jordanborth wrote:Considering the machine goes into stand-by, and auto on/off require the machine being turned on, is there any reason to ever turn the machine off at the switch?

I turn the machine off when I'm going away for a weekend. I'm not sure if this is just on the early production review unit that I have, but the machine that I am reviewing doesn't recover the stand-by setting after a power outage. What I mean is:
1. I have the main switch "on," stand-by is set to 10 minutes, and the machine is off. Everything works as normal.
2. Mains power is cut.
3. When the mains power comes back, the machine comes on, and stays on, i.e., the stand-by setting is ignored by the machine.
4. I go into the app, change the stand-by setting to something other than 10 minutes, quit the app, and then start the app up again, change the stand-by setting to 10 minutes - and then stand-by works again.

YMMV.

Thanks @RapidCoffee and @baldheadracing.

Have there been any comparisons between the stock Micra basket and VST baskets?

Baskets are very dependent on coffee, grinder, skill, and desired result. VST baskets (or IMS or ...) are not always "better" that stock baskets, especially now that most baskets are "precision" compared to what was shipping 20 years ago. In many cases, especially for classic espresso, other baskets can be more forgiving of grinder and prep, provide a preferred flavor, or both. La Marzocco ships high-quality baskets with the Micra. Their baskets often appear to be from the same OEM as VST uses.

jordanborth wrote:Have there been any comparisons between the stock Micra basket and VST baskets?

Honestly I'm a bit confused by this question. What comparisons are you looking for?

FWIW I pulled shots on the Micra using a variety of HQ baskets (14g and 17g LM, 15g and 18g Decent, EPNW "14g" ridged and ridgeless). All baskets gave good results (with appropriate dose and grind settings). Bottom line: the LM baskets are just fine. But please experiment with different baskets, along with different roast/dose/grind/brew temp/etc., to determine what works best for your taste buds.

jordanborth wrote:Thanks @RapidCoffee and @baldheadracing.

Have there been any comparisons between the stock Micra basket and VST baskets?

The baskets that come with the Micra are the usual straight-ish-sided La Marzocco baskets.

I would expect that differences in taste would mostly be due to different grind settings.