Making a consistently good cup of espresso requires control of several variables simultaneously, one of which is how long to let the pump run. In order to control this variable I made a sugar timer (didn't have any sand) out of two vanilla extract bottles with a drilled dime cemented between the drilled bottle lids. It works well as long as I remember to give it a flick with my finger when I turn it so that sugar isn't jammed in the orifice.
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