iCarumba wrote:Tried another cappuccino this morning... no success. But i just realized that i have a equipment related habit thats probably needs to chnage. With my grind setting and the strega... when i pull a shot, the first drip comes between 1 bar and 2 bar... always. Then i always release the lever soon after these drips. The spring engages at about 80 degress from vertical. Not sure whats the real pressure at these angle.

Im thinking maybe i should wait for 4 bars or higher then releasing the lever.

It sounds like you aren't getting a fine enough grind for your espresso shots. Adjust your dose and grind with fresh beans and you should be able to get the Strega pump to go quiet around the time the first drips come out. Releasing the lever from that point it will engage quickly and you will get you a nice, thick, creamy shot.

Once you have the espresso shots working better you should notice an improvement in the cappuccino.

As you work on the espresso shots you should have the goal of drinking them straight. As you progress along that goal the cappuccino should be getting better and better.