Measuring the Pressure of a La Pavoni Piston
Improve your espresso coffee extraction technique with a new economical tool from BPlus, specially designed to assess pressure on La Pavoni lever machines. This article presents an affordable alternative to expensive accessories, while highlighting my passion for coffee.
Why measure the pressure of a La Pavoni piston?
Standards for espresso coffee indicate that extraction should be done at 9 bars. However, in the case of a La Pavoni lever machine, it is difficult to know precisely the actual pressure applied during extraction. I had already discussed this parameter in another article here.
There are accessories like the one from Naked Portafilter, but their price is high (around $300).
The operating principle
The concept is nevertheless simple:
- replace the piston shaft and the piston with a drilled piston and a hollow rod,
- connect a pressure gauge that allows measuring the pressure in the piston during extraction.
Thus, you can finally visualize the applied pressure and compare it with the standard.
The BPlus alternative
The company BPlus recently presented on Instagram a similar system for a much more affordable price.
BPlus regularly collaborates with La Pavoni and offers innovative accessories for lever machines. Since I have already shared many of their products on this site, I had the opportunity to interact with the founder of BPlus. He is a genuinely passionate person, both about La Pavoni equipment and coffee itself.
The BPlus kit is available for pre-order at $129.
You can order it directly from their website.
As for me, I was able to acquire one at cost price. I will receive it in a few weeks and will present it to you in video and in a complete article.
BPlus kit composition
The kit is delivered with the following elements:
- 1 modified brass piston
- gaskets for the piston
- the modified piston shaft
- a pressure gauge
- a replacement lever (the original rivet cannot be used because the shaft is drilled)
- food-grade grease for installation and maintenance (useful for your future maintenance)
- Loctite 243 glue to secure the rod to the piston
- a rivet and its installation kit
In the video above, you can see a similar kit installed on a machine. It is the Naked Portafilter model, mentioned at the beginning of the article. The notable difference: the lever attachment system to the piston shaft is not the same as BPlus’s.
Is it really necessary to measure the pressure?
Measuring the piston pressure of a La Pavoni is not essential. The ultimate goal remains to prepare a good espresso, even if the exact pressure does not reach 9 bars.
However, this tool remains very interesting for enthusiasts. It combines design and precision, and finally answers a question that many baristas ask themselves:
At what pressure are we actually preparing our coffees with a La Pavoni?
