Hello all. I just got my first lever press machine (a used la Pavoni Europiccola 1988/89 model in good shape and I have a few questions about it.

1) The first few times I ran it up to temperature it seemed that steam was coming out of the far end tip of the safety valve wand. Now it seems like it is coming from the top from around what looks like to be an adjusting nut. Is this a problem?

2) The unit came with one portafilter basket. From what I read here it seems that it is not the size it ought to be. The inside diameter at the top is 52mm as far as I can tell. Furthermore, I am so new to this I don't know if it is a single or a double. The overall height of the basket seems to be 22mm. Is this a double?

3) Is the lack of crema (or limited crema) a function of bean, grind, tamp and pulling technique? Or could it be a sign that something is wrong with the machine? I have used a few different brands of pre-ground beans and my tamper is not flat bottomed.

The coffee does come out tasting OK to me regardless of my problems.

Thanks in advance!

Mike the adjusting nut youre refering to is the pressure relief. Under the nut is a ball and spring that starts venting stream as the pressure builds. Im really new at this (just today actually) but when you start getting a good steam flow is when you switch to level one on the power switch (unless youre steaming milk I guess)

Im not sure on your portafiler diameter but the double sized are straight sided while the singles usually are stepped down to a smaller diameter inside.

Does youre portafilter fit the machine?

I get good crema but so far really bitter, so the learning curve has started

arbalest wrote:1) The first few times I ran it up to temperature it seemed that steam was coming out of the far end tip of the safety valve wand. Now it seems like it is coming from the top from around what looks like to be an adjusting nut. Is this a problem?

Far end tip of the safety valve wand? Are you talking about the drip tube part that hangs off the pressure relief valve? If so, that's fine. Steam and water will come out of the pressure relief valve. That's what it's designed to do. The pressure relief valve has a cup around it (which feeds into a tube that points towards the drip tray). When the machine is up to full temp, you'll get nothing but steam coming out of the pressure relief valve). If the steam condenses, then it will form water around the outside of the pressure relief valve area and then it will drip down that long tube. Also, if you full the boiler up too far, it will spit water out of the pressure relief valve. What you are describing sounds pretty normal.

arbalest wrote:2) The unit came with one portafilter basket. From what I read here it seems that it is not the size it ought to be. The inside diameter at the top is 52mm as far as I can tell. Furthermore, I am so new to this I don't know if it is a single or a double. The overall height of the basket seems to be 22mm. Is this a double?

Can you post a photo? I believe the single shot basket necks in at the bottom a little, while the double shot is flat across the bottom. I only have a double shot basket with my machine, but I believe the single shots have a slight change in diameter usually (on the bottom of them).

arbalest wrote:3) Is the lack of crema (or limited crema) a function of bean, grind, tamp and pulling technique? Or could it be a sign that something is wrong with the machine? I have used a few different brands of pre-ground beans and my tamper is not flat bottomed.

Usually problems on the La Pavoni can be traced back to the grind, at least in my experience. My suggestion would be to never use pre-ground coffee again, ever - as long as you live Use fresh beans and get yourself a burr grinder which is able to produce a good, consistent grind. The La Pavoni is very sensitive to having the proper grind. On my grinder, one click is sometimes the difference between an amazing extraction and one which goes into the sink. Fresh beans, good grind - that's very important with the La Pavoni.

Ray

Thanks all.

With respect to beans I thought I would learn how to use the machine using some pre-ground then switch over to self-grind. But I get your point Ray.

With respect to the pressure relief valve I guess it's OK that steam comes out where it joins the boiler and water will drip from the tube when the steam condenses and sputter from the tube when the boiler is too full.

My portafilter basket has straight sides and it does fit/work - so I guess it's a double. If someone else can can confirm depth or volume of a double that would be great but I'll assume I have a double in the mean time.

If the basket is 22mm in height and doesn't neck down near the bottom (significantly), then I would say double basket more than likely.

On the pressure relief valve - once the machine is warmed up - the steam should blow out little holes drilled into the hex nut (inside the cup affair). There should be no steam coming out below that (such as around the nut). If there is, then the pressure relief valve may be loose. Basically the steam should come out of the top of the cup and maybe a little bit of water dripping down the tube.

Ray