Mrboots2u

If you want a machine where you have to put in the minimal input and anyone can use to get at least a half decent cup off coffee then yes it's good. Milk steaming is really good. If you want something to where you can chop and change parts , upgrade as you go along then , it is not the machine for you .

Yeah Teams has taken a bit of a battering of late...

Still at work , our service has bene designated key service ( optometrists ) Working my nuts off to be honest and just trying to stay safe at the same time . Last night i was steam cleaning and bleaching stuff at work until 8pm.

I now never use beans for espresso before a a two week rest period, to be fair I never buy a kg of anything though. To the OP use some now, freeze what you don't need for the next 3 weeks and chill , the beans will still be optium at the moment. It's tough times out there , so give everyone little break where you can is my advice

What he said

Stop the shot by weight, not time Drink If taste = good - dint worry about the time Yes fresh beans will lead to taste and shot time differences , I'd say a minimum of 7 days rest Personally I dontuse anything before 14 days but as with alot of things in coffee up to you See answers to your questions below In summary Perhaps some difference is due to the amount of time I'm pre heating the gaggia and basket? Possibly but only if one is really cols and one is boiling Perhaps the fact that I'm using beans that are too fresh means that they'll be all over the place until they mature? Yes see above Why is my grinder giving me completely different results to the manual for it? The recommended espresso grind is 1.2 but I'm up at 1.8?! That is not important grind is reflective of dose , coffee roast etc.... Why is a very tiny change in grind setting giving me wildly different results? Maybe the grind is coarse but there's another factor making some shots slow? Welcome to espresso Maybe I need to soak the dispersion block in puly caff or something? Cleaning is always good but unless it never been cleaned uniliely but give it a try Could my tamping be rubbish? I apply firm pressure with a slight twist and press until the coffee is compressed. Tamp flat, get coffee even in basket, dont pull the tamper out too quickly , pressure again is irrelevant

Yep, rule out all the stuff that isnt mechnical first. Is the coffee fresh enough ? Stored sensibly (not in the oven) Is the Dose size appropriate to the basket being used?

Try what ?

What coffee are you using , where from, how old is it ? Have you gone finer than 5 on the grinder ?

You cant expect this machine to deliver the consistency you are looking for. It is not a commercial volumtetirc machine

I wouldn't be using 16 g in a 20 g basket per se. And I dont know what the tolerance was on a " provided " Vesuvius basket. they are italian so who knows they could be 14 to 16 g max dose You can change the shower screen from the stock one to give you a bit more head room but you shouldn't have to use a 20g vst Never use tamp pressure to drive extraction or timings , its the least effective variable

Yes it should fit , did for me What coin are you using ? Are you using dark roasted coffee at a coarse grind?

While I don't agree with the sponsor the forum always ran on a profit basis , to call own owner greedy and tother not, is a little subjective. Running it at a profit is how it became a concern that was worth someone purchasing and someone selling. The seller realised profit and cash. Prior to this period in ownership there were more sponsors available to Glenn , the loss of those is not all down to new owners /software but a wide combination of factors some of which are down to the membership , some to the owners.

And that is your decision to make, Be prepared to accept some fallout from the first customer that has a poor experience via Cafe Italia and the role they have as forum sponsors.

Having a theory that you with to confirm , then taking two shots to prove that theory ( when not blind ) , does really fill me with confidence on his premise. Man who makes the OCD says it lowers extraction but it tastes better, coz it gets rid of funny bits ? Had a conversation with him about it he convinced me.... ? I then made two shots ( yes just two shots ) I prefer the shot with the OCD that i was given. Confirmation bias to say the least, plus perhaps his grinder is the limiting factor here too and it it shite over 19% ... ( Mazzer mini is it? ) Not a proponent of the OCD ether just the process used here questionable .