Aha! I am ahead of the game for once. I just set the grinder to grind slightly finer. Still, the improvement is noticeable with NO adjustments anywhere. I am also thinking about upping the dose from 14g to 15g and see what happens.
Thanks.

scottfa wrote: I am still looking into the OPV but want some info that my Gaggia Coffee Delux has to be adjusted.
Thanks for the tip on letting the pump run for a few seconds before putting in the portafilter. I do this to purge any stuff fronm the last shot and it certainly sputters and steams. .

Hello fellow Gaggia owner, did you end up adjusting the OPV? I was considering it on my G-espresso. I think that link listed above described how to adjust OPV with non manometer measurement of the bar pressure, which should be around 9 bar for espresso pulls.

let us know an update, thanks.

scottfa wrote:Wow! Quite a collection of responses.
I think that the beans are fresh, but that the roast is too dark. I will try the Espresso bel Canto next time around.
Yes, this is my first ever espresso machine and the first bag of beans through it. I guess I almost sound like I know what I am doing

Fresh roasted beans does not automatically confer quality. So many variables exist, including the choice of beans, roast profile, and expertise of roaster, all of which can impact the resulting quality. Although their intentions may be good, it is hard to know what is going into the beans that you are buying from Whole Foods.

When I moved two years ago, I was initially thrilled to find a micro-roaster within a stone's throw of my home. I was certain that this meant good coffee in those periods when I was unable to roast myself. How wrong I was: the apparent lack of skill and/or interest of the shop's owner resulted in some of the worst coffee I've ever seen or tasted. After throwing out one batch, I tried on a few more occasions as it made no sense to me (who opens a roastery when they don't know how to roast?). All failures.

For the sake of experimentation, I would invest in a pound of freshly roasted beans from a local roaster with a good reputation or from one of the online suppliers of high quality beans. If you cannot get quality coffee from such a bean, then the machine and pilot surely need to be examined more closely.