Bought a fancy espresso machine off Craigslist and got a surprise

So I found this old La Pavoni lever machine on Craigslist for $150 last Saturday, which seemed like a steal for a brass machine. The guy selling it said it just needed a new gasket, no big deal right? I got it home, cleaned it up, and ordered the parts. When I finally got it all put together and pulled my first shot, it tasted like pure sour lemon juice mixed with burnt rubber. I messed around with the grind size and tamp pressure for like an hour, making a huge mess on my counter. Turns out the previous owner had been using it with tap water for 10 years and there was this thick mineral crust inside the boiler that ruined everything. I spent another $40 on descaling solution and a week of soaking parts to get it clean. Has anyone else bought a "fixer upper" machine that turned into a bigger project than you expected?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael_jenkins3911d ago

That $40 descaling soak plus a whole week of soaking parts, that stings. Did you ever figure out if the mineral crust messed up the heating element or was it just the flavor that was shot?

the_kim11d ago

Heard the heat can warp the element with buildup that bad.

daniel_martin10d ago

Yeah I remember reading something about calcium deposits acting like insulation on the element. Makes it trap heat and eventually crack or warp from the stress.