Dialing In Breville Barista Express | Dose, grind, yield, time

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Are you struggling with dialing in the Breville Barista Express or any other espresso machine? In this video I'll be providing step by step instructions on dialing in the Breville Barista Express so that you can be pulling some at least drinkable shots. And then we'll dive into the details of dose, yield, brew ratio, grind setting, and time so that you will understand how to turn that drinkable shot of espresso, into a great shot of espresso. Dialing in espresso can be a very frustrating endeavor, but it doesn't need to be! In this video we'll look at some helpful graphs, and do some demonstrations so that you better understand the concepts behind pulling an espresso shot, and where the various flavors come from during the extraction so that by the end, you'll be a master of dialing in espresso.

Filming Setup

#espresso #breville #dialingin

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Table of Contents:
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0:00 - Intro
0:57 - Step-by-Step
7:40 - Dose
9:01 - Brew Ratio
11:04 - Time / Grind Size
12:42 - Summary

[LifestyleLab_]

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[yankita]

This is by far the best explanation on how to make a great espresso on the Breville Barista. I've had my machine for approx. 2 years now and have struggled with consistency. I'd pull a great espresso one day and garbage ones for 2-3 days straight thereafter. I made the assumption that the machine automated the process and that is far from truth. After following the instructions in this video, I have made - good to great espressos - over the last week or so. My "worst" pull this week has been better than my average pull over the last 2 years.

There are two main takeaways that I assumed the machine was accounting for that I think had the biggest impact.

1. Weighing the beans - I just assumed when I asked for a double shot-worth of grounds, that Breville had that dialed in. As a result I was filling the entire grinder up with beans and just grinding the factory setting for a double filter size. This lead to too many variables between amount, grind size, tamping, etc... Every time the machine grinned coffee, it was different. Now I only fill the machine with 18g at a time, and knowing that I have EXACTLY 18g once the hopper is empty is a game changer. Seems so obvious but again I just assumed the machine, somehow, accounted for this.

2. Program Button for manual shot - using the program button to "manually" pull the shot is something I read about on Reddit but I needed to see someone do it for it to sink in. Again, this is a game changer. Being able to stop the shot when you reach 1:2 ratio of bean:liquid makes it so even your worst shot has the proper volume. While you can still under or over extract using this method, it cannot be over stated how big of a boost it is to remove the volume of your shot as a variable. Worst case scenario, you have the right amount of espresso.

There were other tips in this video, but the combo of these two things removes the two biggest variables: How much coffee should I start with and how much espresso should it yield? Ensuring these two things are constants, makes tweaking everything else in between seem rudimentary. Shot taking too long? Make ground coarser. Shot too fast? Make ground finer...but at least you know you have the right amount of coffee and do not need to adjust that.

Great video. Great tips. I am enjoying my machine to the fullest 2 yrs too late, but glad I am able to enjoy it because of this video!

[peterelliott]

Breville should give you this video when you buy their machines lol. Save a LOT of pain and disappointment. Well done sir!!

[Mrdresden]

Tip for the Breville; You don't need to click the program button first, but can hold the yield buttons (single/double) in for a bit, releasing when you want the pre-infusion to have finished and hit it with full pressure. Usually do 8 second hold then release. The full pressure will run until you click the yield button again.

[beansy]

Remember, you didn’t buy a coffee machine, you bought a chemistry set!

[thegood]

This is really a good video. I almost sent my Breville back in frustration. It does take some time to learn..but once you figure it out, it makes an INCREDIBLE cup of espresso!

[tylergeike]

Best Breville barista express video I’ve seen so far thank you! Do a latte art one! Or a series on coffeees and the machine

[peterch]

Of all the coffee videos I’ve seen and 2 master Breville classes, I really appreciated the clear and straightforward explanation on how to dial in the right espresso for me. I forwarded your video to Breville as a the next master class teacher candidate!

[awesomestuff]

"you're probably having a bit of trouble dialing in the perfect shot of espresso"

me over here watching and not owning a espresso machine

[WhatMACHI]

This is probably the most clear and thorough Barista Express and general coffee tuning video i've watched! Amazing stuff.

[byshr]

I have had my machine for two years and have never been able to use it right thank you for this video. You literally mentioned every problem I have had.

[fabiogatoah]

I wanted to give some tips too i've experienced:

1) My first beans were "Eza Organico full beans", but they are so dry that the 36mg came out in FIVE SECONDS. I think bc of the little amount of coffee oil it does not create enough resistance. Nevertheless, I put the grinder to stage 2, i got at least a drinkable espresso then, even tho it was still far away from 25 seconds.

So if you have poorer quality beans/stale beans -> don't hesitate to use the finest grinder setting (note that BELOW 8 its FINER (8 to 1), it took me 2 days to figure that out)

2) Use the double filter, but NOT the dual wall. It creates fake crema and fake pressure. If you use the single wall after it, you'll see how much is actually wrong with the espresso (and especially with the beans).

Remember: you bought yourself a great device and so you want great espresso, don't let a dual wall filter fake your results. Use the single wall and fresh beans, it will work a miracle.

Thank you so much for this video, it helped me a lot with my new Sage Barista Express!! Maybe these 2 tips are helpful to anybody

[dadamj]

Great video, some really good pointers. One thing I would say about dose is weighing 18.5g to account for grind retention. It's always going to be hit and miss, but I find 18.5g gets me closer to 18g.

I've had the machine about 2.5 years now and would 100% recommend to anyone reading this to invest in a calibrated tamper. Not just for the function, but more because a 53mm tamper fits the basket better than the one provided with the machine. There's a very small gap between the tamper and the portafilter wall that encourages coffee grounds to climb the edge when tamping. Small detail, but helps with the consistent tamping you're looking for.

[amirarghei]

Didn't even think that a stale bean would affect the crema so much! I liked the first part of the video, detailed enough to get through as a new owner of a machine! Keep up the great work!

[migueldelacruz]

another tip for grinding that I think was awesome. Grind a double-shot in two parts. Firstly, hit the single shot button to grind half of your dose. This allows you to level out the coffee in your portafilter before hitting the single shot button again and grinding the rest of your dose.

[dia]

I know this video is 4 years old but I just wanted to say thank you for your precise directions. I used to be a barista and I thought I wouldn’t have an issue using the Breville. I’ve been unable to pull decent shots since I got it. I got worried I had a bad machine until I saw other experienced Baristas having the same issue with it. I’ve really struggled getting the pressure up. I went through an entire pound of coffee yesterday through trial and error and still having issues. Thank you so much for this video.

[farazromani]

This is quite possibly the best explanation of how to make a good espresso shot. I've been struggling with this machine for years, no joke, but after watching your video, I was able to FINALLY make my first amazing shot. Thanks so much for putting this together -- it's a life changer!

[trackman]

Very helpful video for those looking to learn but the timer should start as soon as you hit the double shot button. There’s still extraction happening before the espresso comes from the split, Breville’s do have pre-infusion programmed in as well. Cheers everyone

[NevrNewd]

I have to tell you, I've watched a lot of coffee videos on YouTube and I've learned that the vast majority of them are garbage. I've started to regularly watch only 2-3 creators because I know they give good info. This was a great video and I appreciate the effort and knowledge you put into it.

[benlin]

This is hands down the best Breville express dial in video ever made. I wish I saw this video when I purchased my Breville 5 years ago - I could have saved countless time and coffee experimenting on my own...