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La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

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Discussions > Espresso > Machines > La Nuova Era...

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cruizie
Senior Member

Joined: 16 May 2012
Posts: 43
Location: Ohio
Expertise: Just starting

Espresso: La Nuovo Era Cuadra
Grinder: Baratza Vario
Roaster: Poppery

Posted Fri Dec 14, 2012, 5:21am Subject: Re: La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

Hey Grant, I would like to copy your setup. What did you use for the additional tubing, where did you purchase it and how did you attach it? Did you just put the larger tube in your new jug and leave the smaller one in the Cuadra? And where did you find the big water jug? Thanks!

grant862
Senior Member

Joined: 4 Aug 2011
Posts: 57
Location: Orange County, CA
Expertise: I like coffee

Espresso: Crossland CC1
Grinder: Preciso
Vac Pot: Yama 3 cup
Drip: Hario v60
Roaster: Portola Coffee Lab (yum)

Posted Fri Dec 14, 2012, 2:55pm Subject: Re: La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

I posted about it a few pages back....but the jug is a 2.5 gallon glass jar from Target ($20). The silver top had a handle on it, I just unscrewed it then widened the hole with a drill bit. I got a 1/4 inch plastic connector from Acehardware to connect the intake tubes (there is a picture posted a few pages back in this thread). I ended up getting the rancillio 9x6 mm tubing from espressoparts.com (it is only 2 feet long but plenty of length for me). then just plugged it all together. Nothing special. The smaller tube from the OPV (i believe) I did not extend, right now I just have it going into a pitcher that I empty about everytime I refill the 2.5 gallon jug. All in all, $20 for the jar, $2.5 for the connector, and $4 for the 2 ft tubing. From my best guess, with every 2 refills of the 2.5 gallon external reservoir, I will need to empty the internal reservoir. So for me, 2-3 lattes a day. I think I will refill the water tank about once every 7-10 days, then the internal reservoir I will empty about every 2 weeks.

lilia
Senior Member

Joined: 24 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
Location: Texas
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Cuadra II

Posted Sat Dec 22, 2012, 2:02pm Subject: Re: La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

Looking for help! I just received my Cuadra II this past Thursday. I was able to get a good expresso; however, I have an issue with the steamer system. There is some kind of contamination coming through the steam arm which obviously is ruining my cappuccino. I removed it and clean it up with hot water, The water in the reservoir was replaced 3 times. Still having the weird taste issue (Resin, paint, grease..) . Don’t know what else to do. . Looking for instruction of what to do to resolve this problem. I sent an email to 1st line. Wondering if anyone had the same issue and how it was resolved.... Thanks

slybarman
Senior Member

Joined: 3 Nov 2011
Posts: 334
Location: usa
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: La Nuova Era Cuadra
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Sat Dec 22, 2012, 2:32pm
Subject: Re: La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

lilia Said:

Looking for help!

I just received my Cuadra II this past Thursday. I was able to get a good expresso; however, I have an issue with the steamer system. There is some kind of contamination coming through the steam arm which obviously is ruining my cappuccino.

I removed it and clean it up with hot water, The water in the reservoir was replaced 3 times. Still having the weird taste issue (Resin, paint, grease..) .
Don’t know what else to do. . Looking for instruction of what to do to resolve this problem.

I sent an email to 1st line. Wondering if anyone had the same issue and how it was resolved....

Thanks

Posted December 22, 2012 link

You sent the email to me by mistake. I would re-send to first line. How do you know it is coming from the steam arm versus the HX or brew group?

SStones
Senior Member

Joined: 24 Nov 2012
Posts: 210
Location: Canada
Expertise: Professional

Espresso: Giga 5, ECM Giotto, Rocket...
Grinder: Anfim Milano-Best
Vac Pot: No :(
Drip: Some $30 thing from Walmart
Roaster: I buy pre-roasted.

Posted Sun Dec 23, 2012, 8:40pm Subject: Re: La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

You said you have removed the arm and cleaned it with hot water. Did it seem to have excessive grease on the ball and socket joint? If there's no greasiness coming out of the hot water dispenser, then the contamination is right there in the steam-valve or the ball-joint. Wiping the socket clean of excess and flushing it with steam should take care of it.

lilia
Senior Member

Joined: 24 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
Location: Texas
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Cuadra II

Posted Sun Dec 23, 2012, 10:52pm Subject: Re: La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

Steven, thanks for re-sending my email to first line. There was some grease in the spring that is located in the top of the steam arm. There is no contamination coming out of the water arm. Stephen, I think you are correct. I have flushed it several times with steam; however, the contamination persists. It looks like I have to remove the valve to clean it up…… Thanks!!

doug_s
Senior Member

Joined: 8 Oct 2010
Posts: 21
Location: earth
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: livia 90 & gaggia classic
Grinder: baratza vario & preciso
Drip: bodum french press

Posted Mon Dec 24, 2012, 3:59pm Subject: Re: La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

hi all! holly hippodaze! ok, i have a question about this new machine - it seems quite the deal at the sale price. so, would i be better off getting one of these, or a used good condition pasquini livia 90 (at half the price or less)? or a new breville bes900xl dual boiler at about the same price? or another used machine, at about half the price or less? all info/adwice/etc appreciated. thanks in adwance, doug s.

slybarman
Senior Member

Joined: 3 Nov 2011
Posts: 334
Location: usa
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: La Nuova Era Cuadra
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Mon Dec 24, 2012, 4:51pm Subject: Re: La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

Doug: I think you will find the overwhelming majority of people in this thread bought this as their first "real" espresso machine, so you may find it difficult to get a reply to your specific question.

SStones
Senior Member

Posted Mon Dec 24, 2012, 6:46pm Subject: Re: La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

I try to stay out of this thread, as you all love your Cuadra machines, and I was told to mind my own business when I ranted about the lack of quality found in some Cuadras. But I am fascinated by this little machine and I do continue reading... Since my house was built in 1948 the only places it has grounded service is in the few places I have updated since I lived here. The kitchen one where I use the Cuadra is not one of the ones updated. I have to say "Please don't run your machine on an ungrounded three prong outlet." For crying out loud. When the heating element cracks and is grounding through the boiler, what do you think the stainless steel face of the machine will ground through when you touch it? And you could even be the guy saying it's constantly blowing your fuses. 15 amp fuses? If you got ripped off with one of the 6.3 amp fuses in your origina, machine, then it's fine it blew so that you could replace it with a 15, but what's it blowing now? I know, you're going to flame me for whatever boundries I have crossed by not praising the machine that is so incredible, but please just plug it into a properly grounded outlet. Even plug it into a GFCI outlet so that when the GFCI trips you get a hint about something.

SStones
Senior Member

Posted Mon Dec 24, 2012, 7:05pm Subject: Re: La Nuova Era Cuadra Owners Thread

That part... however I did find this part click here on the right side in this picture or opposite the wire to have that chamber smoked over a bit. Click here Is your sacrificial relay. That burns out instead of your pressostat's electrical contacts, to lengthen your pressostat's life in a machine with a small boiler and quick cycle-time. When that fails you'll almost always have a "Not heating at all" symptom, and very rarely an overheating symptom. If anything the carbon on the relay's contacts is causing resistance and increasing your fuses' lives. Do you have a clamp on ammeter, or a friend with one? Check it during a cold boiler-fill when the element, fill-valve and pump are all on at the same time at low temp. If it is near 15 amps, the 15 amp fuse will decay and eventually blow after a short life. Check the rating on the plastic box that contains the fuse-holder and IEC cord-connection. Make sure it is rated for 16 amps (Or anything over 15). A lot of people have got Cuadras with 8 or 10 amp max fuse-holders. I'm sure 1st line isn't the distributor responsible, the ones I've seen were from a DirectBuy order unloaded for "Too good to be true" prices through clearance outlets. If it sounds too good to be true, it apparently is. But check yours.

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