I was over at a friend's place the other day trying out his Grimac La Uno, but immediately ran into a problem that I don't see with my Cimbali Jr. I normally dose into the basket so that the grounds rise above the edges in a small mound, and then use the NSEW leveling technique followed by tamping - pretty standard stuff. But when I did this with the Grimac, the dispersion screen pushed into the grounds by a fair bit. It wasn't just touching the coffee - it was "stamped" into it!

After a couple of tries, I just had to dose less into the basket, but this meant that there was no easy way of leveling the grounds as with NSEW because they were below the level of the basket. We were in a bit of a hurry so I didn't get a chance to measure the coffee, but the basket looked like about 17g. But a smaller basket won't really help I would think, because it seems to be an issue of how much the dispersion screen drops into basket when the portafilter on fully on.

Any suggestions I can pass on?

I think that your espresso machine is equipped with this funky brass pod adapter on the right:


See What's a "coffee pod adaptor"? for details

That's what came with my La Valentina. Once replaced with the standard E61 dispersion screen / water jet breaker, the head-to-puck clearance is slightly more than the Cimbali Junior's.

Thanks Dan. I bet that's exactly the problem because I know this machine is advertized as being compatible with pods.

Because I don't have the machine right here, I'm not totally sure what I should ask my friend to do. Does he need to order a standard E61 dispersion screen *and* a water jet breaker? Or will his Grimac already have the water jet breaker so that he just needs the dispersion screen?

While we are on this topic - I notice that while the Grimac grouphead certainly looks like the E61 and most definitely has water circulating in it, there is no side lever as on, say, the Giotto. Is it really the same?

Thanks again,
Peter

peterL wrote:Does he need to order a standard E61 dispersion screen *and* a water jet breaker?

Yes, you'll need a dispersion screen and a water jet breaker. If possible, ask if they stock the dispersion screen on the right. They are easier to remove, should you inexplicably have the urge to do so.


Groovy on the right, ungroovy on the left

While we are on this topic - I notice that while the Grimac grouphead certainly looks like the E61 and most definitely has water circulating in it, there is no side lever as on, say, the Giotto. Is it really the same?

No, E61 groupheads with levers are not the same as the E61 groupheads with solenoids. Technically the latter isn't an E61 at all, according to the patent. However in practical terms, the distinction is far more elusive, as I found thanks to the help of Sean Lennon:


Pressure profile of three espresso machines - which is the "real" E61? (answer)

Aha! I guess it's no coincidence that the Grimac group head doesn't violate the patent.

Thanks very much for all your help!

My friend tried the first steps of pulling out the pod adaptor but wasn't sure how to get it out. Are the 4 holes screw holes (he couldn't see screws)? Or is the pod adaptor center tapped and the holes are for some kind of tool to grip the adaptor to unscrew it?

Thanks!
Peter

The pod adapter is pictured on the right where you can see the four holes. They are apparently for some special tool to lock into, but I got it loose the first time by inserting the end of an awl into one of the holes and tapping gently with a mallet. I've swapped it back in once or twice for experimentation purposes (e.g., pulling lower-dose triple espressos of ~19 grams). It removes fairly easily if it isn't torqued down too much.

PS: Remember lefty lucy, righty tighty... and it's "upside down." Sometimes I turn a screw the wrong way if I'm not facing it.

Thanks again Dan - now it's clear. I'll try and pick up the dispersion screen and water jet breaker this week. When he's made the conversion, I'll post whatever differences we notice.

Peter

Hello Dan,
I just e-bayed a MiniGrimac for a very good price. Every thing works fine, so far. I was testing the machine for functionality, I packed the portafilter, tamped and for my surprise it did not fit. After I found this thread - very useful for me. I'm in the process of cleaning the machine, descaling, ordering gasket, shower screen from 1st-line and would like to locate "water jet breaker" to change from pod adapter. Any pointer to any e-tailer so I could just order it. Also thinking to put shorter feet on the machine anyone out there who knows a place? Great site with tons of info. Thanks Chris

Hi Chris,

I got a water jet breaker for my friend (as Dan described) from Jim at 1st-line, if that helps. It made a big difference on the Grimac, although it was quite a chore trying to get the gasket in! I guess it won't be too easy for him to clean the dispersion screen with any method other than backflushing. I pull mine out on my Cimbali Jr to clean.

As for the legs - when I had the Grimac, I just took them right off and put down some rubber pads in order to keep it low enough to fit under the counter.

Good luck with the new machine!

Peter