Hi

Can anyone tell me how to remove the la peppina kettle from the group head?

I followed OE's instructions and managed to separate the kettle+group from the base, but can't seem to get the kettle off. Am I suppose to loosen additional screws?

Attached is a picture of what I'm wanting to separate (the black kettle from the group)




thank you

Remove the rod and the plate that hold the kettle to the group. I've seen one or two examples where the rod was missing and a simple wing nut was used to attach the plate which holds the kettle in place.



La Peppina kettle plate diameter

Is the rod just screwed in? Or pull it?

thank you!

It screws into a threaded rod coming from the group. Unscrew it counter-clockwise.

thank you! i feel so silly, didn't realize it just unscrewed out.

the boiler is surprisingly clean for a circa 1970s machine.

Any idea what this aluminum looking coil around the heating element is?

also is the heating element part safe to descale with some citric acid (there's a tiny bit of calcium residue)

This is a personal opinion. If one of the top restorers contradicts me, listen to them.

That looks like a comparatively tiny spot of scale. Given that even dilute citric acid can damage things much more robust than a La Peppina, I'd just leave it.

The band around the heating coil is Zinc. It acts as a sacrificial anode to protect against corrosion of the heating element. Leave it in place and I think your better of not worrying about descaling, that's really clean.

I would not worry about the scale, it's so little as to be irreverent. If you really want to get it, put some vinegar on a piece of paper towel and set it on the scale and then just add a drop of vinegar occasionally till it's gone.

yakster wrote:The band around the heating coil is Zinc. It acts as a sacrificial anode to protect against corrosion of the heating element. Leave it in place and I think your better of not worrying about descaling, that's really clean.

thank you very much, i managed to get everything back together!

The gaskets are surprisingly pliable still (despite the age) and i'm getting an even water dispersion from the group, so I'll hold off on changing them for now.

The PF quality is a bit off putting, and I can even see the handle screw protruding into the path of the coffee!

How tight should the center rod be screwed in? Just hand tight?

Also the lid looks like it can be screwed on (has threads), I guess if I wanted to use the steam function, I should screw it in tightly? The steamer looks pretty anemic though (it's also a 700w model)

cheers

The steamer function is a joke don't waste your time with it. They make great shots though and yours looks to be in good shape. Congrats and enjoy!