in a single session, but luckily most people don't need that capability and don't buy levers for that reason.

That's good to know and I'm thrilled to have the support.
I pulled a wonderful double just now that looked and tasted great.

A few observations which I find remarkable compared to the pump.

* It's far easier to get a leveled tamp probably because the basket is smaller.
*With the coffee im using the color and consistency of the crema looks different.
* The spent puck is intact after extraction.
* The group head stays cleaner after the extraction because it doesn't have a three way valve.
*The portafilter is easy to attach and remove.

* The best part of it all is the taste which is entirely different. It's not hearty as the pump but it has it's own character which tastes like a great cup of coffee I once had in a fancy restaurant. It's almost as if the coffee is more refined but at the same time not in your face. The caffeine kick is a lot more subdued which I like.

The only problem I have right now is with the milk foaming using the single tip. I'm getting micro form but also macro froth at the top that doesn't seem to dissipate. I'm also having a hard time to get the milk to spin or rumble.

Dev wrote:The only problem I have right now is with the milk foaming using the single tip. I'm getting micro form but also macro froth at the top that doesn't seem to dissipate. I'm also having a hard time to get the milk to spin or rumble.

It takes practice with this and other machines. You might experiment with water with just a droplet of soap in it.

I have been reading up and it seems that I found some mixed impression about the Strataveri in regard to temps.
One member here was experiencing sour shots and I'm also suffering from them unless I heat up the group with multiple flushes which is just wasting water. I also notice the steam pressure is not all that it could be and a bit anemic. The boiler pressure gauge that I installed tops out at .7 bar which might be on the low side of things.

I might be writing ahead of myself and the hearsay from what I have read is that the Stradivari design is more thermally stable for multiple shots because of the new head design amongst other things, but I think it's also because they lowered the peak pressure cut off.
In my relentless search I found that after 2009 they changed the pressure stat once again to one that is fully adjustable from .5 bar to 1.2 bar.
Take a look.
http://www.saecoparts.com/Europiccola_P ... p/p-14.htm

I think if I kick it up to .8 or .85 bar it might just help me get my first and only pull of the morning up to temps with only one flush and I will get the added benefit of more steam pressure for frothing milk.