DON”T throw it out or sell it in frustration
i am very happy to help you get up to speed with it & i promise not to talk you into an L1 either – im just keen to see more people connect with lever machines
the trouble with lever machines is for most people they start with a la pavoni, they struggle with it for a bit, and if they cant make progress they ditch it and spend the rest of their lives vowing never to go near a lever machine and telling anyone who will listen what a wretched curse they are
with a few basic pointers it doesnt have to be like that
la pavonis should probably only be sold to experienced lever machine users – they are exponentially more difficult to use than the L1 which makes even inexperienced home baristas look good, but the la pavoni is at the most accessible price point, and as we all know economics wins
so while a la pavoni is one of the more difficult levers to master it is not insurmountable – perservere with it & yell if you need help
i would recommend to anyone considering buying one that (1) they buy a new one because the synthetic liner in the group gives much improved thermal stability and (2) they buy a new one because the cost of repairing a second hand one will put you very close to the price of a new one very quickly indeed
i really like la pavonis, despite the frustration you will have to endure initially
for the money there is no other machine that will give you such exceptional espresso (when you get it right)
please dont hesitate to ask for help – you will not be obliged to spend a penny with us
youve got a great machine in your hands, just connect with someone who knows what they are doing to show you the basics