How to use a La Pavoni Europicolla for beginners.

How to use a La Pavoni Europicolla.

My model is a pressure regulated (post millenium) but has a 49mm group head/portafilter (pre millenium).

A few key points:
Use good quality beans. Supermarket beans won't cut the mustard. They are okay as a practice but won't produce much crema. And the Crema is where the sweet flavours are and a sign of a good shot (usually!).
Get a semi decent grinder. My sunbeam is the bare minimum. I had to install 2 shims to grind fine enough.
Pour 2-3 shots max at one time. The machine overheats and the first one is always the best.
Finally the grind is probably the most important factor. It needs to be fine to the point it starts clumping. Start fine and work back to coarse.

La Pavoni a are a beautiful and frustrating beast. Keep at it!