Inconsistent, low volume shots

[element533]

Hi everyone,

I'm using a Rocky, but I'm having trouble consistently getting a 2 oz shot. If I dose by volume by leveling at the top of the portafilter basket with my finger, the shot always comes out about 1.5 - 1.75 oz, and the grinder setting simply decides how long it takes. I've been trying a technique where I level the volume, then lightly pre-tamp, and level the volume again, then tamp and extract as normal. This gets my volume up to 2.0 oz, but it's hard to stay consistent.

Should I start dosing by weight, or am I over-thinking this? If the portafilter can't hold the right weight of coffee before tamping, is there a good way to distribute and tamp in one try, or do you have to do it in halves?

I'm using a Delonghi machine whose portafilter seems different than every other one on the planet. I think it's calibrated to ESE pods.

Thanks,
Steven

[Niko]

It really does sound like you need to dose by weight. I can tell you that it makes a difference between my MACAP and my Mazzer, if I dose the MACAP the same as the MAZ the baskets would overflow. The Mazzer holds more grinds behind whereas the other one pretty much drops everything, I don't make the time to sweep out all the grinds on the MAZ so I simply dose it with more beans. Both of my grinders are doserless.

I'm using a Delonghi machine whose portafilter seems different than every other one on the planet. I think it's calibrated to ESE pods.

I'm not sure about this, you would hardly fit enough grinds to even pull a shot if this were the case. The E.S.E. pod baskets are almost non-existent they're so small....

[element533]

The Delonghi has a single shot cup which can take ESE pods and a double shot cup, which is just twice the size. That's why I think it's not necessarily "standard".

I was thinking of getting an electronic jeweler's scale. Do you know of any good brands?

[HB]

Do you know of any good brands?

They're cheap on eBay, search on 'digital scales' and confirm it has 0.1 gram accuracy. The only caveat I would add is the battery type. The backlit scales running from lithium batteries will drain quickly (mine went dead in a few months). My old Jennings scale ran on regular AAA batteries and lasted a couple years.

[cafeIKE]

...but I'm having trouble consistently getting a 2 oz shot. If I dose by volume by leveling at the top of the portafilter basket with my finger, the shot always comes out about 1.5 - 1.75 oz...

...I was thinking of getting an electronic jeweler's scale.

Taste. Taste. Taste.

Who gives a damn about ±¼oz if it tastes great?!?!?!?! Another ¼oz ain't gonna save a sinker.

Bottom line, Rocky is barely adequate to make great espresso and probably hopeless for the kind of precision you quest.

Don't know your machine, but every DeLonghi product I've ever used was a PoS in one way or another.
You may save yourself endless frustration by considering other options.