New La Pavoni Europiccola and Lido E owner here (wife got them for me for Christmas.

Made a grand total of 2 shots so far. First went to quickly ~18 seconds, so adjusted the Lido a bit finer and second one came in right at 25. Using LaVazza medium roast (don't want to waste good coffee while learning.

Both had awesome crema and solid body/mouthfeel. Pucks were rock solid coming out, no channeling or fracturing. However, both were really bitter. Not undrinkably so, but way more bitter than I would like. I think it was due to the ratio - 15 grams of bean, but only got 20 grams of liquid coming out (was hoping for 30). I'm not doing anything fancy - lever halfway up, screw in portafilter, lever all the way up, count to 7, pull.

The manual indicates doing a partial pull after pre-infusing then raising the lever back up and then doing the main pull. Should I try this? Other suggestions for getting another 10 grams out?

Hi Rich,

To properly control a La Pavoni manual lever, you'll need to measure temperature at the group. Some people add a temperature strip, others a thermometer, others measure with an IR thermometer after affixing some black tape to the group. It also helps to have a pressure gauge installed above the sightglass. I've found that running it at about 0.8 or 0.9 bar cruises boiler temperature low enough that you can use half pumps of the lever brings the group to the desired temperature. Half pumps fill the upper part of the group but don't pull a shot. For the first shot, I've found that raising the lever for a long preinfusion eliminates the air pocket in the brew chamber. I have it ground so that drips will start into the cup during preinfusion. When the drips slow down, the coffee is saturated, and you'll get good resistance and a nice volume.

Also, coffees like that Lavazza can be challenging to pull. You might need to pull it cooler. I don't know which Lavazza you're using. I've been experimenting with their all Arabica blend, Lavazza Caffe Espresso. I just pulled a shot on a vintage La Pavoni keeping the group temperature at no more than 175°F and dosing about 16 gm. I didn't measure the output but could have done more preinfusion. Italian coffees are frequently best when you add about a demitasse spoonful of sugar to emphasize some fruity flavor.

Or even better yet, if you're going to dial in a new machine, feed it good coffee so at least that variable is covered.

Best of luck with your new La Pavoni lever. There are many threads on this site discussing mastery of that machine. It takes some practice.

drgary wrote:Hi Rich,

To properly control a La Pavoni manual lever, you'll need to measure temperature at the group. Some people add a temperature strip, others a thermometer, others measure with an IR thermometer after affixing some black tape to the group. It also helps to have a pressure gauge installed above the sightglass. I've found that running it at about 8 bar cruises boiler temperature low enough that you can.

Eight bar?! 8^O



-Peter

That was before my first shot. Corrected above!

I have the gauge, just haven't installed it yet.

Which temp strips from OE? The low range or high range.

Yes, using the LaVAzza Caffe Espresso all Arabica.

When people talk about flushing the group before pulling a shot, I assume this means just lifting the lever and letting some water out. Wouldn't this just overheat the group even more though?

Hi all - first, thanks to all on the HB forum for sharing your seemingly infinite expertise and experience - in the couple of months since it came into my head that it is possible to make good (as distinct from the boring or at best semi-good I've been putting up with at home for decades) coffee and began lurking here I've learned a immense amount from y'all. Just scratching the surface, nonetheless it's a start.

I came quickly to the realization that what interests me most as far as making coffee (at home) involves using a lever - I want it to be able (I mean eventually!) to fine tune, modulate my own direct interaction with the machine to vary the output, not have it done for me. I have the office machine for that. So here I am. I got my feet wet with minimal investment (and maybe a little more than minimum fussiness) with a Flair, and a Lido E - both work great so far, and that's where I am now, but! I, unexpectedly, had the opportunity to order a Strietman CT-1, so I took it, as the general philosophy, so to speak, behind it seems to reflect my espresso mindset exactly. One of those is now waiting to clear customs, I should have it in day or two. I'll also have a Niche Zero grinder whenever the next batch ships - again, like the CT-1 my choice came after reading a lot of valuable user feedback, largely on this forum.

Between the two, I think I'll be set for the foreseeable future : Minimum stuff, minimum fuss, maximum good coffee. No more stuff to buy.

One aspect of espresso which I hope to explore is trying somewhat lighter roasts than I've been used to drinking - that has not been my taste over the years but I've had some very good examples (and some poor ones) at coffee shops in my area (Seattle) and I can see my tastes expanding in that direction, though getting it right seems like it will be a challenge.

cheers,

pGolay wrote:, though getting it right seems like it will be a challenge.

But so rewarding! Congrats on the new setup.

RTD1 wrote:I have the gauge, just haven't installed it yet.

Which temp strips from OE? The low range or high range.

Yes, using the LaVAzza Caffe Espresso all Arabica.

When people talk about flushing the group before pulling a shot, I assume this means just lifting the lever and letting some water out. Wouldn't this just overheat the group even more though?

I use both temperature strips and don't flush the group before pulling a shot if I'm trying to go low temp. One of our favorite members, the late Robert Pavlis, suggested raising the lever so it starts releasing water - not full force - lowering it slightly again and immediately locking in the portafilter to eliminate the air pocket.

Also on a nitrogen sealed coffee like I immediately transfer it to an airtight container in the freezer upon opening it. For more tips on using your La Pavoni, please use our Search function above.

Doh!
It looks like I've overlooked this post for some reason.
Well, my intro is in a separate post here.

What else to add?
Being in italy, i never felt the need to have espresso equipment at home. L'et's face it, even doing a conservative statement, if say, 10% of bar, pubs, restaurants, name it, pull a decent espresso shot, the offer around home is still embarrassing high.

For home, with time I've grown the skills to get a nice shot using the Bialetti Brikka stove pot. On that topic I'm quite an expert, and maybe I'll add something in the brewing section about it, sure after I learn a bit better how to grind the coffee properly.

In recent times I felt the push to make a step further, namely because of the N*spr*ss* spreading all over in homes and offices.
On one hand I must admit that the end result is better than a regular moka pot (still light years away from the quality of a properly made brikka shot); on the other hand I think that this pod stuff is pure poison for environment and sustainability. I wanted to do my part, to demonstrate to anyone I know that something different can be made, so I've put together my little setup, as minimal and manual as I could:



And pull great shots in silence!

As I'm learning how to use the equipment better and better, I'm also trying some more high quality beans. I've just pulled an Ethiopian, that one was parsecs ahead anything you can think to pull from a capsule.

Nice setup!