I too am longing to find the Zen Zone with my pre-used Europiccola 8 Cup. It has a number one and a number two switch. The number two is kind of like a turbo heat. However, I don't see a temperature gauge or pressure bar anywhere on it. All I see is the water level. I've read and read all the tips, have tried just about all of them... now I am having three main issues that are preventing me from pulling an enjoyable cup of espresso:

1. No matter what grind I use when I pull the lever down it comes down with little resistance until I get about a third of the way down and even then I can tell there isn't enough resistance.

2. When I raise the lever to the top and pause for 10-12 seconds espresso begins to leak out - before I begin the pull.

3. I find it nearly impossible to insert the portafilter so that it sits perfectly aligned. I can get it inserted, but it still sits with the feet on a bit of an angle.

Suggestions, guidance, please? Thanks!

Thanks!

Kalyn:

The subject of this particular thread is really doing temperature control on a Pavoni without a pressurestat. Your issues look different and are probably worth searching the forum as follows. I encourage you to then ask questions or post on threads related to those issues:

Kalyn wrote:However, I don't see a temperature gauge or pressure bar anywhere on it. All I see is the water level.

If you look earlier in this thread you'll see links for adding a thermometer and a pressure gauge. Look for those links and follow the instructions there.

Kalyn wrote:1. No matter what grind I use when I pull the lever down it comes down with little resistance until I get about a third of the way down and even then I can tell there isn't enough resistance.

You need to purge air out of the group before doing the first shot. Search for the thread entitled Dalton's Law and read that.

Kalyn wrote:2. When I raise the lever to the top and pause for 10-12 seconds espresso begins to leak out - before I begin the pull.

3. I find it nearly impossible to insert the portafilter so that it sits perfectly aligned. I can get it inserted, but it still sits with the feet on a bit of an angle.

You should expect some drips but if it is a pour you may be using stale coffee or the grind isn't fine enough or the dose is too low. Or, the portafilter gasket isn't well seated. Sometimes the piston starts to turn on the piston rod so the piston plus piston rod are too long and push against the shower screen, making it hard to lock in the portafilter. To check that you need to remove the piston gasket, shower screen, and piston from the group. See "Refeathering the Peacock" for instructions on how to do that. If you have questions afterward that still aren't answered, search for topics on that subject or post a new thread. Again, this thread is about achieving temperature control, which is different than the issues you named.

Thanks for setting me in the right direction, I appreciate it.

Awesome thread Gary, I recently restored my 1980's 2 switch pavoni and thanks to this thread I've gotten some decent shots.

Glad you like it. BTW long-time H-B member and coffee friend doubleOsoul is also in Victoria, one of our favorite places.

Victoria has a great coffee culture with some amazing cafes. Discovery is my favorite.

I also have a super jolly that I just picked up used.. I'm curious as to how to adjust it.. How do i know if I'm too fine or not ? It's comming out pretty good with nice crema but Im not sure if I'm way too fine. It's not too hard to pull the lever I can do it with one hand. I'm maybe 5 notches away from zero

Since you're getting good crema, do the shots taste good? Experiment. This isn't something you do by the numbers. You can try updosing or grinding finer at the same dose for a pull that feels like moving a knife through frozen butter. In the end though, it's what's in the cup that counts.

They seem a bit bitter. I'm using a Elektra 2 shot basket
I just ordered a single Elektra basket to test out. Ray recommended it to me.

Maybe ill try brewing at a lower temp

Jayhov wrote:Maybe ill try brewing at a lower temp

That is probably your ticket. Single or double basket shouldn't make a difference, although it's nice to pull singles to taste more coffees without getting hypercaffeinated.