Hi Guys, I picked up the machine today. 1 week turnaround. Speaking with the local repairer in Brisbane, they have stopped using o-rings after going through 3-4 types and now have a gasket instead. They replaced this in the main solenoid and upgraded the software and reset the OPV to 10bar (I did like the feeling of having it set at 9.75 by AM - something nice about it being below 10, but the guy did talk about the needle flutter issue that doesn't happen at 10 - I did want to say that it doesn't happen at 9.75 either, but in reality there is nothing to quibble about, and I was grateful they went that extra mile to reset the OPV) I'm happy, have only pulled 5 shots thus far today, and all have been great. Flow is back to normal. I liked the comment from the repairer - "this machine makes a great coffee, we had one this morning" - they actually real world test every coffee machine they repair! The repairer in Brisbane is excellent and treated my machine with a lot of care. AJ - As for having to buy 4 coffees a day - that's a bit extreme, try pour over / chemex for a week or mocha pot. Plenty of alternatives in the coffee scene at the moment and beans to suit. Might be worth investigating a bit more to see what the go is with this new gasket instead of o-ring replacement as to whether it will more permanently solve your issue before you buy a Bialetti to see you through the repair wait. The repairer in Brisbane is excellent and I'm sure would give you the time of day if you just wanted to ask about the defect. AM - you're welcome to look at my machine to see what was done. Anytime.
