For a user friendly blend, I'm usually dialed in pretty well by the second or third shot, although I might experiment a bit over time just to see what is possible. With a tricky SO it might take up to five shots. If I haven't found the sweet spot by then I'm likely to move on and brew the coffee instead.

2-3 shots but I credit that to the Cremina, which I find extremely forgiving.

csepulv wrote:"dialed in" may mean different things to different people.

I tried to address both senses in my response but now I'm just too curious. I don't mean to hijack the thread but maybe folks, when replying to the OP, can also define "dialed in" as they see it? I almost want to start a new thread with a poll: Does "dialed in" just mean within range of generally desired size & time, or does "dialed in" mean hitting a certain level of shot quality?

Obviously volume or weight within time will differ on the type of shot, and some don't focus much on time at all. And of course "quality" is pretty subjective. But I think we get the dichotomy I'm setting up here. I guess when I stop to think about it, I tend to consider "dialed in" just to mean volume in time, but if/when I've tweaked or drifted into a point of excellence I figure I'm really "nailing it." But I think that's because I set the bar pretty low just for "dialing it in" right off the bat, and don't expect myself to "nail it" right away, whereas others with better gear might not consider a coffee "dialed" until it's "nailed," which probably happens more readily.

Boldjava wrote:2-3 shots but I credit that to the Cremina, which I find extremely forgiving.

Same here, and I credit it to the Baratza Vario, or--more specifically--to the fact that I've been using the Vario for a couple of years and am very familiar with it.

SpromoSapiens wrote:I tried to address both senses in my response but now I'm just too curious. I don't mean to hijack the thread but maybe folks, when replying to the OP, can also define "dialed in" as they see it? I almost want to start a new thread with a poll: Does "dialed in" just mean within range of generally desired size & time, or does "dialed in" mean hitting a certain level of shot quality?

For me, it's eliminating sensory defects in pulled shots. There may be levels of optimization beyond that, but if the results are delicious after the defects are gone, I usually consider the dialing in process to be complete.

csepulv wrote:Are you referring to the HG-One or Vario?

Hg one.

The vario needs to continually be changed which is frustrating

With respect to all the comments made and how opened the question is, I tend to stick to a seasonal SO for 10 or 15 pounds and then switch to something else seasonal. Some times I'm in the ballpark after 3 shots and sometimes it takes 6. I can remember when it a took a half pound or more.

brianl wrote:The vario needs to continually be changed which is frustrating

I'm only a few weeks in with the Vario but I had the same experience, especially when changing beans with very different roast levels. It's as if the burrs stick together and take many shots before settling.

Going from a darker roast to e.g. Social People's Liberation which is fairly light, I used up a whole 340g bag in two days, wasting about half of it if not more dialing in. On the other hand, 340g with 18g+ shots is about 17 shots + waste @ 20g/shot; it's not that much.

Eventually I resorted to serve the best of the "bad" shots as flat whites, and catch the grounds during adjustments and put that into my drip/moka pot bin -- it actually was awesome this way.

Switching from Social People's Liberation to another medium roast (Bridgehead Piendamo) I barley needed adjustment though.

Bob_McBob wrote:I make one or two minor adjustments when I switch to a new bag, but that's about it.

Same here. Since I got the K10 and the VBM DD, I find that there is a lot less chasing going on. It might take more than 3-4 shots to PERFECT the espresso, but what I pull tend to have wide sweet spots and I won't do the 'dialling in' in one sitting anyway. I've lost patience with this practice.

Having said that. If the coffee is outright terrible on first pull. I'll sit there dialling it in, but never more than a couple of tweaks. I'm happy to return the next day and continue. Tasting too much espresso in one sitting overwhelms my senses.

Usually not more than three, four doubles max but there are some odd ones that take a bit more tinkering...