a week with the la marzocco pico 

The issue with becoming increasingly immersed in a rabbit hole such as coffee (especially espresso, as you appear to be) is that what once was a "nice cup" as a patron in a coffee shop evolves into an endless quest for a "better cup" as a home barista. What constitutes "better," I have no idea. A more balanced, sweeter, clearer cup? Less bitter? Heavier-bodied? More extracted? Who knows. At some juncture, drinking coffee becomes an excuse to brew coffee rather than the other way around, or something to that effect. This is particularly true with a machine like your Linea Micra, my Lelit Bianca, or other high-end machines, where the act of using it is just as enjoyable as savoring the end result, most of the time anyway. To the everyday coffee person, there is little distinction between the X54 and the Pico, and considerations like retention and exchange don't determine their grinder of choice. Most people with an espresso machine here simply toss pre-ground Lavazza into their 25-year-old Gaggias encrusted in limescale after enduring a quarter-century of dealing with hard tap water, pour an arbitrary amount of coffee into the cup, and find contentment. I was brought up on burnt Moka pot coffee as part of my Italian heritage, so I'm familiar with the phenomenon. For most people, coffee is just coffee, and there isn't much more to it. But then, one day, you begin to wonder if that's truly all there is to it, and before you know it, you've set up a coffee bar in your own room. I know I did. I appreciate this friendly and relaxed approach to content, and I always admire someone who's passionate about their interests! Since you're up there in the Netherlands, I recommend giving DAK and Shokunin a try if you have the chance (since you've already got the jar from AMOC at the ACF). I regularly find amazing stuff from them. Un saluto :)

Nice insights, cool to hear the retention is so low and it can single dose well!

Love it!!

My mini favorite would be an Olympia Maximatic and their Moca grinder if I ever needed to save space. Looks like you need a funnel to reduce mess and wdt before the doze/tamp will considerably improve your consistency along with a puck bottom paper filter and top screen especially since you don't seem to be doing a lower pressure pre-infusion. A spritz of water on the beans will also help with preventing retention and decreasing static charge to improve extraction and again reduce mess.

Good job 👏 i just picked up the pico yesterday. It’s ok for me.

I picked up my Pico last Thursday. I'm quite satisfied.

You need a collar for your portafilter this will allow you to use the wdt. I suggest getting one which is magnetic and tall. I would also suggest seasoning your burrs to ensure consistent grinding, getting a puck screen, pullman basket and ditching the distribution tool

For consistency, I have move from using my palm tamper before to calibrated tamper. This gives me more consistent tamp pressure. The problem with palm tamper, you need to adjust the depth everytime you dial-in (from my experience). Finer or coarser grounds will make the depth different. Try also using any WTD tool, it helps a lot. Cheers!

Keep up the good work.

So what is your professional opinion about the pico for home use? I just ordered the linea micra and the pico looks like it could be a great grinder to pair with it

Ik heb de Varia vs3 gen 2. Top molen geen retentie ook zonder balg. Iets goedkoper… Ook een conical grinder.

What kind of brew is the Pico for? Espresso, drip, pour over.

Have you ever used a Mazzer Mini? If so, how would you rate it compared to this? Im considering a Mazzer Mini Electronic B vs the Pico! 😀

What size is your basket? Because dosing 19.5g in a small basket will result in a puck that touches the water dispersion screw and you won’t get consistent results as it makes a dent in the puck

I honestly think you're looking at your gear too much, when it could be your technique/workflow. Try to move away from that distributor tool and look towards WDT and then blink shaking, getting your tamped coffee to be really uniform. Basket prep is important! Edit: Apologies if it sounded harsh, it was not meant to be.

39mm conical burr grinder cost 1000+ is unacceptable. Fellow Ode costs 200-300 dollars is generous to come with 64mm flat burr.

Too noisy