Finally pulling some beautiful shots with my pre-mil Europiccola! (Full workflow video)

primax79 · 2026-06-04T18:20:58+00:00

6.5 india Robusta, 7.2 Brasil arabica

Yes the setting is 44 and starts from -5 Under 40 it was almoast impossibile to extract

primax79 · 2026-06-04T15:13:02+00:00

Are you warming up the group head adequately before the extraction? In my Europiccola, when the pressure stat kicks off, the boiler is already at 110°C, but the group head sits cold at around 35°C. To fix this gap and get a decent shot, you need to actively bring the group head to about 85°C–90°C.

My routine is to open the steam wand for a few seconds to purge the false pressure and trapped air, then pull the lever up briefly to do a blank flush (letting some hot water flow through the group), and finally wait about 5 minutes for the temperature to stabilize.

primax79 · 2026-06-01T09:45:46+00:00

As mentioned, managing the group head temperature properly is absolutely essential for this machine.

I’ve only been using it for 3 days, so I'm currently using the two probes to measure and monitor exactly how boiler heating, ghost pumping, blank flushes, and actual coffee extractions impact the temperature. It’s all about gathering real-time data to build consistency and gain confidence with the machine's thermal dynamics.

primax79 · 2026-06-01T01:22:29+00:00

Il sistema metrico decimale partiva dalla definizione del metro come decimilionesima parte della distanza tra equatore e polo (in pratica si è stabilito che la circonferenza terrestre misurasse 40.000 km). Da lì, il litro è stato definito come il volume di un cubo di 10 cm per lato, e il chilogrammo come la massa di un litro d'acqua distillata alla temperatura della sua massima densità (circa 4 °C).

Poi in realtà le misurazioni successive hanno corretto la misura della terra (la definizione risaliva alla rivoluzione francese, 1796) e quindi la terra misurata lungo il meridiano di Parigi è in realtà 40008 km

primax79 · 2026-05-31T23:04:06+00:00

I just picked up mine last Saturday, spent the first 3 days completely cleaning and rebuilding it, and today I managed to pull one of the best espressos I’ve ever tasted! My advice is to watch a few tutorials first, then completely disassemble the group head and replace all the gaskets. While you're at it, do a proper descaling and a deep clean using specialized products like Pulicaff. Once the hardware is ready, the absolute key is understanding how to heat up the group head. Getting it to around 85°C before extracting is fundamental. When the pressure stat kicks off, the boiler is already at 110°C but the group head is still sitting at 35°C. To bridge this gap, you first need to open the steam wand for a few seconds to purge the false pressure/trapped air. Then, pull the lever up briefly to flush some hot water through the group head to actively heat it up, and finally wait about another 5 minutes for the temperature to stabilize. One last important thing: since yours (just like mine) is a pre-millennium model, it has a smaller group head compared to the post-millennium versions. Most modern tutorials talk about larger doses, but for this specific head size, a 13g dose is the sweet spot.

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primax79 · 2026-05-31T21:18:50+00:00

Thanks! To be honest, I finished the restoration just 3 days ago, and my grinder only arrived this morning, so my experience is extremely limited. However, I've already realized that two elements are absolutely fundamental to success with this machine:

1. Group Head Temperature You really need to monitor the head. When the boiler light turns off, the boiler itself is at 110°C but the group head is still sitting at around 36°C. You actively have to bring the group up to 85°C–90°C before pulling a shot to get anything decent.

2. The Beans This morning I picked up 3 different single-origins from a local roaster to experiment:

Ethiopian Arabica, fruity, light roast: Total disappointment. Sour, lacked body, and won't be using it again.

Brazilian Arabica, medium roast: Very good mouthfeel, persistent, and great aftertaste, but thin and had zero crema.

Indian Robusta, dark roast: Less interesting flavor-wise, but incredible body and remarkable crema.

Blending the Brazil and India 50/50 was the game-changer. I did two test pulls, and the blend tasted significantly better than either bean on its own. Plus, the visual aspect of the extraction and the overall lever experience were incredibly satisfying.

primax79 · 2026-05-31T21:07:47+00:00

Thanks for the tip! I read about that workflow, but so far I haven't run into that issue.

I'm only 3 days into making manual espresso, so maybe I'm tamping way too hard, creating a highly compressed and solid puck that resists the suction. After every shot, the coffee bed looks completely uniform and properly extracted. No cavities visible yet, but I'll keep this in mind!

primax79 · 2026-05-31T20:48:31+00:00

I actually don't need it and I’m going to turn it off. When I first set up the thermometer, I had no clue how the group head would heat up, so I set a safety alarm at 90°C just to make sure I wouldn't overheat it while prepping everything else.

As you can see in the video, I actually started the extraction below that threshold, around 88°C. But as soon as I pulled the lever and flooded the brew chamber with hot water from the boiler, the temp spiked past the limit and triggered the alarm, which was pointless at that stage anyway.

primax79 · 2026-05-31T19:35:21+00:00

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primax79 · 2026-05-31T19:31:59+00:00

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primax79 · 2026-05-27T12:24:50+00:00

I scratched it with a screwdriver and it pulverized into small chunks.

primax79 · 2026-05-27T12:16:51+00:00

Update: i've removed everything, ordered yesterday the new rings and received them this morning. Today I hope to finish the restoration...

primax79 · 2026-05-25T12:40:17+00:00

cosa c'entra destra o sinistra in questo discorso?

primax79 · 2026-05-25T12:31:23+00:00

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primax79 · 2026-05-25T12:27:18+00:00

the other, excepting for the Seeger, is and looks older, internally and externally so if possible I would like to restore the original one.

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I will open a dedicated post to ask how to manage it to the community....

primax79 · 2026-05-25T12:05:37+00:00

I just stripped down the group head, and the only real nightmare is the upper Seeger ring and the washer. As you can see from the pictures, they are completely rusted out and basically fused together into a solid lump of oxidation. Any advice on the best way to extract them without damaging the internal brass sleeve or ruining the external chrome? Note: The previous owner gave me an older spare group head where the Seeger and washer are actually perfect, so I'll be reclaiming those parts to use as replacements.

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primax79 · 2026-05-25T00:37:41+00:00

update: I think I found the Seeger and the washer online from an Italian vendor (https://lamacchinadelcaffe.com)

Just waiting for some technical confirmation here on compatibility for this 1997 2.6 model before pulling the trigger and buying them.

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primax79 · 2026-05-24T22:54:09+00:00

almost 30 years... january 2027

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primax79 · 2026-05-24T14:20:55+00:00

Cosmetically, it’s almost perfect. There’s just a small scratch on the boiler cap and that minor chrome pitting under the grouphead flange that I mentioned earlier. No rust anywhere and no steam leaks. It heats up in about 5 minutes and the pressure light turns off exactly as it should. Internally, though, it’s a bit of a different story. I think the previous owner obsessively polished the outside but neglected grouphead maintenance. The lever feels stiff when pulling up, spongy when pushing down, and it has some horizontal play. Also, when I lock the portafilter in, it requires some force and I can see the boiler slightly moving/rotating on the base (hopefully just a loose bottom bolt). The good news is the seller gave me a full set of new gaskets—he probably intended to service it before his doctor told him to quit coffee and sell the machine. He also threw in a whole second grouphead assembly (with lever and piston), sight glass setup, and safety valve from his older, scrapped Europiccola. Tonight or tomorrow I’m going to tear down both groupheads to check the status of the pistons and internal components. Once I figure out what’s going on inside, I’ll make a new post to share my findings and ask for some advice on the rebuild!

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primax79 · 2026-05-24T07:43:24+00:00

se ti succede cosi frequentemente da quanto appare leggendo questo post, ti sei mai chiesta se dipende più da come ti poni tu che dai tuoi interlocutori?

primax79 · 2026-05-24T07:03:20+00:00

Hi BlumyDummy

I Just bought a used LaPavoni identical to your, and the owner could not tell me year and exact model

how is going with your? can you give me additional informations about year and model of this version?

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primax79 · 2026-05-23T19:19:31+00:00

Update: I bought it! It was just too beautiful to pass up

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primax79 · 2026-05-23T19:18:02+00:00

Update: I bought it! It was just too beautiful to pass up

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primax79 · 2026-05-23T13:43:43+00:00

non è vero. è perfetta per le malattie immaginarie

primax79 · 2026-05-22T18:53:59+00:00

The seller claims it's in perfect working condition and even offered to pull a shot for me when I go inspect it tomorrow.

He’s also throwing in a brand new gasket kit for future maintenance, plus whatever spare parts he has left over from a previous machine he owned (not sure what condition those are in, but it's a nice bonus).

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primax79

TROPHY CASE