andcafeIKE wrote:2nd shot's almost always tasted better that the first. No amount of grinder tweaking, shot volume or temperature adjustment could ameliorate the problem.
thenanother_jim wrote:I almost always get a a better 2nd shot even when I clear the grinder or switch grinders. I've driven myself crazy with flushing regimes, to no avail. Even semi-commercial machines need a few shots at espresso flow rates to find their groove. Someone needs to invent an inexpensive reusable puck or restricted-basket to make pulling blank shots convenient.
cannonfodder wrote:Oil will dissolve oil, water does nothing to it. from Backflushing - How far is not far enough?



For the last while, I've been collecting up the grinder purges through the day and pulling tomorrow's 1st shot with them. Directly into the tray! Let the group sit for a bit to allow the coffee to 'work'.
For the non-purging Pollyanna / miser, a few grams in the blind basket works as well.
Not quite a quantum leap, but the delta between 1st and 2nd consumable has diminished considerably.
Same improvement on the HX and DB.