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La Pavoni + Mignon

6K views 36 replies 14 participants last post by  stingray 
#1 ·
I have clocked around 15 shots and still struggling to achieve créma. I am using a Mignon grinder but don't have the feel for how much resistance I should get. From when the burrs touch how many turns do I need and also how had do I need to pull the lever?
 
#6 ·
if its a brand new pav you may find that the grease on the seals makes all the crema disappear - crema is overrated and tastes of nothing, its a bit of a myth, however I think you probably need to grind finer, some reckon you should be pulling about 30lb pressure on the handle but like many things its not that simple - and for gods sake don't watch the pavoni guide to using it

and let it heat up for 15 mins and purge the boiler air from the steam wand
;)
 
#36 ·
I use about 12/13g of coffee

The prob is going finer will block the Mignon. Does anyone use this setup and achieve great shots?
I have the pre mill and I can without hesitation say the shots on this outweigh anything else I have ever used. The grind needs to be much finer for a Pavoni than other espresso machines. I heat up machine & then weigh in 14g , tamp fairly hard ( I know the Jury is out on this), pull some water through the group head and purge the steam wand of air and then let it heat up again. Lock in the portafilter, pull slightly until you see some drips and once you do lift the lever up again to refill the group and do a gradual, hard but consistent pull. Once you've got that pressure of the pull don't ease off . Weigh & time shot coming out so you have some indication of being in the right area grind wise. The beans need to be fresh for a good crema I know people say that it isn't even needed but it does make the coffee look more appetitising and I think it often translates that you have ground fine enough. (If you have ground as fine as you can and the taste is OK then you can updose to commensate for a grind that isn't quite fine enough. Lighter roasts can be more tricky, needing a higher temperature than darker and I prefer a longer ratio but that's just me.
 
#10 ·
I would grind into a cup, then place your basket on the scales and pour the coffee in. Put the same amount in every time. If one shot you're putting in 12g and the next 13g, that will give very different results.

If your basket comfortably takes 13g stick with that for now, tamp but don't go crazy, once the machine is up to temperature put your cup on the scales, pull the lever all the way up and allow it to pre infuse for 10 seconds and then pull it down. Stop once you get to 26g in the cup, see how long that took and what it tastes like. If it was under 20 seconds an the coffee is sour, grind finer. If it took over 30 seconds and tastes bitter go coarser.
 
#14 ·
I'm dosing up between 15 and 16g in the basket for 30-32 out (depending on the coffee). I'm hand grinding with a Feldgrind and grinding pretty fine and tamping pretty light.

After a fair bit of messing about I'm doing a couple of little 'mini-pumps', then levering enough to get a covering in the bottom of the cup and then putting the lever to the top again, counting to 3 and then pulling the shot.

I remember being hugely disappointed when I bought mine. With the same grinder I had been making some cracking coffee in an aeropress and it took me at least a year to really feel good with my output on my Stradaveri.
 
#15 ·
With some beans you don't get a lot of crema, especially light roasts. If the coffee is good then enjoy it. Retention on the mignon shouldn't be that bad if you tip it forward and tap it on the back. If you're single dosing you'll get a better grind by filling the hopper and purging a few grams before your first shot. As for how hard you have to pull the lever, I used a luggage scale and trained myself to push down for 30 seconds to achieve a force equal to 13-15kg, but you can mess around with pressure profiling.
 
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#17 ·
DougalMcGuire said:
I'm dosing up between 15 and 16g in the basket for 30-32 out (depending on the coffee). I'm hand grinding with a Feldgrind and grinding pretty fine and tamping pretty light.

After a fair bit of messing about I'm doing a couple of little 'mini-pumps', then levering enough to get a covering in the bottom of the cup and then putting the lever to the top again, counting to 3 and then pulling the shot.

I remember being hugely disappointed when I bought mine. With the same grinder I had been making some cracking coffee in an aeropress and it took me at least a year to really feel good with my output on my Stradaveri.
Very encouraging so I LL keep playing with the variables
 
#18 ·
Rob1 said:
With some beans you don't get a lot of crema, especially light roasts. If the coffee is good then enjoy it. Retention on the mignon shouldn't be that bad if you tip it forward and tap it on the back. If you're single dosing you'll get a better grind by filling the hopper and purging a few grams before your first shot. As for how hard you have to pull the lever, I used a luggage scale and trained myself to push down for 30 seconds to achieve a force equal to 13-15kg, but you can mess around with pressure profiling.
The shots I have pulled today were very good and syrupy. So happy with the taste. Will try different beans next week

And

I'll start my espresso making workout as a New Year résolution [emoji106] .
 
#19 ·
Mines a millennium version and can easily take 15g, but usually go for 16g - it depends on the beans and whether you are getting an imprint from the shower screen (which you don't want as you need a bit of head-space)

If you are getting tasty shots, then don't get hung up on crema. Some scoop it off anyway as it can apparently be bitter.
 
#25 ·
bruce.w.burn said:
Just got a La Pavoni and all this information is helpful. My big question is how to get the puck out of the filter basket without burning my fingers. You can't knock it out like the standard PF.

Can't find anything on YT or forums.
You either need to let it cool down or if you want to make another one straight away run it under cold water.

Welcome to the club, they're great machines!
 
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