Hello! I recently upgraded my grinder from Hario Mini Mill to Baratza Vario. Everyone was right, grinder makes so much different to the shot and my shot from La Pavoni Lever Machine has significantly improved. But I have one question about why this is happening.
So I used the grind setting at 1W (Macro finest, Micro at W ) at the starting point and it already seemed like it grinds finer than what I used to grind from Hario. But when I pull up the lever and wait for the preinfusion, the steady drips of coffee starts coming out although I am not pressing down the lever. But the shot seems like coming out alright since it is not gushing or spraying out of the bottomless portafilter (I feel no resistance though). I thought I didn't tamped hard enough or grind finer or maybe the distribution was not done right. So I tried couple time and ended up with grind setting of 1L. However no matter how hard (not extremely though) I tamp and how well I distributed using WDT thing, the coffee is still dripping before I press down the lever. So I thought it was the calibration issue so I tried to calibrate. But the machine was already calibrated right. I heard the tone change when the Micro setting was at middle. So I am totally out of ideas of what is causing this dripping This didn't happen with Hario and it even gave me some resistance when I pulled a shot. Maybe it is a normal thing?? Help me I am really confused!

The dripping is due the coarseness of your grind- not tamp or distribution. (It technically could be distribution if you were WAY off and had some serious channeling in preinfusion, unlikely though)
Check out this video published by Baratza. It demonstrates a properly calibrated Vario. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5XJi347kM4

There is a chance it came from the factory incorrectly calibrated.

Thank you for the video! I did the calibration as he did in the video, and it seems like it is working! Although I have not perfectly correct the setting yet, there are less dripping now! thank you for your help.

Just to add, you can calibrate it so you have more room for error. I calibrated it so the burrs rub in the 2 macro range, and around R micro, so I never need to go into the 1's and never run out of available settings.

EDIT: Looks like that's what the video shows. When I got my Vario I think it was recommended to calibrate it to the 1 Macro instead of 2

Hi all,

I am the owner of a Lelit PL62 and a Mahlkönig Vario grinder.

From the beginning I noticed a phenomenon for wich I have no clear explanation yet. The morning routine consits of making 2-3 double espresso. At first extraction the flow is good, in parameters. The second extraction has invariably a faster flow and the third continues the trend. I can manage with this by progressive overdosing, amounts being approximately 21.5 g in the first extraction, 22.1 g in the second, third 22.5g respectively and by increasing tamping force (12, 14 and 16kgf).
My suspicions are turning to the Vario Mahlkonig.
Has anyone seen such a phenomenon?

(Apologies if my English has upset you, I'm not a native speaker.)

I do not own a Vario-normally the 1st shots might be faster due to old coffee/retention in the exit path. However i have read that on some Varios the subsequent shots are faster, perhaps the burr assembly flexes thus grinding coarser.

I can understand why this could happen on a Vario due to plastic parts etc, but i have heard of this happening on other heavier built grind collars like mazzer mini type grinders, there is a thread somewhere on this but not sure a solution was reached.

I had a similar same set up as the OP. Vario W with a LP which I have used with success for over six months.
Also my grinder was calibrated from the factory like in the video and I had no such problems with coffee flowing with pre-infusion.
The LP required a finer grind at 12gm doses and for most medium roasts it was between 2E to 2G.

I have since upgraded to the HG one and it has performed great however I let some oily beans get really old and experienced the pre-infusion drip, and the puck would not hold well during extraction. After getting new beans from the same roaster all was normal again.

I think trying new or different coffee might fix the issue and it's probably not grinder related.