Cleaning La Pavoni with a DIY blind portafilter

Manual machines like the La Pavoni don't have the ability to backflush, but I figured out a simple and cheap way to make a blind portafilter out of a standard one so that the cleaning solution can be held in the group head for as long as you like, then drained slowly. If you need a portafilter to clean your automatic machine, you can temporarily convert your normal one for pennies.

[@timident]

Good solution, thanks Norm, a clean machine = good coffee 😎

[@joedavey84]

Really cool way to clean the group! I’ll have to try this out.

[@ivovacek5454]

Nice to know what to do with my europiccola every few months ... Thank you for that!

[@LarsKiel]

👍 Thanks - I Must try that☕️☕️

[@samlaw5040]

Appreciate the video Norm. But in my opinion you would be much better off disassembling the group piston & shower screen to clean manually, while applying some seal lubricant after you're done. Those Joe Glo won't do as good job as manual disassemble & clean. Plus lubricating the seals is part of the routine maintenance which has to be done anyway. Just my 2 cent.

[@normbearrentine2740]

Thanks, Sam. I agree that your way is more thorough, but I can't get myself to do all that as often as I might. Mine is a quick and dirty stop-gap measure.

[@peterlopez4464]

Hi Norm. Brilliant idea, and I'd like to duplicate this. Can you give specifics on the crown nut and the bolt you used? While the CZcams video is great, it's kind of hard to see the crown nut. I think I can see it in the video, with the dome, but many crown nuts have cuts in the head, and I can't see if yours has these cuts. Thanks for posting!
--Peter

[@normbearrentine2740]

Hi Peter. Thanks! No cuts, and it's an 11 mm crown nut.

[@BrucePappas]

Hi, Norm, I suggest you use a milder descaler more frequently, such as Durgol Swiss Espresso Descaler/Decalcifier. It contains sulfamic acid, which does a great job, but won't damage the chrome finish. Also, IMHO, the brown you see is coffee grinds which have climbed up inside the shower screen. Better to remove the shower screen to clean it out. Those stale grinds will affect the quality of your espresso.

[@xccude]

How can I remove the screen on the la pavoni?

[@claudiolevermag]

please, join the official community: facebook.com/groups/LaPavoniLeverOwners

[@swetonic]

What kind of solution did you use?

[@normbearrentine2740]

I used Joe Glo, but I think I'll try citric acid next time.