La Pavoni Europiccola 1979 on eBay accidental purchase - Page 2

#11: Post by **drgary** » November 1st, 2019, 12:02 am

The base is plain steel, so check for rust.

forbeskm wrote:Rules of the la Pavoni.
1. Everything shiny will burn you.
2. Never open the boiler until cool.
3. Don't remove portafilter immediately after shot as it will sneeze and can burn you. (goes also for if you grind to fine and can pull lever down, let it cool then remove the portafilter)

Mike is very experienced, yet I disagree with items 2 and 3.

2. To release pressure from the boiler, open the steam valve with the wand inserted in a steam pitcher and let it vent until it stops.

3. To remove the portafilter without a sneeze, slightly raise the lever to relieve pressure at the coffee cake. Don't raise the lever enough to infuse more water into the group. Gently turn the portafilter out so if there is small residual pressure it will gently release.

#12: Post by **forbeskm** » November 1st, 2019, 12:47 am

I

drgary wrote:The base is plain steel, so check for rust.

Mike is very experienced, yet I disagree with items 2 and 3.

2. To release pressure from the boiler, open the steam valve with the wand inserted in a steam pitcher and let it vent until it stops.

3. To remove the portafilter without a sneeze, slightly raise the lever to relieve pressure at the coffee cake. Don't raise the lever enough to infuse more water into the group. Gently turn the portafilter out so if there is small residual pressure it will gently release.

That is my number 2, but i leave no ambiguity or assumptions for common sense (no offense to the OP) , yes, it doesn't have too cool completely. Just beware of a milk clogged steam wand. I'll have to try 3

. Number 4 is never leave on outside of use or you could need a new element.

Thanks Dr Gary!

November 1st, 2019, 4:33 am

Thank you all for quick help , probably I will need lot of help from you guys in getting best out of la pavoni, excited about this experience

#14: Post by **drgary** » November 1st, 2019, 10:39 am

You've purchased a machine that is top quality, early 2nd generation. It's well worth a full restore with the tweaks we've been exploring on this site, such as the heat control mod, temperature measurement at the group, making it rust-resistant, etc. Another accessory I'd suggest is a 3-D printed drip tray. It was made for the prior generation of machines, but yours still has a cast metal base. When you get it and measure it, post it here, and I can measure it against one of my drip trays to see if it fits. Here's the thread where we developed it.

3D Print of Drip Tray for 1st Gen La Pavoni, a better fit

November 1st, 2019, 9:54 pm

Thank you Dr Gary I so far have not done any kind of projects on coffee machines , I think this would be a good start with mods.

For group temperature measurement what would you suggest thermal strips or a thermometer installed on the group?

#16: Post by **drgary** » November 2nd, 2019, 12:42 am

I've installed thermometers on mine but temperature strips are easier and also work.

November 2nd, 2019, 1:03 am

Thank you
There is interesting bit of history with this la pavoni- it was bought by Dan Silas (Louisiana hall of fame ) member of band Boogie kings and brought to US in 1982 , his family member sold it to me . I haven't heard of the band but sounds cool

#18: Post by **drgary** » November 2nd, 2019, 2:16 am

This must be from an estate sale. From the obit, Dan Silas died in 2016. He played with some fine musicians, including Otis Redding, The Righteous Brothers and BB King.

Your Europiccola is a version 2.2, when they were still high quality. The group in the second generation is easier to service than first generation machines. Here's the reference page.

http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/lapavoni_ep_eng.htm

November 2nd, 2019, 2:44 am

Yes an estate sale and the person who sold it has his last name as silas too. Thanks for information , I am really excited about this. i am waiting to check condition of portafilter and then based on that will decide to convert this portafilter to bottomless or order some other and also micro casa basket which holds more coffee, also tamper is not included so looking for it , saw threads where people talking about tamper larger than 49mm.
Apart from the mods you have suggested .

I can now relate to this more than ever -
What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

November 2nd, 2019, 5:17 pm

Update- received the machine via usps
The packaging looking not very well done but so far looking at the machines seems like it didnt get damages in the transit
And seems like tank needs cleaning .