It’s the grinder that gets ya.
https://reddit.com/r/espresso/comments/lw8pbo/probarista_gio...
The trick is to shake the grinder up and down while it is cutting. I can get a surprisingly even grind that doesn't get too hot. Good enough for a trouble-free Aeropress plunge, anyway.
These days I am all about the cheap solutions; I'll probably treat myself to a lever-press espresso machine at some point.