Frustrated!!!
Hello everyone. New to the home barista world. I’ve been researching for a while and was hoping to say I’m the proud owner of a Bambino Plus and Baratza Encore ESP PRO, but instead I want to smash them both with a hammer. Recently roasted beans from Roasting Warehouse (premium blend) it’s a medium roast. Weighing my dose. 18g, started at 35 grind setting. Nothing came out, slowly got coarser, still nothing. Ended up at 43.5 and just, just managed to pull a tiny amount. Decided to lower my dose, got down to 16. Still just a small amount, like a very conservative ristretto. Decided to use the razor tool that came with the machine. Adjusted my tamping from what I thought was perhaps too much pressure, to very lightly. Still not much coming out and tasted so so bitter. I am so tempted to return them both and just resign myself to having to buy a coffee from a cafe for something decent. Any help is much appreciated.