The brew valve is what opens to allow water to make its way to the shower screen. In order from the top of the group to the bottom, you have the brew valve, the preinfusion valve, and the drain valve. Inside of your group, the heavy lifting is being done by three valves. Brew / Pre-Infusion / Drain Valves / Mushroom Group O-Ring If you’re using a bottomless portafilter, however, then I would recommend that you use the slightly thinner gasket like the 8.0mm group gasket. Most machines come installed with an 8.5mm gasket so you can use this 8.5mm group gasket as a direct replacement. If it begins to leak around the portafilter before the year is up, then you should go ahead and replace it anyway. What would normally be an easy two-minute job could turn into an hour-long process of chipping away at desiccated rubber with a chisel or awl. If you wait too long, then they become difficult to remove. While they may last for a number of years, we recommend replacing the group gasket once a year. Group GasketĮach time you lock the portafilter into your E61 brew group, it compresses your group gasket so that it seals and blocks water from leaking around the portafilter instead of through the coffee. When this happens, we recommend using our E61 Cam Lever Gasket Repair Kit to replace those gaskets and relubricate everything so it runs smoothly again. This can lead to a brew valve that squeaks when it’s turned, leaks water, or refuses to stay in the brew position. These gaskets, and the DOW 111 lubricant that keeps the cam lever moving smoothly, can over time wear down. To prevent that same water from leaking past the cam lever, there are two donut-shaped gaskets compressed around its shaft. When you lift and lower the brew lever, you are turning the cam attached to the end of that shaft to actuate the brew, preinfusion, and drain valves to allow water to go to the coffee and the drain respectively. Below, I will describe the parts to be aware of, and when to know to replace them. As tough as it is, it still has a number of moving parts that can wear down over time. It’s because of these features, and its robust design, that it has become so much of a staple.
The thermosyphon effect also helps to stabilize the temperature of the group by constantly circulating water from the boiler/heat exchanger through the group head. Its distinctive exposed look, like that of the lever machines that preceded it, allows it to shed heat to the atmosphere to slightly cool the (very) hot incoming water down towards a more reasonable brew temperature.
You can find this massive chunk of chrome-plated brass affixed to machines spanning all sorts of manufacturers and styles.
In the sixty years since Ernesto Valente had the idea for this groundbreaking design, the E61 group head has become ubiquitous on espresso machines the world over.
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