jovial wrote:taking the pros advice on-board, i also got myself a krups burr grinder

Who recommended the Krups grinder? Certainly not me! You may want to check if it is a "fake burr" grinder:


From The Home Barista's Guide to Espresso

another_jim wrote:Finally there are contraptions falsely called burr grinders that cost around $50. These are not actually burr grinders, but use knobs to crush the beans. Since this produces a large quantity of fines, they will produce an acrid shot with even the most mild mannered all-Brasil blends. They are to be strictly avoided for any coffee use. Whirling blade grinders (that look like tiny blenders or food processors) are also to be avoided, since they too produce excessive dust.

I won a Krups grinder in a drawing a couple years back; it matched Jim's photo.

jovial wrote:i've tried tamping the coffee harder and using a finer grind coffee, but the end result of these two have led to water leakage from the side of the brew head....

Unless you've replaced the stock basket, it's a pressurized type. That means you cannot make the grind fine enough to produce "real" crema without choking the extraction. If you wish to keep the Krups, I would replace the stock basket with an Elektra double basket for the Microcasa. Or ask Mark how he got along so well with the XP4020. If the Krups grinder is the type above, I would also replace it with a quality burr grinder, e.g., Rancilio Rocky, Gaggia MDF, Cunill Tranquilo, etc.