Freshness certainly isn't a problem for me! Apart from a complimentary bag of Neil's delightful Nehemiah blend, my BSG hasn't seen a commercially roasted bean since early December. Even before that I only used beans with a 'roasted on' date! I've only needed one of the small shims to get the BSG to where I need it. The espresso setting is typically 2 - 3 notches from the finest setting, but I also suspect the OPV could go just a hair lower allowing me to perhaps grind a little coarser. Then again, sink shots have become vanishingly rare for me on this setup, but I'm willing to concede that my sub-standard palate may be partly responsible for that!
