If I was buying today, and buying a new double basket, then I would go 49.5. Baskets are made wider now.

Note the puck screen that I linked to is about 49.3 mm.

(Single baskets are an entirely different story and I suggest that you ignore them for now.)

Do you know what kind of thread on top of the boiler the La Pavoni Mignon has?

This page:

https://coffee-sensor.com/product/la-pa ... apter-kit/

says either

The M11 thread is the most common one, compatible with La Pavoni Europiccola machines manufactured from the mid-1990 and on. It includes the Millennium models also.

or

The M12 models can be found on the earliest machines, manufactured through the mid 1990.

Neither. The boiler pressure gauge screws into the top of the sight glass, and the Mignon does not have a sight glass.

Oh I thought these were for the screw of the boiler.

Is there something similar for the boiler thread?

There were boiler caps with an integrated gauge intended for service people, but I haven't seen one for sale in over five years.

You could still tune the venting on the Mignon but would have to do so more indirectly. I expect that the pressure release valve works as it does in other models. Older versions have a spring that positions a ball against the aperture. You can shim the spring to hold more pressure.

But second generation groups in general are prone to overheating. If you can measure temperature on the outside of the group, you can tell if it's overheated or within range. The least expensive way to do that is with an adhesive temperature strip. If it's too hot, you can cool the group with a wet rag or draw cold water into the group from a cup positioned at its bottom. You can also toggle off power. And there are a couple of ways you can make it less prone to overheating. You can vent steam faster at the pressure relief valve by lowering the spring tension. Also, second-generation groups are steam-heated instead of water-heated. You can convert the group into water heating with this clever modification by one of our members.

Heat control mod for 2nd Generation La Pavoni Levers

Also the ball and spring inside the overpressure valve was later replaced by a Teflon mushroom that has its own spring. People often just make the replacement for proper pressure. When tuning my La Pavoni levers that don't have a pressure stat, I use measure pressure through the steam wand and adjust the tension in the original spring.

I suppose that if you examine the boiler cap you could figure out a way to attach a pressure gauge, but I don't think that would be necessary, and it would look odd if it doesn't align forward when the boiler cap is tightened in place.

I try to replace the shower head of my La Pavoni Mignon and now I am confused how to put it back together (especially with the sealing around the shower head).

How far up / down am I supposed to position the "thing" that is pushed down / up by the handle? How do I put the O-Ring back?

You can adjust the piston position with the two nuts at the top of the piston rod. You'll want it to go almost to the shower screen. The lower nut is used to find that position and the top nut tightens it down. Maybe you can show us photos of your machine and of the replacement shower screen and group seal.

Posting images on HB

Is it possible that the positioning of the piston affects the amount of water that gets into the basket?

In the first case I positioned the piston very close to the bottom such that while lifting the handle only the very last section would allow water in. The result was a dry puck (as it should be as far as I know) but the amount of water was too little.

In the second case I positioned the piston further up. But this resulted in water remaining at the top of the puck.

I mean to me it sounds okay if there is residual water but I don't know - do you guys have a dry puck?

y33brzk wrote:Is it possible that the positioning of the piston affects the amount of water that gets into the basket?

In the first case I positioned the piston very close to the bottom such that while lifting the handle only the very last section would allow water in. The result was a dry puck (as it should be as far as I know) but the amount of water was too little.

Be aware that the topnut adjustment affects the position of the piston at the bottom of the stroke and has no effect on the top of the stroke, so should have no effect on the where the seal passes the inlet and allows water in. So although that adjustment does affect the full stroke volume and therefore the volume of water pushed out, other things make a bigger difference:
- hotter group and/or boiler favors more volume
- coarser grind favors more volume
- lower dose favors more volume
- longer wait time with the lever at the top favors more volume
- lever wiggles or pre-pumps at the top favor more volume
- multiple pulls or 'fellini' pulls favor more volume

Some of these, like the hotter group, tend to favor elimination of air from the brew chamber, giving you what feels like a more solid and less spongy pull. Less air in that chamber above the puck and below the piston means more water.

As Gary advised, I think you want to adjust your topnuts as high as they can go (piston as low as it can go) without the piston ever touching the shower screen at the bottom of the stroke. Don't worry about whether your puck is wet or dry.