Brand new GS3, SN 8726 (build date 08/2017) arrived yesterday, after having been modified in Australia (115v version).

The manual clearly shows (p 24) a steam pressure gauge with a green band from 1.3 bars to 2.0 bars, and then red from 2.0 to 2.5.

However, my actual gauge is green from 1.3 to only 1.5, which is still at the 12 o'clock position, and the 1.5 is a slightly bigger font, and it's in red, where the rest of the numbers are smaller and black.

From 1.5 bars, the band becomes red, and stops at 1.9 bars. This seems odd to me, because the manual clearly states "steam boiler pressure should be set at 2 bar (in other words, actually *past* the red zone on the gauge) but can operate at any setting between 1.3 and 2.0."

I have my set at about 1.65 bars right now (I don't need a ton of extra power, and so far the machine is running fine on FULL power on 100v 50Hz juice).

But it seems odd to have a steam boiler gauge with a dial that's seemingly going to live in the red zone most of its life, doesn't it?

Anyone else with a newer GS3 have a gauge like this? (Wondering if someone in Firenze may have put on some older/incorrect gauge stock by mistake.)

Also, the SN plate clearly says 115v (fine/expected) but "AMP 10". Can that amperage be right? Is that why I'm able to run this full power without a problem, even running a toaster oven on the same circuit at the same time, albeit NOT doing that while the machine is warming up, but only after it reaches operating temperature.

Mine is an older model with a 3xxx serial, and the gauge as you mentioned like in the manual, but I run the machine at 1.5 bar with a sproline foam knife tip anyway.

I personally think 2bar is ridiculously strong, but having the stock steam lever vs a modified steam arm may result in a great difference in being able to do a slow ramp up in pressure instead.

Thanks for the reply.

I have the side-arm steam-control mod, and I'm also shooting for 1.5 with a Foam Knife. Have dropped the steam boiler to 261 F today, which should be getting close (agree, 2B is near-crazy for light home use). Also noticed with kitchen lights on this AM that the draw from the machine does cause the lights to 'pulse' very slightly dimmer & brighter as the machine draws. I may go to half power and just see how that goes. 'Ready' time from auto-on this AM was ~29 minutes. I suppose at half power that will increase a bit.

My machine is only a couple of months old. It is more like yours. The 1.5 is larger and in red. However all the other numbers and notches are green. Generally when steaming it is between 1 and 1.5 and this is more than enough power.

The gauge on my 8-year old GS/3 looks like the photo above and what you describe. I replaced the gauge within the last year or two, so it's relatively new. But it looks like the original stock gauge.

I looked at photos of the GS/3 MP on the LM USA and LM Home websites, and the steam gauge in all of them looks just like mine. Same when I Google GS/3 Images. I'd say the image in the manual is wrong, possibly showing a gauge intended for one of the larger commercial machines.

Being OCD about my machine I understand your reaction, but I wouldn't sweat this one.

FWIW, I believe the red markings aren't to warn you about the pressure being too high, but on the contrary show the recommended steam power range -- 1.5 to 2.0 BAR.

I replaced the stock no-burn wand with the commercial burn-me wand (no Teflon insert.) Back when I used a foam knife tip I had steam pressure set to 1.7 BAR. Now I use an LWW steam dial and set the pressure to 1.5 BAR. More than enough for the settings I tend to use on the steam dial.

Vidio wrote:<image>
My machine is only a couple of months old. It is more like yours. The 1.5 is larger and in red. However all the other numbers and notches are green. Generally when steaming it is between 1 and 1.5 and this is more than enough power.

Weird. My machine build date is August. It's probably a small thing, but my goodness. Here's mine:

Yuki - Nespresso make perfect espresso machines. Perfect machine, perfect box, perfect instruction manuals. It is the equivalent of Minolta or Brother or Casio. Give and take the quality of the water you put in - they all make the same espresso.

La Marzocco (but most other Italian Makers) make "wabi-sabi" machines. It is like the knife makers of Seki. Not the big ones. The ones who make the hand forged Honyaki stuff that looks like utter crap (yes - the black oxide in the hydraulic hammer marks..), cost a small fortune, sharpen easily and cut as if it were cutting a cloud.

Each machine (like each knife) is different. And like a knife - try to enjoy it rather than mark it for points.