Ben, but would this not also give you extra hot water to start the shot with?
Well I'm thinking that there is some sort of lag between heating the boiler walls and heating the water within the boiler for this burst of heat. So if you make it a short flick of the steam switch then instantly flick the brew switch I think the first water out will be normal boiler temp - loss due to group etc., then the later water will have a little extra heating to get it up to temperature quicker. Its just a guess...
I like the idea of modding my mdf grinder but its under warranty, I was thinking of adding a circle of something flat and thin to get rid of the grooves, or even better make lots of little grooves so its still stepped but say twice an many steps. Having said that I usually get by with what I have and vary the tamping and it sounds like something beyond my capabilities (i.e., beyond a bodge) so I'll probably leave it!
Aadje, I've noticed that the solis grinders (well actually the dualit ones but they are the same aren't they?? so you could just say it was a dualit
) seem to hold their value very well for resale on ebay (they go for £30+) this seems bonkers as I'm sure the burrs are not meant to last too long and are non-replaceable. Its probably a brand name thing. Anyway you might want to offload that grinder and get something chunkier? Having said tha tt he situation may be a little different in the Netherlands.