I rinse under the instant hot water and then wipe.

Duhhh, so obvious I didn't think of it. There's a small sink to the right of my machine that I have been using.

Hot water from the machine is lots better.

HB wrote:I believe Jim is making the point that if we are to meaningfully compare our experiences, we need to agree on some basic ground rules. For example, nobody disputes the practical benefits of agreeing what the colors red, yellow, and green are. However, there's no need to agree that everyone's favorite color is green. The same analogy applies to taste descriptors.

Thus, in 1990, Professor Ann Noble of the Enology & Viticulture Department at the University of California at Davis invented The Wine Aroma Wheel -- an attempt at "standardizing" descriptors to provide a more meaningful discussion . . . .

Sorry if this was covered before in this thread (didnt read all 8 pages), but it's much more likely that this whole 2nd shot is better than the first phenomenon is due to the grinder.

When you make your first shot you are getting any old grinds out of the chamber and replacing it with fresh grinds.

For the second shot you are now getting remnants from a much fresher grind.
Some of you pulse grind with a small amount of beans before pulling the next shot of the day, but try this experiment:

instead of sinking the first shot of the day, grind enough for say a single.. throw those grinds out

then grind again for a double, make your espresso (1st)

make a 2nd espresso

Compare 1st to 2nd now...

godlyone wrote:When you make your first shot you are getting any old grinds out of the chamber and replacing it with fresh grinds.

Methinks not. As Ian frequently mentions, he purges stale coffee beforehand. Below are highlights from his previous posts on the subject.

cafeIKE wrote:I grind into the bin before every shot.

cafeIKE wrote:Almost all grinders, save the Versalab, have issues with grind retention. Solution: grind half a dose into the bin before grinding for the shot to clear stale residue.

cafeIKE wrote:At the start of the day, it's a good idea to run half a dose [or more] into the bin to clear out the stale grounds sitting around the burrs.

cafeIKE wrote:I prefer to grind ~1-2g of stale coffee into the bin before I charge the PF with fresh coffee.

cafeIKE wrote:FWIW, anytime the grinder sits more than 15 minutes, I clear it with ¼ dose into the bin.

cafeIKE wrote:Any time the grinder is adjusted, grind ½+ shot into the bin. Anytime the grinder sits for a few minutes, grind ½+ shot into the bin. The next day, grind ½+ shot into the bin.

cafeIKE wrote:Any time you change the grinder setting, grind half a shot [ ~4g ] into the bin to clear out the detritus. If your grinder sat for a while, say more than 15 minutes, since the last shot, do the same.

malachi wrote:"Good" ones wipe the basket but don't rinse it - but it's only marginally relevant in this case due to the benefits of working in a high volume environment.

Makes sense, but don't the towels accumulate a ton of coffee grounds that way? How often do you need to replace the towels during a shift?

depends on volume
i probably averaged 3 towels in a shift