according to Saeco, the pressurized PF cuts total extraction time by 1/2. they claim this is by design. so a 15sec extraction is about right, using their version of the ppf. in my experience with their ppf I've found this to be about right. any more than 15 sec and the extraction turns watery & sour with too much volume.

as cannonfodder said - stop the extraction when blonding just begins, regardless of time (don't just shut it off -- physically remove the shot glass from the extraction stream so no "stragglers" get in). your coffee will taste much better.

having said that, it is also my experience that a non-pressurized pf does produce a better tasting shot on this machine. if you dissect the ppf you'll see all the springs & mechanisms that the coffee flows through & around with "intimate contact" before it exits the pf. this can't be good for flavor.

I'm having this same problem with my Aroma. At first the flow just easily dropped from the group. Now it comes out under high pressure. The screen 'looks' clean, it's only 3 weeks old. I tried to loosen the screen, but it just leaks around the side.

I also think the pressure is too high. I'm using a non-pressurized PF. My shots always seem to blonde quickly and are on the bitter side. Is there a way to adjust this machine to lower the pressure?

Thanks for any suggestions. Because of these problems, I'm seriously considering returning it to costco and getting the gaggia classic.

I'll bet the grouphead screen is meant for pods, not ground espresso. I have (for now) the Starbucks Barista and had the same high-flow water jet coming from the grouphead. I dealt with it for years (about seven now) and thought it was because the machine was just cheap.

Fast forward to my vacation a few weeks ago. My sister-in-law's very old refurb Estro Vapore had a far superior grouphead flow than mine. I was insulted because I'm a coffee snot and she's not, and my machine sucked in comparison. How dare she! I ended up replacing her grouphead gasket because it was crumbled, but I also cleaned out the grouphead for her. I noted the grouphead screen was perforated across the entire surface.

When I got home, I checked mine to see it appeared perforated from the upper side, but held up to the light I realized the perforations only went through part of the screen: roughly the inner 1/2 of the screen surface.

I ordered a new grouphead screen (the website offered two: one for pods and one for ground, noting the pod screen was only perforated at the inner portion of the screen surface) and the problem is solved.

This may not be your problem, but remove the screen and see if it's perforated fully across the entire surface. If not, replace it with the proper screen. I ended up having issues because the screw hole was not recessed like the original pod screen, and it leaked horribly when I installed it. I hammered it flat on an anvil and installed a small washer on the top side to support the tension of the screw.

ETA: well, I see the original post is from more than two years ago, and the original poster hasn't visited since this post.....I hope he figured it out.