1) You'll see major improvement with a better coffee
2) Very minor correction of a suggestion made by another member. Last time I checked with them, La Marzocco itself does not actually offer a triple basket - ridgeless or otherwise. I believe Synesso does offer one but any "LM triple" is either a Rio triple basket (if it was purchased from LM USA) or is some other brand that will fit LM.

I haven't been able to find a LM triple either, but espressoparts makes a very nice triple called the 'La Marzocco Style' triple that I have found to be pretty awesome (it has a ridge, but a very slight one, and no decrease in diameter so a tamper fits right to the bottom.) That basket, and the subesquent ability to controll dose, not bottom out the tamper on the basket, and not hit the group screen with the puck, was the best value per dollar upgrade I made to my e61.

Update, The redbird arrived last night. Today I made a wonderful cappa. I might have added a little two much milk but it was great. I used 14g redbird which I plan to increase to 15g with a slight tweak to the grind to see how it goes. Looking for a more fuller cup, just a little bolder. Really helped when measuring an actual gram not troy ounces.

Sounds like you're on your way, here's a couple things that helped me improve my espresso, but at this point it's probably mostly going to be about practicing.

Don't automatically stop the shot at 25secs, lots of shots will take longer than that to get the best extraction, and some will be shorter too. A combination of tasting and watching the shots will help more than just waiting a set amount of time. A naked portafilter will help with this too, but just remember that a good tasting shot is much more important than a good looking shot. I've had shots that looked too blond or too fast or sent spritzers all over the place, but tasted great in the cup.

Keep a note book, you don't have to write down every shot, but I found that at least a few notes here and there helped me get new coffees dialed in better. And it's much easier to just look up what dose/grinder setting you were using when you reorder some coffee that you haven't had in awhile.

Sticking to the "suggested parameters" is always a good place to start, but they're not perfect, try using way more, or way less coffee, or pulling very fast or very slow shots. They probably won't be as good as a more traditional shot, but sometimes you'll get a pleasant surprise. I've had some great and/or interesting espresso that was barely more than a puddle at the bottom of the cup, If nothing else it helps to dial in your taste buds.

Try lots of coffees, and don't worry about getting a good deal. We spend hundred or thousands on our equipment, but it's the coffee that really matters. Spending a few extra bucks to order some interesting sounding blend or SO shipped from the west coast, or picking up an extra bag of the 'featured' coffee at the local roaster or cafe has yielded a lot of nice surprises and tasty espresso. Definitely a better value than any tamper I've ever bought

pjanson wrote:As far as espresso is concerned, find yourself a local source that sells with a roast date.

http://greencastlecoffee.com/

I don't know much about coffee beans. I know some beans are better for espresso than others. Ideas on regions and what I should look for when beginning to pick beans not previously mentioned on this site or a well known roster/supplier??

This is so overwhelmingly a matter of personal taste that probably the best advice is to buy a variety of things, drink a lot of espresso, and take notes on what you like, and what you like specifically about certian things, (eg. if you prefer light roasts or african coffees, then explore more things in that region.) I came back from Italy with the impression that coffee had to be dark roasted for espresso, but I have found myself completely taking back that opinion, and most of my favorite coffees for espresso are pretty light (so don't be afraid to buck that [what seems like it can hardly be called a] trend [anymore.]) I have found blends (by good roasters at least,) to be easier to pull great shots with a depth and variety of flavor with than most single origin coffees; but there are some amazing single origins for espresso out there, and most good coffee can be coaxed to pull an espresso shot that will be at the very least fun and interesting.