Purge your grinder before you start grinding/dosing. Give the machine a quick 1-2 second pulse then dump those grinds. That will clean out the grind path and get rid of any stale grinds. Then fire up your grinder and dose as you grind. Try moving your portafilter around while thwacking the doser. Dose around the perimeter of the basket and dont center load the basket. You will end up with a dose that is relatively even around the basket and not all mounded up in the middle. Then use your finger to sweep the grinds forward/backward/left to right/right to left. That will get you an even bed of coffee then tamp and pull your shot.

Thanks Dave,

I do always start with a swept chute and doser. Have tried this loading method before with no better outcome. Gave it a shot again today and it still doesn't work for me. 3 shots that sprayed, dripped over the edges and were uneven.

One of the things I liked about the Ceado was that it drops the grinds straight down. I haven't seen much of that unless I have more coffee in the doser than a shots worth. If not it throws to the left just like the rocky did. Maybe I have to fill the doser more and try it to see if that's the problem.