My first lever machine is this 2002 La Pavoni Europiccola, a "Millennium" version machine. Here's how it looked when I first got it, with a grinder and all of these accessories for $50. It seemed a deal too good to be true but it wasn't.



I had no idea how to service it at first. Several years down the road I changed the group gasket and didn't know there are two different versions. Suddenly the portafilter started falling out. Not knowing better I filed down the ears and scratched some chrome off the portafilter. But now it worked.

At SCAA last week I bought one of Paul Pratt's Cafelet all-in-one convertible portafilters for the La Pavoni Millennium machine, and a smaller portafilter for prior versions. The Millennium portafilter didn't crank in, so I looked into it. Paul had carefully measured, of course, so the problem wasn't his portafilter. I shaved down the existing group gasket so it would fit and when looking to reorder that part discovered there are two versions for Millennium machines, and I had the wrong one. I then ordered a correct gasket from Stefano's Espressocare, and now the Cafelat portafilter fits just fine. This is the same machine, many mods and upgrades later.



If suddenly your portafilter doesn't fit right, you may have installed the wrong group gasket, even though it is labelled for a Millennium group, (or your piston may be unscrewing from the piston rod and pushing down the shower screen, or less likely, the plastic group sleeve is unscrewing and pushing down the shower screen).

La Pavoni portafilter gasket dimensions were one size from 1/2000 to 3/2008 and again from 4/2010 to present. Stefano gives measurements and differentiates them. I want to emphasize that the gasket used from 3/2008 to 3/2010 is thicker. Here's a photo of those different gaskets on Stefano's parts page.



When you install the group gasket, the square side faces the top of the group. Your portafilter is an excellent wrench for snugging it into place.

Both gaskets have a square bottom and a rounded top. The 2008-2010 gasket is noticeably thicker. I would have a good photo except I carved off the excess on my way to discovering this parts snafu.

If you are trying to fit a portafilter not manufactured by La Pavoni, you may run into a similar difficulty locking in. Here's an example:

Paul_Pratt wrote:It would appear that there are 2 types of baskets doing the rounds. To remedy this LP have a small chamfer on the inner edge of the portafilter rim. This helps the basket seat down for both types of baskets. I forgot the chamfer which is causing 1 type of basket to stand higher than another.

Translation: A "chamfer" is a partial bevel.

If changing gaskets doesn't remedy your problem and you've got a Cafelat All In One Portafilter, contact them directly and they'll resolve it for you.