I've sold my PV 'Lusso' - a victim of downsizing from 2 apartments, 2 boats, and a Lab to a condo and a boat - so I can't check the PV's actual basket weight, but I believe it can be stuffed to 18gm. As Gronk points out, you can get 1.5oz shots from the PV, but this takes multiple pulls

"My sediments exactly" - he said, staring at the grounds in his cup. When I set out to upgrade from our aging Pavoni, I felt much the same way - an oddball machine, sold by a no-name company - Faggadaboutit! (Brooklyneese for "No Thank You, I'll politely decline ..) On an impulse, I did call down to...

Begin searching German, Italian, and French Ebay - Conti, Astoria, Wega, San Marco, and Rancilio all made single-group 'Gaz' (Butane in France, LNG elsewhere) powered lever machines which would work well for her. Since there's no pump or electronics required for a lever machine, the only bit of desi...

The San Marco lever is a mere 'baby' at 53mm, roughly 14-16gm of coffee, and about 1.75oz per pull. The Astoria/CME/Rancilio/Brazillia lever group is 58mm, 17-19gm (double) or 21-23gm (triple) per basket, and about 2.0oz per pull. The Conti and Brugnetti are also 58mm with roughly the same basket ca...

Katherine, who has used everything from a Pavoni Europiccola to a dual 58mm commercial spring lever machine, when quizzed said "I much prefer using the spring machines, they're smoother, easier to use, and you can steam while the lever is going up..." Of course she also maintains that using the Pavo...

Karl et al I am also trapped in Chicago with a wife, two cats, a PV 'Lusso,' and a Zach and Danni's roaster for the month of July. The Bad News is that we're in Irving Park, and the only commercial espresso I've found so far is a CharBucks near the YMCA, and a place on Irving Park

Errr, ahh, uhm - might I direct your attention to the gaggle of slinky red wires at the center of the boiler? Unless this aging brain is seriously misfiring, I believe that underneath the spaghetti you'll find a thermal cut-off switch, and I think that it may be a 'press the dot' to reset version. T...

Since I may have inadvertently caused some confusion by posting the 'Fellini Move' topic, perhaps I should try to clear things up a bit... My original posts were all directed towards spring-lever machines like the Elektra, the Ponte Veccio, big Gaggias, and my Conti. Please remember that these machi...

Hperry has been kind enough to allow me to lay my grubby little paws all over his shiny Termozona 58mm lever machine - so I was finally able to get some shots of its interior and of it in action.... Here's the left side of the boiler - notice that it really is a Brugnetti and that the blessed

Hard question to answer - hence the 'other' response, even if I do end up on the Group 'W' bench ... Amazingly enough, the current espresso setup (Machine, Grinder, and Roaster) comes in at less than $1400. Which, considering that the Gene Cafe roaster was purchased new, rather surprises me... Even ...