A La Pavoni espresso machine laid bare

Here you have a classic, vintage, lever-pull La Pavoni Europiccola espresso machine stripped down into it's parts and laid bare on my kitchen counter. If you haunt Craigslist you should be able to pick a working version up from time to time, around $160 to $200.

This photograph is the aftermath of a session with it at lunchtime (basic disassembly), and another last night (descaling, soaking, cleaning). Here's roughly what we have - up back a chromed boiler (yet to be forcibly, no doubt, removed - on a brass base that needs lacquer stripping, and probably a new powder coat - or I might just polish it), and a half-chromed lever pull. In front, brass (just about everything) group head, piston with stainless shaft, stainless filter basket and shower screen, brass portafilter and mostly brass componentry for tubing and whatnot.

The boiler element is older-style brass, is sound and does not short to the base, and this is the critical component. It can be replaced for around $100 bucks but it's sound and spent half a day soaking in descaler, and is now clean - so at it's heart the machine is sound, perfectly refurbishable and now it's time to inventory and order the 12 or so new seals required, and whilst those are coming spend several sessions with polishing compound and Brasso. :)

Here's some useful links: