La Pavoni lever stiff, stuck or rising on its own

Hard to press during a shot

The older US Europiccola manual gives two causes when the handle is hard to lower: the coffee is packed too tightly, or there is too much coffee in the filter. Dose a little less, or grind slightly coarser, before suspecting the machine.

If a shot chokes completely, do not force the lever. Switch off, release the boiler pressure through the steam wand, and let the group settle before removing the portafilter. The group can hold pressure.

Stiff all the time

Kanen Coffee, a La Pavoni repair shop, says a lever that is stiff in normal use is usually scale and coffee residue inside the group cylinder creating friction on the piston. Less often it is a bent lever pivot pin or worn lever bushings.

Kanen’s fix: take the group apart, clean the bore with a soft cloth and an espresso cleaner or citric acid solution, and apply a thin film of food-safe silicone grease to the piston before reassembly. This is the same job as a gasket replacement, so fit new seals while it is open.

Rising on its own as it cools

This is normal. La Pavoni’s manual says that when the machine is switched off and cooling, the lever may move upwards by itself because a vacuum forms inside the boiler. Keep hands clear of the lever while the machine cools.