try grind a bit finer, but with less coffee (interestingly if your grinder is time-dosed, then it will grind less if you go finer)

you can also try to puck screen. I have a stainless steel puck screen and then now I am using paper filter (~10 eur for 400-500 pieces) . don’t want to go back, I don’t care about the improved extraction (actually if i have one at the bottom, I can grind finer so I assume it’s true), but the pf is so much easier to clean, and the shower screen is virtually clean after each shot.

    delta76 My grinder is not ideal unfortunately. It’s a Baratza Encore with Virtuoso burrs. I use scales to grind single doses. I will do another shot now with 18g, finer grind and try the nickel test as well.

        erkal - is the gasket the right way up? - if it is (flat side, not bevelled) facing down, than the only thing I’d suggest is that your gasket has been worn out prematurely, or is damaged. Saying that, you said it doesn’t happen with the spouted portafilter, correct? - which then rules out the gasket theory, and the only possible explanation is that there must be something wrong with your portafilter, which I never heard of. Very strange.

            I did the nickel (1p coin) test with 18g and there was a tiny tiny mark, not even a full circle. Pulled the shot anyway and tiny drops seeped out. I then pulled another with 17g and again some water drops seeped. My grinder doesnt go any lower unfortunately and it took 23 seconds to get 38g of espresso, including 7 seconds of pre infusion. So it’s pretty fast and it doesn’t taste that great either. I don’t know what else I can do :/

            MediumRoastSteam Yeah I think so, the flat side of the gasket is touching the group head and the side with a slight groove is facing down towards the PF

                erkal - no! That’s the wrong way! The flat side needs to face the PF - I.e.: touch the basket!

                MediumRoastSteam And, is the gasket the right way up? (flat side facing down)

                Needless to say, before you put the dispersion plate and shower screen back, take a picture please… 😉

                      MediumRoastSteam Really?! Why have a groove that looks just like the rim of the basket and have it facing the flat surface of the head LOL. OK I can change that easily

                        erkal - Well, the video is there. You can see how they are fitting the gasket. Just do the same and you’ll be good. There’s a clear very flat side to the gasket. That side must face down. If that’s already facing down, then it’s correctly fitted, if it isn’t, then change it.

                            MediumRoastSteam Yeah in the video I can see that the flat side is not facing down, am I wrong? I can see the grooved side before he takes out the gasket

                                erkal Pls take a photo of your gasket at an angle so it shows both sides. I’ll tell you which way it goes then.

                                    Does this look correcT?

                                    I think I might have missworded it, the other side is totally flat as in there are no marks nothing, this side you see now is what I think the grooved side is. I can see other gaskets have indentations on the other side, this one does not, it’s just flat on the other side and this side has that slight curvature.

                                      the seal has a bevel on the edge and one is flat sharp the flat points to the ground

                                      Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -

                                        erkal - Blimey. Your machine is 2 months old but that gasket looks like it had a tough time :-) - I’m not surprised it’s leaking, as the dispersion plate clearly damaged the gasket (was really tight as you said) and if you look closely, you can see the ident from the portafilter being done way too hard.

                                        My suggestion is to change the gasket and go from there. They are not that expensive. If you live near Newbury in berks I can even give you one for free :-)

                                        PS: It looks like the right way up.

                                        And… You can see there’s coffee there - potentially leaked over pressure due to the damage. If you don’t clean that, and just lock the PF and pull next time, you’ll have a leak.

                                            MediumRoastSteam I’m sorry, are we talking about the black one or the red one?

                                            I’m in North London unfortunately but I am sure Bella Barista can sort it out, thank you so much for the offer though!