The steam and water valves used on La Cimbali espresso machines are almost the same over the years. There are small differences in the valves for some models. Such as a conical or flat inlet of the valve or a steam/water outlet on the La Cimbali M39 which is on a 90 degree angle where as the “Standard” size is slightly sloped. Besides this valve you also got solenoid valve operated water outlets.

How does the manual la Cimbali steam valve work? The valve itself has a body, with threads on the inside. In that valve you can screw a steam/water valve shaft. This shaft already has the sealing o rings and gaskets installed to it(there are 2 versions, with and without screw to hold the gasket). To hold the shaft in place, to prevent accidental removal, there is a washer and a C clip installed.

The steam and water tubes used on La Cimbali espresso machines do vary a lot. The water tubes vary in size and length and if they have a water filter inside of them. The Steam tubes have remained over time relatively the same, do pay attention to the thread type of the steam tip. The steam tube and water tube do always have a protective rubber sleeve over them.

The steam and water valves have for almost every espresso machine model a different type of knob. These knobs can vary for the models such as the Cimbali M28, Cimbali M29, Cimbali M30, Cimbali M15 and the Cimbali M21. This spring is held in place with a steel D shaped spring.