On the pressure jauge, it read 1,6atm. With a "mélange italien" from my favorite city roaster, the result is unsettling. But with a Sidamo from the same shop, it gives much better result.
The process used by the roaster should be the same, so is that difference only due to the presence of a small quantity of robusta in the 'italian mix'?
So I decided not to change the pressure.
The group would probably disperse enough heat.
I will still use the cheap pump machine for that kind of mix

Corto wrote:On the pressure jauge, it read 1,6atm. With a "mélange italien" from my favorite city roaster, the result is unsettling. But with a Sidamo from the same shop, it gives much better result.
The process used by the roaster should be the same, so is that difference only due to the presence of a small quantity of robusta in the 'italian mix'?
So I decided not to change the pressure.
The group would probably disperse enough heat.
I will still use the cheap pump machine for that kind of mix

Yes, 1.6 is rather high. Perhaps optimal for singles. You could lower to 1.1-1.2 to make espresso from blends and roasts that don't like it quite so hot.

Regards
Timo

P.S. Don't tar all robustas with the same brush. There are some excellent robustas.

Fullsack wrote: There are several posts on this site and others, regarding mechanical problems with the Achille. Included are reports of leaky steam valves, issues with the vendor and the overall lack of quality in the construction of the Achille.

The issue of the steam valve has been a problem. My replacement has just arrived from Caffe Italia who supplied my machine, free of charge. The new valve is so much better, requiring very little finger pressure to completely close it off. Gaggia must have addressed this problem.

On the subject of 'overall lack of quality in the construction' you mention. What exactly warrants this comment?

sophiesbar wrote:On the subject of 'overall lack of quality in the construction' you mention. What exactly warrants this comment?

I had been looking at getting an Achille also and had even placed an order with a vendor in the UK, but got no response from them after a week and ended up speaking with somebody in Italy (their supplier?) who told me about leaks at the base of the unit and said that they weren't going to sell them anymore until Gaggia addressed the issues. He inferred that there were a few regularly occurring problems but he didn't list them. He even said that he'd prefer to lose my sale rather than sell a defective unit and he stressed to me that they were all defective.
So, he really put me off, but I'd definitely consider one again if these problem(s) were fixed. He also told me that he believed that Gaggia were aware of the issues and were going to fix them, but he could give me no further information on that, about when this was going to happen and when their new version would be on the market.
I'm not sure who the guy was, but he was definitely convinced that they were all defective. And he did lose my sale, I went and got a totally different machine from a different online shop.

Corto wrote:I will still use the cheap pump machine for that kind of mix

You could try brewing this blend without preheating the group. I tend to prefer shots brewed at the cooler end of the spectrum, and I manage this with the PV by doing very little preheating of the group. Just nice and warm to the touch. If it gets too hot I'll cool it with a damp sponge.

The little 45-mm group on these machines is really surprisingly versatile, not only in terms of dose, but also in managing temperature. With a minimum of practice temperatures can be managed fairly precisely (that is +/- one "ouch" using the "digital exam" method).

Congratulations on purchasing a true piece of espresso heritage, and here's to many a happy cup!

PC

A two Group Lusso is on the way from 1st-Line to provide some spring action to counter the Pavoni's muscle! Woohoo!

I have enjoyed this thread and the others relating to both the Lusso (Especially NARC's two group musings) and the Achille. Hopefully I'll have pics and some good 'presso comparisons within a week.

-steve

I was just thinking today how nice it would be to have a two-group Lusso as the main home and/or lab machine. So nice to be able to have it on and ready any time. And the two-group offers such versatility. As great as the espresso from the Pavoni can be, I think you'll find the PV much easier to get consistenly good shots from. At least that's been my experience,

PC

...merged with thread on same subject by moderator...


Finally coming over to the dark side lol - Which lever machine would you suggest -Gaggia Achille or PV Lusso? Usually do 4 milk based drinks daily. Thanks!

Ben