I can't figure this out, for the past 3 weeks my Barista Express XL is thinking instead of a double shot or a single shot, it's doing a Endless stream of water, you'd have to press the button again. Now I did get a chance to test the extraction times eventually......for a single shot it takes 7 seconds and for a double shot it is taking 14( +7 seconds). Now from my Barista knowledge that's not quite right either I'd assume. I'd like to know some things I could do here, my tricks up my sleeve are all gone.

does your flow meter have a status led on it?

It's just a guess, but maybe the flow meter's paddle wheel is sticking due to scale or gunk buildup.

Hello Stu, I do not think the barista express has one. All we have here is flashing button when pushed, it has clean me , filter size indicators and a steam indicator.......Hmmmmm HB you can be on to somethin.... I do have a special screw driver to unscrew the cork in the middle......If anyone is familiar with the Barista Express XL machine can expand on this....I never cleaned the flow meter's paddle wheel since the day I got it as i did not know the procedure. At the comment I am dealing with the darkest beans ever, I had to switch my grind settings to 15 with is towards fine. and I constantly have to check the hopper because the beans do not slide down to the grinds they must be pushed down the barrel so to speak. I think it's messing with the sensor thefore the machine cannot tell between a programmed single and double shots or it's pretty much having a hard time keeping up