How recently was your coffee roasted? Espresso especially needs time to release CO2, and freshly roasted beans can cause inconsistencies and channeling.
In general rest time corresponds with roast level:
- Dark roasts - 1 to 1.5 week
- Medium roasts - 1.5 to 2 weeks
- Light roasts - 2 weeks +
I only ever set timers and checked the weather when I had a Google home mini, Voice preview is able to do that pretty well.