1- yes I have a scale
2- I will measure this probably today when i tinker around
3- the coffee shop uses 14-15g for 1.5 oz and makes 2 for a double, so essentially you have like almost a quad-espresso

i will do this. i've been focusing on the triple basket, and have been getting 18-19g, but i have measured it only a handful of times. I'll do it consistently and see what's up. i'll also shoot for 30 sec 1.25-1.5 oz extractions. i'll do that with the double and triple baskets, but i'll start with the double.

thanks for the advice

I tried some extractions, and was getting consistent 13.5-14g doses in the double basket that I use (supplied with the machine). I use the side of an espresso saucer to even the grounds after I use the WDT to distribute. Depending on which saucer I use, I can get 13.5-14g for one, 14.5-15 for the other, and if I use cappuccino saucers, too much... The smallest saucer results in what I believe to be the least channeling. I get a 1.25-1.5oz shot (crema+liquid volume) after 25-30 secs, but the extraction seems to be heterogeneous (i.e. some sections blond and some brown). I may be expecting too much at this point, but I do notice however, that almost all holes are filled almost immediately (as in it's not concentrated to one side), i.e. the distribution is correct. I can't explain this...any opinions?

I will try with a triple basket because I can fit more coffee, and I can get more space from the dispersion screen.

Thanks guys. Enjoying it so far!!

Is the extraction cone kind of thin? It sounds to me that maybe the beans are a bit stale.

Somewhat thin. They were roasted on the 12th, so they're 11 days old, but when I started, it was Friday/Sat, so 9 days...Mind you, I'm quite a bit better at the moment than I was on Friday, and so it's the fact that they're 11 days old that is important. I will get newer ones tomorrow, see what happens.

It does taste SLIGHTLY under-extracted even with a pretty high dose. Is this a sign of slightly stale beans?

Also, I notice that with quite a fine grind, where I get ~ 1.25-1.5 oz in 30 secs from ~ 14g, it gets quite blond quite quick. I'm guessing this is another attribute of stale beans? It also tastes somewhat bitter and tastes strong but feels like it lacks body. This is not as I remember tasting! I will get new ones and report soon.