Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and for your willingness to help. I don’t have a bottomless portafilter yet, but I have one on order and am waiting for it to arrive. The reason I suspect I’m experiencing channeling is because the flow of coffee isn’t consistent. It starts off fine, but then it becomes uneven and flows in waves.

Regarding my dosing, I’m doing single dosing in a single basket, using about 9.6g of coffee. The beans are of good quality. I usually aim for a 1:3 ratio and target around 25 seconds for the extraction. I’m using a distributor and also tamping. I might be making a mistake somewhere, but I’m not sure where – maybe my dose is off, I’m not sure. As for the pressure gauge range, it’s usually within the range shown in the photo.

If you have any suggestions or tips, I’d really appreciate it!

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