Fancy becoming an official coffee botherer?:bit.ly/coffeebotherers Join the brew time mailing list (trust me, you'll be glad you did ): coffeeblog.co.uk/joinbrewtime Please Note: Don't take the grind sizes I used with these examples as the specific grind size for you to use even if you're using beans from cworks.co.uk
Im not sure Im getting this right with this machine. I've got the Cherry Bakewell beans and it seems to be just gushing out. I've ended up on size 4 with the internal burr and the the smallest grind size on the wheel and it's still pouring too fast. Even with pre-infusion counted as shot time Im getting 20g of grounds roughly out and 40g at a little over 22 - 23 seconds with the pressure gauge reading in espresso range but at the low end of it. Something feels off.
Great video. I'm going back and forth with regular and decaf with this machine. I found a setting that works pretty well for both, thankfully. I picked up a few tricks from this video for future reference, though.
Degrees C for roast profile : Dark roast 91, Medium roast 94, Light roast 97 - The temp will make a huge difference for extraction quality, for the roast profile if its too low it will taste sour if its too high it will taste bitter.
Cheers for that. Yeah temperature definitely makes a difference when it comes to extraction, and yes, generally speaking lighter roasts require higher brew temp. Cheers.
Thanks for this! New to using this sort of coffee machine and making espressos at home, used the settings you used at the start of this video and got the espresso shot time at 28 seconds and it tastes great! Thank again! Happy with the result
I have been using this machine for over half a year but i never got the consistency. i now do everything manually: grind, wdt, temp and duration of the shot. gives me the best result.
Been going round in circles looking for a new coffee machine to replace my broken Jura and so happy to have found you on TH-cam! Love your reviews and comparison videos and am about to take the plunge and buy a Sage Expresso. Can't wait.... 😊
Enjoyed all your videos on this machine which led me to buy one and I love it. The only thing I did differently was I measured about 18.5 grams of beans and just put that many in the grinder each time I change the grind setting when dialing in. I found that often it would grind far too much at first and made a bit of a mess and wasted coffee. great video and brilliant machine thanks 👍
That was fantastic! thank you so much for showing us the procedure with the impress! I bought one recently and it can be a little difficult sometimes to transfer the tests between different machines. This video will get me up and running quick smart! Thanks again!
I've had this machine a couple of days now, the first coffee I made was way too strong, this was down to using the beans I used (strength 5) for my old bean to cup machine (with brewing unit) I don't think the old machine could have extracted as much flavour out of the beans as this one does. I ordered 1kg of Chocolate Brownie Blend and these made a great coffee, still need a few tweaks and practice to make the perfect cup but should get there. Thanks for the informative videos..Trev
I’d love to see you use a bottomless portafilter to test for channeling. I’m still skeptical of the lever tamp and its ability to distribute evenly. Great video!
Hi, i tested that today and I can confirm your suspicion… there is crazy amounts of channeling going and I can’t go any coarser with the grind size as it flows through way too fast then.
Can confirm now that using a dosing funnel to get the coffee out without spilling and then tapping a few times, using a distributor tool + tamping using the build in tamper produces good espresso without channeling that can be reproduced and adjusted to the liking instead of playing lottery. I honestly do not understand how Kev thinks that the shots are any good, they taste completely random every time, sometimes very astringent, sour or incredibly bitter without distributing. Random good shots were possible but very rare for me.
@@BBxx19 It sounds like you’re doing everything right. My Breville Barista Pro does some squirting even when I do intensive puck prep. I found that doing a manual shot with an eight or nine second pre infusion reduces squirting but not 100%. 18g in 36g out in about 30 seconds. As for flavor, I’m at a loss. Mine is good.
What grind size have you chosen to start? And another question would be when do you start the counting ? When pressing the button or when extraction starts?
I think by watching closely you can see the timer is running and hits 7 seconds before coffee starts pouring out. This machine has a 7 second infusion time so he presses the button and starts timing straight away by the looks of it
Just got mine, should arrive this Saturday and can't wait for it. I was about to buy the Barista Pro and your videos convince me to get this one, thanks a lot!
Fantastic video and really helpful for a newbie like me. 1 question. For timing your shot window, would this be from when you press the button? Or when the first drop of coffee leaves the portafilter? Cheers
He explains it in that video: th-cam.com/video/-a9pJ80jjAg/w-d-xo.html But to make it short: The shot window includes the preinfusion time, so begins with the press of the button.
To re-set the shot volumes: With machine on standby, press and hold the filter button, and the single and double shot buttons for about three seconds, the machine will beep at you 3 times, done. To re-set the dose: With machine on standby, press and hold the manual dose button and the filter buttons for 3 seconds or so. it'll flash and beep at you three times. Done.
Hi David, I did weigh the portafilter but I edited it out for brevity, if you watch the last video I showed weighing the portafilter & it was consistent within 0.2 grams
Hi Kev, Great detailed video. I just got the express impress an I'm having a difficult time dialing in.. Dark roast fresh beans, internal grind at 4, external at 15. Dose looks inline, nothing or just a few drops during extraction. I've tried many times going up and down the dial without any success. Really hoping you may provide some insight. Tks.
Great video . Gave just purchased this machine. Am using a medium roast from Pact Coffee. I have set the top going from 6 to 4 like you suggest. However if I select the going wheel to 7 like you I barely get a coffee. I have to set mine around 14 or 15? Is this downtown my bean type or am I missing something?
With my inner burr separation set to 4, I'm rarely going above 8 on the outer wheel, which is about in line with what Kev suggested here, so I'd suspect you either did something wrong or your bean is extremely oily.
Hi thank you for your intuitive video, I’ve just subscribed to your Italian blend coffee beans could you advise what settings would be best suited? Many thanks
Are you starting the timer after pressing the button or after coffee hits the cup? every other Barrister video uses the timing "after" the first drops of coffee hit the cup. Mine takes 10-12secs after pressing the button until the pressure and coffee extraction is reached which would make a massive difference to the 25-35 sec dialling in process. HELP!
Hi Kev, I followed your lead on setting my grind using your Choc & Nut Colombia beans but that setting choked the shot. Adjusted the grind to 20 to get the coffee to flow. The taste wasn't as sweet as expected, so more adjustments needed. This was way off your experience. Should I expect that my machines grind window for your beans is in that area? Or is there anything else I should do?
Great video for me as a starter with a pistonmachine, thanks! What if you would like to use the one-shot button for a double shot (ratio 1:2 in 25-32 sec), so you could use the double-shot button for a lungo (ratio 1:3): should the lungo also be done in 25-32 sec? Love to hear from you. Greets from The Netherlands👏
Hi Patrick, it's great, just as the barista express, it's not fast, but the steam is very consistent, so it's easier to learn to properly texture milk on than some machines. Yeah latte art definitely possible, I'll demonstrate very soon. Cheers, Kev.
Having a nightmare dialling this in, help!? Managed to burn through a whole bag of beans after going to burr setting 4 and it being too fine. Struggling between no pour at all, and fast flow wet pucks? Any recommendations appreciated
I have the older version of this machine and am trying 47 degrees Colombian supremo and I have 18g coffee, 36g espresso in 30s but the espresso is a little oily. Is the default temp too high? The beans themselves are freshly roasted and not oily but dry. Just the espresso feels a bit oily when drinking
I recently having a problem my second brew right after my first will have kind of high water pressure. It did my espresso having a bad flavor. Did change any sitting exactly the first one. I do all my maintenance and scaling on time😢
I just pu4chased mine. Currently using Peet's Major Dickinson dark roast since it was freshest I could find at 10pm lol. I wish I had changed the inner grind setting first. I wasted a lot of beans testing cause I was afraid to make too big of an adjustment in size too soon. I'm at 4 internal, 5 on the outer dial.
Hi here are some tips for dialing in: Always use the razor tool to trim after tamping, this ensures the right dose volume (headspace, the gap under the shower screen). Aim for a shot time of around 20-35 seconds from pressing the button. Time doesn't matter quite as much as most people think, with entry level setups, though, so once you're somewhere in this kind of window I'd focus mainly on taste. Ratio is important, this means the amount of espresso relating to the dry weight of coffee. This is commonly overlooked, but it's the easiest way to balance out a shot, tweaking the ratio. I'd start out aiming for approx 1:2.5 (so 45g of espresso from 18g of ground coffee) - and I'd pull the shot manually or semi auto. Fully manual: press and hold the shot button for as long as you want pre-infusion to last (about 7/8 seconds is default, and that's fine) release the button to let the pressure ramp up, press the shot button again to stop the shot.Semi auto: re-set the shot button to the max, or at least more volume than you're likely to need, then press the button to start the shot, and just press the button again to stop the shot. As long as you're somewhere within a shot time of around 20-35 seconds, the first thing I'd do is taste the shot, and if it's not balanced, try to figure out which way you need to tip the balance. Does it taste bitter, in which case you want to tip the balance away from bitterness - or does it taste sour, in which case you want to tip the balance away from sourness. If the shot tastes sour, this is under extraction, if it tastes bitter, it's over extraction. Well, it usually is, it could be the bean, but most of the time sourness is under extraction, bitterness is over extraction. The easiest way to balance a shot is with ratio. A bigger ratio (higher yield of espresso from the same dose) will tip the scale towards bitterness away from sourness. A smaller ratio will tip the scale towards sourness away from bitterness. So if you start out at 45g from 18g, about 1:2.5, you may find it's balanced straight away, in which case mega, don't fix what's not broken. If it tastes sour like lemons & grapefruit, try upping the ratio to about 1:3. If it tastes bitter, try dropping the ratio to 1:2. From there once you think you're much closer to being dialled in, you can adjust finer with things like the grind (very small adjustments) and the brew temp. But it's easier to make bigger adjustments to the shot with ratio first.
I would appreciate anyones help. I have fresh whole roasted espresso beans and I cannot seem to get my machine dialed in for the life of me. I have tried every grind size from 10-24. Anything below 18 and the shot won't pull. Im only getting a tiny bit of espresso coming out and the leftover puck is very dark black. anything over 20 and the shot will pull more but its still tasting bitter and slightly burnt, as well the puck coming out black. I have not touched the internal grind yet. I don't have a scale so its hard for me to weigh out the grams, but if a scale is what I need then I can get that. I'm just frustrated after going through 2 bags of beans and I still can't seem to get my espresso right for my lattes
Weird how your one is behaving so differently to mine. I can't get my burr size to go over 10 or it just about pours all the way through like water. Did you try adjusting the inner burr and making it larger? That appears to be more of a large change, with fine-tuning done using the dial on the side.
Love your videos. I just got my express and I’m learning to dial it in. I noticed that my temperature gage barely goes outside of pre-infusion. It ticks up just a bit into espresso range. Any idea what’s causing this?
Do you mean the pressure guage? My inpress has a pressure guage in the middle. It goes to espresso range while pulling a shot... As the pressure to push the water through the coffee is there abouts... It would not be pulling a shot without. Maybe try finer grind setting for the coffee if you are getting the shot quickly.
It's very simple with the regular basket. Don't even need to tap, you can just shake and it pops out. If you're using the dual wall basket with pre-ground coffee, you'll need to scrape it out with a spoon or something.
This would usually be from pressing the button, including pre-infusion. If you were using a scale with an auto start timer from first drip, you'd just change it accordingly so that for example if first drip is usually at 10 seconds, you'd add that to the total shot time.
Thanks mate, I bought one of these a short time ago, there not many vids beside the official ones, I have been bumbling along, made some nice brews but I did not know a lot, your vid has opened up a few doors for me. What I want to know specifically though is how I get the machine to always grind the right amount each time, I weigh 18 gms, add those to the hopper, grind and it usually only does about 15gms, so I then put it back, push grind again until all the beans are ground then make the coffee, is there some way I can get to to grind all 18 each time?
Are you running the grinder on manual mode until all the beams are ground? There is also an aftermarket bellow you can buy that forces all the grinds through
Question: Why are you using the Double cup button to make one cup? Couldn't you instead setup the single cup button to give you 36grams with 18-20 grams of coffee?
The top burr setting is intended to adjust as the burrs wear over time, to keep grinding as fine - but, if you do find that your grinder appears to be calibrated on the coarse side, you can change that by adjusting slightly finer internally. Cheers, Kev.
Love your videos! Could you tell if once you change the water volume does the machine remember your setting? Or would you have to manual change and time it every time? I prefer the 1:2 ratio over the presetting, and it would be a hassle to do that every single time I make a cup of coffee
Thanks for the video, very informative! Is the shot window measured from the time you press the button on the machine or once you start seeing the coffee coming out?
Hi, I changed the burr to 4 but it won’t grind freshly roasted beans at grind 7, dose always flashes red. Nothing comes out. So I changed the grind size to 8 or 9, but both don’t pull a 60 ml for double shot, I get 30 and a bit of crema, even though about 80ml of water comes out of a double shot if I’m just running the water. I programmed the shot to 60ml but even then it doesn’t work. Do you have any idea what I need to change to make this work ? I have almost finished a bag of coffee trying to dial in 😅 and not enjoyed a single one
Just bought this machine off the back of these videos and have bought 1KG of Cherry Bakewell beans to try with it. Couldn't find the Custard Cream one on the site so I assume they are not stocked anymore.
@@Coffee_Kev oh nice, thank you. How they fare in the Express Impress given how light the roast is? I've only really had experience with dark roasts up until now as I've had a Bambino Plus.
In one of your other videos you say not to change the internal burr grinder settings unless the machine is 4-5 years old. But in this video you are saying to change it. Which do you recommend then?
I can’t recall him making that remark (possible that I missed it I suppose). You definitely should not wait that long though 😂 if your extractions are too fast or slow and you’ve got your dosage correct then you absolutely should go ahead and adjust the grind size.
Hi Liam, I have a few scales (I have a bit of a thing for buying scales) I would recommend the timemore black mirror scales: amzn.to/3i6E85E Or the my weigh Barista scales:amzn.to/3yYRAhU if you really wanted to push the boat out the Acaia Lunar are fab:amzn.to/3BAzsxe Cheers Kev
I was a click away from buying Barista Pro as my first coffee machine when I saw that Impress exists, and decided on Impress just after watching your videos. A couple of weeks in, it works great for now. It took a week and around 500 grams of coffee to dial in. Your videos are great explaining dialing in process to beginners. I have just one question: I’ve managed to get the machine to produce ~33 grams of cofee in 30 seconds (double shot). It’s not perfect but it’s close. But, the coffee is a bit too bitter (I use no sugar). What can I try to make it less bitter othen than changing beans? I’ve changed just the grind size and extraction time nothing more.
bitter generally means your espresso is over extracted. Personally i've never tried playing with this variable as I don't have a machine capable of adjusting brew temperature so maybe take it with a grain of salt. But adjusting the brew temperature lower might help. Im not sure what roast you're using but what i've always heard is dark roasts are easier to extract so lower brew temps work well and lighter roasts are harder to extract so higher brew temp works well for those.
Thanks for the kind words. Re the question, what Blake said :-). If it tastes overly bitter, try reducing the extraction by grinding slightly more coarse (just one setting, and pull a couple of shots at that grind before you go any more coarse), also knocking it one setting cooler on the brew temp is worth a try. Keep in mind that if none of this changes anything, it could be the coffee. Are you using a freshly roasted coffee? Cheers, Kev
@@Coffee_Kev Thanks for the reply. Also thanks to Blake. I've already raised the grind for 1 setting and it's already a bit better, but with that, from ~1/1.8, I've now at ~1/2.4. It tastes a bit better though a bit less bitter. It's fresh roasted coffee. I'm not yet at the point to say which kind of roast is it :D. But it says 90-94 degrees celsius on the package. I will try one notch cooler then. If it doesn't improve it, I will talk to the guy at the coffee shop.
Hi Coffee Kev, great Video! Just a question about the steam wand: it come with only one hole or plus like the barista pro? And can I ask a suggestion to you? I've got a Delonghi Dinamica ECAM3.535.SB but I want more... Finally I find this 2 machine: - EC9355.M Delonghi La specialista Prestigio (19mbar - metal - smart tamping station) - Sage Barista Express Impress What do you think about this 2 machines? Aesthetically I like the Delonghi Prestigio much more but the Sage looks smarter in the tempting station and the steam wand seems easier to use thanks to its mobility. Furthermore, the Barista Impress comes with double filter holders: double-walled and single-walled, i.e. pressurized or not. Thank you very much Pietro
Can someone help just brought this machine this week using fresh bean double wall single basket but my coffee is just dribbling out gone down to grind 20 is this normal cheers
Hi Linda, thanks for the kind words :-). No I didn't do this for this video, and it's not a bad routine to get into, but personally I'd usually only clean the burrs from one to the other if the bean I'd just been using was dark & oily. Cheers, Kev.
This is such a helpful video. When I bought the machine, I was a total novice, albeit one who liked really good espresso. Dialing in is the hardest part. One crucial question: on the manual shot, why are you holding the button for 7-8 seconds- for the pre-infusion- and then letting go until you stop it manually? if you just press the button, let it run to the length you want, and then press the button again to stop it, doesn't that include the pre-infusion time?
I have this exact machine and it doses 15 grams not 18grams. Can you advise what this might be please? Are you using a different portafilter or basket?
Do you have the filter light on the double shot basket or the single shot basket? Just make sure you have it set for the basket you're using. If you have it on the double shot basket, if you're somewhere in the correct grind size for the machine, you'll usually get between 18-19g in there. If it's way less, this would usually indicate the grind size is way too coarse. If this isn't the case, it could be a dosing sensor issue, but I'd try grinding finer first. The ground should feel somewhere between normal table salt and flour, if it feels and looks bigger than table salt, more like granulated sugar, it'll be too coarse a grind. Ta, Kev.
Shot time that people are usually talking about, is from pressing the button, including pre-infusion time. So usually you'd press the timer as you press the start button. If you were doing it from first drips (for example using scales with auto detection), then you'd add the first part to the total shot time showing on the timer, for example if the first drips hit in about 8 seconds, and the timer showed 28, then you'd know it's a 28 second shot.
In case you haven't found the solution: Hold the FILTER, 1 CUP, and 2 CUP buttons for 3 seconds. The machine will beep 3 times and restore its default extraction time.
Sorry for my new be question but I don’t really get the time set up you made. You just saw that it was not good and adjusted the time. How do you know? I just got my Barista Express Impress today and it annoys me that I get too slow with grinder level 16, way too fast with 18 but it finishes up at 18-19 sec on grind level 17 which seels to be right level. What am I doing wrong? I changed the inner grid setting from factory 6 to 5. You put it to 4. What happens when you change the inner settting? Sorry for all my question… Love your video btw!
I had this same problem I adjusted the internal grind to 4 and external to 7 and got no expresso output at all (I did this multiple times) so I adjusted external grinder to 18 and have expresso extracted at 20 sec on the dot. Anything above or below on external grinder does not work.
@@jessemeghanmault1457 Same thing happening to me. Freshly roasted beans, I haven’t adjusted the internal grind setting, but on the external I can’t go lower than 10 or I won’t get enough volume
After changing the grind size and shot volume the pressure always sits on the lower side when pulling a shot. How do I increase the pressure? Always sits on the lower end (pre infusion) on the pressure scale. Great vid BTW
Got mine yesterday but i don’t understand why the both filters lights is blinking in your video its only one filter light 💡 on while mine bith blinking how can i setup that could u please reply me back
If it's blinking from one light to the other that would usually indicate that the hopper isn't locked. Try removing the hopper and then re-locking it. Ta, Kev.
The issue I’ve got with this machine is that once I’m dialled in my shot times still vary quite wildly, do you think it’s machine temp? So I’ll pre flush the group head etc, pull a shot at 22 seconds. Not change anything. The next shot is 30 seconds. Any ideas?
Do you have any tips on making less of a mess? When I tamp, it's kicking grinds all over the place. Also, my pucks are constantly getting stuck in the water dispersing area. Any thing I'm doing wrong?
Hi Kev. Thanks for making this vid. I am trying my hand at dialing in. At the moment, what the dose Im getting is around 15-16g on the double wall basket. Is this expected or have I done something wrong along the way?
That's about what I get as well, and the machine seems to think this is right. You can always adjust the extraction accordingly and pour a 32ml shot to keep the ratio correct.
Square with a bunch of holes at the bottom is the double cup single wall. This is what total use when grinding fresh beans. This is what he’s been using.
Single wall. Double wall is only for pre-ground coffee. Breville say that you should use double wall for older beans as well, but I've tried it and it pours a shit coffee every time if you've freshly ground the beans, even if the beans themselves are pretty stale. Just adjust the grind size until it has enough pressure using the single wall basket. Double wall does work well for pre-ground coffee though.
I don't think I was using the scales in auto start mode actually, if I was then yeah I'd add the rest of the shot time to the time showing on the timer, for instance if first drips were at about 8 seconds, and the timer shows 20 seconds, then I'd know that's a 28 second shot - but I don't usually use auto start mode, I prefer to just start the shot and press the timer button if the machine I'm using doesn't have a shot timer. Ta, Kev.
I've just got this machine after watching your reviews (it was between the express and pro then saw this option and loved the dosing and tamper feature) I've managed to get the extraction time close to 30 seconds but the crema is quite thin compared to what you're getting on this video, does a finer grind help produce a thicker crema?
You could technically configure them to pour the opposite way if you wanted (so the single cup button pours for longer than the the double cup button), but by factory settings, yes. It's simply two different pour durations.
this might be obvious but what is the easiest way to switch between a double shot basket and a single shot without the machine automatically dosing twice the amount of coffee as necessary, is there a way of doing this without making a big mess.
G'day Kev, I have a Breville Barista Expess and am not sure when to begin my timer for extraction time. Does extraction time commence at the moment the double shot button is pressed or at the moment coffee begins to pour from the portafilter? 💚💛⛳
@@Coffee_Kev I’ve had the same question and not sure I understand your response. Can you clarify? Start timing on first sign of coffee hitting the cup (I.e. don’t count the infusion time of about 9 sec)?
I've noticed on your serious of videos for this machine that when you take the portafilter out after tamping that there is some of the coffee grinds up the walls of the basket, what have you been doing to remove this or have you just left it? (Hope that makes sense).
Hi, Thanks for your message, I have left the grinds in as it really wont make any difference to the coffee as there is so little of it. I did a test and it seems to be when the basket was slightly wet from being used for my demonstration, when the basket was completely dry, this didn't happen. Cheers Kev
Hi. Kev. What’s the difference between this and the Oracle? Which one would you suggest for someone who wants a good shot but having little to none knowledge and doesn’t want to have any ; :) is this like a semi auto?
Got a new Barista Express Impress, and here is a question: Is the "7 degree barista twist" that is provided by the auto tamper supposed to be visible, as in, can you see the handle of the portafilter move at the end of the tamp, or is it invisible to the naked eye, occurring within the tamping mechanism? Really enjoying your videos and advice.
Thanks for the kind words 😎. The twist is very small, and there needs to be pressure on the tamper for it to happen, so if you're tamping empty and looking at the bottom of the tamper, it won't move, but if you apply some pressure to the tamper with something to mimic it tamping, you'll see it move slightly, it's not much though, that's why you have to give it 2-3 tamps if you want a nice polished puck.
I'm finally done with the mediocre beans sage gave me for free when I bought my machine and it's time to try coffee works :) Out of curiosity, what grind size did you end up using for the chocolate browny blend? I have already changed the in-grinder setting to 4. I know that I'll have to play with the settings, but it would be good to have a baseline.
Having some troubles with the amount of coffee being ground, and the autotamp reading. Can hear a fair amount of coffee is being ground, but tamper reads as the lowest bar. Eventually it grinds WAY too much coffee, and have to dump out a lot of coffee grounds. Once I do get it right, the setting doesn’t remember for the next coffee! And same issues resurface for the next coffee! HELP!
I'm having no success making a shot I've turned my inner grind to four and I've tried the outer grind at 17,16,15,14,12,10,7 when I've been below 12 it's come out choking it with tiny drips not making any expresso. I've been in the 17 and 16 it's come out with a 19 gram dose producing 47 to 60 gram shots and taking 30 to 35 seconds . I'm using coffee from a roaster that was done on September 24th and it's October 25th I've gone through three bags of coffee no success is there any way that you could help me? my pressure only ever goes just below the middle in the express oh range except when I've gone down to the 12 ground on the outside it doesn't get into the Gray. Is there a problem with the machine if the pressure is not getting higher than that? I've watched like eight different videos from people to try to understand what can be happening. I'm using the double shot basket single walled I'm not using the pressurized one because I thought these beans are fresh enough?
I'd recommend stopping the shot at your target yield, so this way you're just looking at the shot time, not shot time and shot volume. So if you're aiming for a 1:2, stop the shot at 40g. Did you get a proper blank disk, or one with a hole? If it's a proper one with no hole, do a backflush (just slap this in and pull a shot for about 5-10 seconds). Does the pressure needle go any higher? If you don't have a proper disk without a hole, just try it with the dual walled basket, with no coffee in. If the pressure needle isn't going any higher when backflushing, do a quick video of this, then create an online support case, upload the video, and tell them it appears your machine has a fault. Cheers, Kev.
Why is this so involved???? Who ever knew there were so many variables. This machine overwhelms me. Supposed to be easier with all the bells and whistles but I can't wrap my mind around it all. So do you change your basket when you only want one shot? I still don't know how to do that.
I ended up getting a second portafilter (beware: they ain't cheap!) so I could have one for the double basket and one for the single basket without having to pop the basket out and replace it every time.
Hello and thanks for all your great coffee videos, I've been bindge watching them since I found your channel :) I've got a question regarding this machine. I'm about to buy one anytime soon, just waiting to see if there'll be any discount soon. My question is - does the manual grind function have any influence on the automatic grind? Or is it possible to have two different coffee amounts, so I can dial in a perfect espresso with the automatic function and another dose (let's say around 14grams) for a coffee crema on the manual function and the setting for automatic grind will stay the same? I hope you understood... Thanks in advance, greetings from Germany :)
i think the grind settings are always applied as they are mechanical. as far as i can tell with my machine after one week at least! enjoy. i can recommend it! loving it so far
hey kev, thanks for your videos! I just received my barista express impress and after a few failed shots I finally got the timing and dosing right with 4 internal and 8 external grind settings. My shots are 18g in, 36g out in about 26 seconds. I bought the Lavazza Qualità Rossa beans and I got a tasty cup but I don't notice the chocolate flavour. maybe it is too subtle. Or is there a technique to get more of that flavour?
Nice :-). Re the flavour, it's hard to say, but if you like chocolate, and you're in the UK, check these out: bit.ly/chocolatebrownieblend (YT25 for 25% off first order) I can tell you that if you get anywhere close to dialed in with these beans, I'd be surprised if you didn't pick up the chocolate. Ta, Kev.
Hi Tommi, I use a few different ones, I have the Acaia Lunar which are great but are quite pricy, I also use the Timemore black mirror scales which are great. , but the one I would recommend on a budget is the my way barista scales. Have a look at my blog post: coffeeblog.co.uk/the-best-coffee-scales/ This should give you a better idea. Cheers Kev
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Please Note: Don't take the grind sizes I used with these examples as the specific grind size for you to use even if you're using beans from cworks.co.uk
Im not sure Im getting this right with this machine. I've got the Cherry Bakewell beans and it seems to be just gushing out. I've ended up on size 4 with the internal burr and the the smallest grind size on the wheel and it's still pouring too fast. Even with pre-infusion counted as shot time Im getting 20g of grounds roughly out and 40g at a little over 22 - 23 seconds with the pressure gauge reading in espresso range but at the low end of it. Something feels off.
Great video. I'm going back and forth with regular and decaf with this machine. I found a setting that works pretty well for both, thankfully. I picked up a few tricks from this video for future reference, though.
Degrees C for roast profile : Dark roast 91, Medium roast 94, Light roast 97 - The temp will make a huge difference for extraction quality, for the roast profile if its too low it will taste sour if its too high it will taste bitter.
Cheers for that. Yeah temperature definitely makes a difference when it comes to extraction, and yes, generally speaking lighter roasts require higher brew temp. Cheers.
Thanks for this! New to using this sort of coffee machine and making espressos at home, used the settings you used at the start of this video and got the espresso shot time at 28 seconds and it tastes great! Thank again! Happy with the result
Fantastic Patryk :-)
I have been using this machine for over half a year but i never got the consistency. i now do everything manually: grind, wdt, temp and duration of the shot. gives me the best result.
Been going round in circles looking for a new coffee machine to replace my broken Jura and so happy to have found you on TH-cam! Love your reviews and comparison videos and am about to take the plunge and buy a Sage Expresso. Can't wait.... 😊
Enjoyed all your videos on this machine which led me to buy one and I love it. The only thing I did differently was I measured about 18.5 grams of beans and just put that many in the grinder each time I change the grind setting when dialing in. I found that often it would grind far too much at first and made a bit of a mess and wasted coffee. great video and brilliant machine thanks 👍
Fantastic Chris, Glad you are enjoying the Impress :-)
That was fantastic! thank you so much for showing us the procedure with the impress! I bought one recently and it can be a little difficult sometimes to transfer the tests between different machines. This video will get me up and running quick smart! Thanks again!
Glad you found my post helpful :-)
Cheers
Kev
احسن شرح مبسط ومفهوم مشكور على مجهودك
I've had this machine a couple of days now, the first coffee I made was way too strong, this was down to using the beans I used (strength 5) for my old bean to cup machine (with brewing unit) I don't think the old machine could have extracted as much flavour out of the beans as this one does. I ordered 1kg of Chocolate Brownie Blend and these made a great coffee, still need a few tweaks and practice to make the perfect cup but should get there. Thanks for the informative videos..Trev
Glad you like my Chocolate Brownie Blend :-)
I’d love to see you use a bottomless portafilter to test for channeling. I’m still skeptical of the lever tamp and its ability to distribute evenly. Great video!
Thanks Robert :-). That's a good idea! Cheers, Kev
Hi, i tested that today and I can confirm your suspicion… there is crazy amounts of channeling going and I can’t go any coarser with the grind size as it flows through way too fast then.
Can confirm now that using a dosing funnel to get the coffee out without spilling and then tapping a few times, using a distributor tool + tamping using the build in tamper produces good espresso without channeling that can be reproduced and adjusted to the liking instead of playing lottery.
I honestly do not understand how Kev thinks that the shots are any good, they taste completely random every time, sometimes very astringent, sour or incredibly bitter without distributing. Random good shots were possible but very rare for me.
@@BBxx19 It sounds like you’re doing everything right. My Breville Barista Pro does some squirting even when I do intensive puck prep. I found that doing a manual shot with an eight or nine second pre infusion reduces squirting but not 100%. 18g in 36g out in about 30 seconds. As for flavor, I’m at a loss. Mine is good.
What grind size have you chosen to start? And another question would be when do you start the counting ? When pressing the button or when extraction starts?
I have the same questions too ):
I am wondering the same as well. Thank you!
2:43 hello friends… I think he mentions “size 7”…
I think by watching closely you can see the timer is running and hits 7 seconds before coffee starts pouring out. This machine has a 7 second infusion time so he presses the button and starts timing straight away by the looks of it
Just got mine, should arrive this Saturday and can't wait for it. I was about to buy the Barista Pro and your videos convince me to get this one, thanks a lot!
Glad I could help Julio :-)
Me too.
Thank you for this video! I’m thinking about getting this machine!
Glad you liked it Madison :-)
Fantastic video and really helpful for a newbie like me. 1 question. For timing your shot window, would this be from when you press the button? Or when the first drop of coffee leaves the portafilter? Cheers
I have the same question :-)
Me too! @CoffeeKev can you weigh on this??
I'm new also but I've seen from other videos from when it starts pouring out of portafilter
I want to know too @Kev
He explains it in that video: th-cam.com/video/-a9pJ80jjAg/w-d-xo.html But to make it short: The shot window includes the preinfusion time, so begins with the press of the button.
When do you start the timer on your scales? When you press the shot button or when the espresso starts pouring?
Hi how do I get the machine back to factory settings? Specially the shot volume.
I cant find anything about how to do it. got the Same question ….
To re-set the shot volumes: With machine on standby, press and hold the filter button, and the single and double shot buttons for about three seconds, the machine will beep at you 3 times, done.
To re-set the dose: With machine on standby, press and hold the manual dose button and the filter buttons for 3 seconds or so. it'll flash and beep at you three times. Done.
I'd be curious to see you weigh the portafilter before pulling to verify how consistent the dosing is. Thanks again for the great video Kev!
Hi David,
I did weigh the portafilter but I edited it out for brevity, if you watch the last video I showed weighing the portafilter & it was consistent within 0.2 grams
Thank you! This was so helpful! 😍
Hi Kev,
Great detailed video. I just got the express impress an I'm having a difficult time dialing in.. Dark roast fresh beans, internal grind at 4, external at 15. Dose looks inline, nothing or just a few drops during extraction. I've tried many times going up and down the dial without any success. Really hoping you may provide some insight. Tks.
Great video . Gave just purchased this machine. Am using a medium roast from Pact Coffee. I have set the top going from 6 to 4 like you suggest. However if I select the going wheel to 7 like you I barely get a coffee. I have to set mine around 14 or 15? Is this downtown my bean type or am I missing something?
Same problem mate
Same problem please let us know what we should do? I’ve been through 2 bags of coffee beans 😢…. I’m using illy beans
With my inner burr separation set to 4, I'm rarely going above 8 on the outer wheel, which is about in line with what Kev suggested here, so I'd suspect you either did something wrong or your bean is extremely oily.
Hi thank you for your intuitive video, I’ve just subscribed to your Italian blend coffee beans could you advise what settings would be best suited?
Many thanks
Are you starting the timer after pressing the button or after coffee hits the cup? every other Barrister video uses the timing "after" the first drops of coffee hit the cup. Mine takes 10-12secs after pressing the button until the pressure and coffee extraction is reached which would make a massive difference to the 25-35 sec dialling in process. HELP!
Hi Ace,
I start the timer just after I press the button.
Cheers
Hi,
Can you please mention the grind size on the screen? What was the perfect size of the perfect dose?
What grind should i use for a flat white?
the same you use for any other coffee like espresso ro cappuccino
Hi Kev, I followed your lead on setting my grind using your Choc & Nut Colombia beans but that setting choked the shot. Adjusted the grind to 20 to get the coffee to flow. The taste wasn't as sweet as expected, so more adjustments needed. This was way off your experience. Should I expect that my machines grind window for your beans is in that area? Or is there anything else I should do?
Another good video. Does the shot window include the pre-infusion time or just once the espresso starts to flow?
Cheers :-). Yeah shot window includes pre-infusion, it should be from when water touches the coffee. Cheers, Kev.
Great video.
Could you show me how I would make a tall cappuccino please .
I just purchased this machine .
Love your videos trying to dail in but not getting the pressure up and puck is wet any advice
Great video for me as a starter with a pistonmachine, thanks!
What if you would like to use the one-shot button for a double shot (ratio 1:2 in 25-32 sec), so you could use the double-shot button for a lungo (ratio 1:3): should the lungo also be done in 25-32 sec?
Love to hear from you. Greets from The Netherlands👏
How is the steaming from the impress, is latte art possible or difficult on this machine
Hi Patrick, it's great, just as the barista express, it's not fast, but the steam is very consistent, so it's easier to learn to properly texture milk on than some machines. Yeah latte art definitely possible, I'll demonstrate very soon. Cheers, Kev.
@@Coffee_Kev thanks, would be great to share also a video witch steaming :)
greets
Having a nightmare dialling this in, help!?
Managed to burn through a whole bag of beans after going to burr setting 4 and it being too fine.
Struggling between no pour at all, and fast flow wet pucks? Any recommendations appreciated
I have the older version of this machine and am trying 47 degrees Colombian supremo and I have 18g coffee, 36g espresso in 30s but the espresso is a little oily. Is the default temp too high? The beans themselves are freshly roasted and not oily but dry. Just the espresso feels a bit oily when drinking
I recently having a problem my second brew right after my first will have kind of high water pressure. It did my espresso having a bad flavor. Did change any sitting exactly the first one. I do all my maintenance and scaling on time😢
I just pu4chased mine. Currently using Peet's Major Dickinson dark roast since it was freshest I could find at 10pm lol.
I wish I had changed the inner grind setting first. I wasted a lot of beans testing cause I was afraid to make too big of an adjustment in size too soon. I'm at 4 internal, 5 on the outer dial.
Hi here are some tips for dialing in:
Always use the razor tool to trim after tamping, this ensures the right dose volume (headspace, the gap under the shower screen).
Aim for a shot time of around 20-35 seconds from pressing the button. Time doesn't matter quite as much as most people think, with entry level setups, though, so once you're somewhere in this kind of window I'd focus mainly on taste.
Ratio is important, this means the amount of espresso relating to the dry weight of coffee. This is commonly overlooked, but it's the easiest way to balance out a shot, tweaking the ratio.
I'd start out aiming for approx 1:2.5 (so 45g of espresso from 18g of ground coffee) - and I'd pull the shot manually or semi auto.
Fully manual: press and hold the shot button for as long as you want pre-infusion to last (about 7/8 seconds is default, and that's fine) release the button to let the pressure ramp up, press the shot button again to stop the shot.Semi auto: re-set the shot button to the max, or at least more volume than you're likely to need, then press the button to start the shot, and just press the button again to stop the shot.
As long as you're somewhere within a shot time of around 20-35 seconds, the first thing I'd do is taste the shot, and if it's not balanced, try to figure out which way you need to tip the balance.
Does it taste bitter, in which case you want to tip the balance away from bitterness - or does it taste sour, in which case you want to tip the balance away from sourness.
If the shot tastes sour, this is under extraction, if it tastes bitter, it's over extraction. Well, it usually is, it could be the bean, but most of the time sourness is under extraction, bitterness is over extraction.
The easiest way to balance a shot is with ratio. A bigger ratio (higher yield of espresso from the same dose) will tip the scale towards bitterness away from sourness. A smaller ratio will tip the scale towards sourness away from bitterness.
So if you start out at 45g from 18g, about 1:2.5, you may find it's balanced straight away, in which case mega, don't fix what's not broken. If it tastes sour like lemons & grapefruit, try upping the ratio to about 1:3. If it tastes bitter, try dropping the ratio to 1:2.
From there once you think you're much closer to being dialled in, you can adjust finer with things like the grind (very small adjustments) and the brew temp. But it's easier to make bigger adjustments to the shot with ratio first.
Literally that was a mouthful...😂 great explanation though, thanks for your patience and knowledge
I would appreciate anyones help. I have fresh whole roasted espresso beans and I cannot seem to get my machine dialed in for the life of me. I have tried every grind size from 10-24. Anything below 18 and the shot won't pull. Im only getting a tiny bit of espresso coming out and the leftover puck is very dark black. anything over 20 and the shot will pull more but its still tasting bitter and slightly burnt, as well the puck coming out black. I have not touched the internal grind yet. I don't have a scale so its hard for me to weigh out the grams, but if a scale is what I need then I can get that. I'm just frustrated after going through 2 bags of beans and I still can't seem to get my espresso right for my lattes
Weird how your one is behaving so differently to mine. I can't get my burr size to go over 10 or it just about pours all the way through like water. Did you try adjusting the inner burr and making it larger? That appears to be more of a large change, with fine-tuning done using the dial on the side.
I am having the same exact issues! Were you able to find a solution?
Have you tried this machine with a naked portofilter? How is it? Does the auto tamping that it uses not produce channeling?
Do you have a video showing when you change beans?
I can’t get the internal grinder out!😩😩
You should empty it and set it to the biggest grind size.
Love your videos. I just got my express and I’m learning to dial it in. I noticed that my temperature gage barely goes outside of pre-infusion. It ticks up just a bit into espresso range. Any idea what’s causing this?
Do you mean the pressure guage? My inpress has a pressure guage in the middle. It goes to espresso range while pulling a shot... As the pressure to push the water through the coffee is there abouts... It would not be pulling a shot without.
Maybe try finer grind setting for the coffee if you are getting the shot quickly.
Can you show how easy it is to clean the puck out
It's very easy, just turn the basket upside down and give it a good bang in a coffee bin and it's empty then a quick wipe
It's very simple with the regular basket. Don't even need to tap, you can just shake and it pops out. If you're using the dual wall basket with pre-ground coffee, you'll need to scrape it out with a spoon or something.
Thank you for another great video Kev! How would you compare the espresso quality between this and the Sage (Breville) Barista Pro?
Hi Louis, thanks for the kind words. I think the shot potential is probably just about identical, but I'll do a comparison video. Cheers, Kev.
What setting do you put the button on that says manual dose under it
I want to ask, if the shot window includes the pre-infusion? how long is the recommended time, and the water temperature vs coffee roast?
This would usually be from pressing the button, including pre-infusion. If you were using a scale with an auto start timer from first drip, you'd just change it accordingly so that for example if first drip is usually at 10 seconds, you'd add that to the total shot time.
Thanks mate, I bought one of these a short time ago, there not many vids beside the official ones, I have been bumbling along, made some nice brews but I did not know a lot, your vid has opened up a few doors for me.
What I want to know specifically though is how I get the machine to always grind the right amount each time, I weigh 18 gms, add those to the hopper, grind and it usually only does about 15gms, so I then put it back, push grind again until all the beans are ground then make the coffee, is there some way I can get to to grind all 18 each time?
Are you running the grinder on manual mode until all the beams are ground? There is also an aftermarket bellow you can buy that forces all the grinds through
Question: Why are you using the Double cup button to make one cup? Couldn't you instead setup the single cup button to give you 36grams with 18-20 grams of coffee?
It likely isn’t an 18g filter and this the grinds wouldn’t fit.
Hola ! Es posible lograr en automático llegar a 8 grs y que llegue a la franja verde ? No lo he podido lograr. Claro en el de 1 taza ! Gracias !
Hola, el peso real de la dosis dependerá del tamaño de molienda, a una molienda más fina el peso de la dosis será mayor. Gracias, Kev.
I have a question I have the same machine so you're saying change the grind size to a size 4 on the inside?
How to Increase or Decrease the Temperature in this Machine.??? Thx..
What’s the difference between adjusting the grind setting on the side dial vs the top burr how you did it?
The top burr setting is intended to adjust as the burrs wear over time, to keep grinding as fine - but, if you do find that your grinder appears to be calibrated on the coarse side, you can change that by adjusting slightly finer internally. Cheers, Kev.
Love your videos! Could you tell if once you change the water volume does the machine remember your setting? Or would you have to manual change and time it every time? I prefer the 1:2 ratio over the presetting, and it would be a hassle to do that every single time I make a cup of coffee
It should remain constant once your change it.
Thanks for the video, very informative! Is the shot window measured from the time you press the button on the machine or once you start seeing the coffee coming out?
Hi Jose, From when you press the button :-)
Cheers
Kev
Thanka Kev, great video once again. What grind setting what you recommend for americano or cappuccino drinkers?
Same as espresso
I switched coffee beans and now there is absolutely nothing coming out when I go to get a shot of espresso. What can I do??
What is the external grind size you use?
Just 1 question, do you start counting before or after pre infusion?
Great helpful video.
Before pre-infusion, basically when you press the button. cheers, Kev.
Hi, I changed the burr to 4 but it won’t grind freshly roasted beans at grind 7, dose always flashes red. Nothing comes out. So I changed the grind size to 8 or 9, but both don’t pull a 60 ml for double shot, I get 30 and a bit of crema, even though about 80ml of water comes out of a double shot if I’m just running the water. I programmed the shot to 60ml but even then it doesn’t work. Do you have any idea what I need to change to make this work ? I have almost finished a bag of coffee trying to dial in 😅 and not enjoyed a single one
Do you start the timer for 20-30seconds from pressing the button or once the pour actually starts?
Hi Jonathan, from when you press the button.
Cheers
Kev
Just bought this machine off the back of these videos and have bought 1KG of Cherry Bakewell beans to try with it. Couldn't find the Custard Cream one on the site so I assume they are not stocked anymore.
Hi,
Here you go:
www.cworks.co.uk/products/custard-cream-single-origin-nicaragua?_pos=7&_fid=3940d3876&_ss=c
Ta
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev oh nice, thank you. How they fare in the Express Impress given how light the roast is? I've only really had experience with dark roasts up until now as I've had a Bambino Plus.
I cant find an answer anywhere. How long do you preinfuse? Do you include preinfusion in brewing time?
It automatically pre-infuses for around 7 seconds, and you do include that in the brewing time.
In one of your other videos you say not to change the internal burr grinder settings unless the machine is 4-5 years old. But in this video you are saying to change it. Which do you recommend then?
I can’t recall him making that remark (possible that I missed it I suppose). You definitely should not wait that long though 😂 if your extractions are too fast or slow and you’ve got your dosage correct then you absolutely should go ahead and adjust the grind size.
Hey your videos are so helpful!!! What scales do you use to measure /time your shots? Thanks Liam
Hi Liam,
I have a few scales (I have a bit of a thing for buying scales) I would recommend the timemore black mirror scales: amzn.to/3i6E85E
Or the my weigh Barista scales:amzn.to/3yYRAhU
if you really wanted to push the boat out the Acaia Lunar are fab:amzn.to/3BAzsxe
Cheers
Kev
I was a click away from buying Barista Pro as my first coffee machine when I saw that Impress exists, and decided on Impress just after watching your videos. A couple of weeks in, it works great for now. It took a week and around 500 grams of coffee to dial in.
Your videos are great explaining dialing in process to beginners.
I have just one question: I’ve managed to get the machine to produce ~33 grams of cofee in 30 seconds (double shot). It’s not perfect but it’s close. But, the coffee is a bit too bitter (I use no sugar). What can I try to make it less bitter othen than changing beans? I’ve changed just the grind size and extraction time nothing more.
bitter generally means your espresso is over extracted. Personally i've never tried playing with this variable as I don't have a machine capable of adjusting brew temperature so maybe take it with a grain of salt. But adjusting the brew temperature lower might help. Im not sure what roast you're using but what i've always heard is dark roasts are easier to extract so lower brew temps work well and lighter roasts are harder to extract so higher brew temp works well for those.
Thanks for the kind words.
Re the question, what Blake said :-). If it tastes overly bitter, try reducing the extraction by grinding slightly more coarse (just one setting, and pull a couple of shots at that grind before you go any more coarse), also knocking it one setting cooler on the brew temp is worth a try. Keep in mind that if none of this changes anything, it could be the coffee. Are you using a freshly roasted coffee?
Cheers, Kev
@@Coffee_Kev Thanks for the reply. Also thanks to Blake.
I've already raised the grind for 1 setting and it's already a bit better, but with that, from ~1/1.8, I've now at ~1/2.4. It tastes a bit better though a bit less bitter.
It's fresh roasted coffee. I'm not yet at the point to say which kind of roast is it :D. But it says 90-94 degrees celsius on the package. I will try one notch cooler then. If it doesn't improve it, I will talk to the guy at the coffee shop.
Hi Coffee Kev, great Video!
Just a question about the steam wand: it come with only one hole or plus like the barista pro?
And can I ask a suggestion to you?
I've got a Delonghi Dinamica ECAM3.535.SB but I want more...
Finally I find this 2 machine:
- EC9355.M Delonghi La specialista Prestigio (19mbar - metal - smart tamping station)
- Sage Barista Express Impress
What do you think about this 2 machines?
Aesthetically I like the Delonghi Prestigio much more but the Sage looks smarter in the tempting station and the steam wand seems easier to use thanks to its mobility. Furthermore, the Barista Impress comes with double filter holders: double-walled and single-walled, i.e. pressurized or not.
Thank you very much
Pietro
Can someone help just brought this machine this week using fresh bean double wall single basket but my coffee is just dribbling out gone down to grind 20 is this normal cheers
For fresh coffee needs to be “fine grind”. For my fresh coffee beans i’m dialing on 5. If you change the dialing remember to set also amount of coffee
Thanks for another excellent video. Each time you change beans do you also clean the burrs?
Hi Linda, thanks for the kind words :-). No I didn't do this for this video, and it's not a bad routine to get into, but personally I'd usually only clean the burrs from one to the other if the bean I'd just been using was dark & oily. Cheers, Kev.
Found this really useful. If I had further questions could I speak to you directly kev?
Hi, If you email me at kev@coffeeblog.co.uk I can try and help you :-)
This is such a helpful video. When I bought the machine, I was a total novice, albeit one who liked really good espresso. Dialing in is the hardest part. One crucial question: on the manual shot, why are you holding the button for 7-8 seconds- for the pre-infusion- and then letting go until you stop it manually? if you just press the button, let it run to the length you want, and then press the button again to stop it, doesn't that include the pre-infusion time?
I have this exact machine and it doses 15 grams not 18grams. Can you advise what this might be please? Are you using a different portafilter or basket?
Do you have the filter light on the double shot basket or the single shot basket? Just make sure you have it set for the basket you're using. If you have it on the double shot basket, if you're somewhere in the correct grind size for the machine, you'll usually get between 18-19g in there. If it's way less, this would usually indicate the grind size is way too coarse. If this isn't the case, it could be a dosing sensor issue, but I'd try grinding finer first. The ground should feel somewhere between normal table salt and flour, if it feels and looks bigger than table salt, more like granulated sugar, it'll be too coarse a grind. Ta, Kev.
how to timer the extraction. When to start the timer? the moment you press the button or the moment it start to hit the cup
I looks like his scale timer starts on it's own when it detects the first bit of liquid hitting the glass.
Shot time that people are usually talking about, is from pressing the button, including pre-infusion time. So usually you'd press the timer as you press the start button. If you were doing it from first drips (for example using scales with auto detection), then you'd add the first part to the total shot time showing on the timer, for example if the first drips hit in about 8 seconds, and the timer showed 28, then you'd know it's a 28 second shot.
My shots are coming out pretty strong/bitter not sure if its the coffee itself or if i am doing something wrong
Sorry if I missed it, how to you go back to the preset timing ratio? When you have reprogramed it?
In case you haven't found the solution: Hold the FILTER, 1 CUP, and 2 CUP buttons for 3 seconds. The machine will beep 3 times and restore its default extraction time.
Sorry for my new be question but I don’t really get the time set up you made. You just saw that it was not good and adjusted the time. How do you know?
I just got my Barista Express Impress today and it annoys me that I get too slow with grinder level 16, way too fast with 18 but it finishes up at 18-19 sec on grind level 17 which seels to be right level. What am I doing wrong? I changed the inner grid setting from factory 6 to 5. You put it to 4. What happens when you change the inner settting?
Sorry for all my question… Love your video btw!
Just got my Barista Impress yesterday so following this
I had this same problem I adjusted the internal grind to 4 and external to 7 and got no expresso output at all (I did this multiple times) so I adjusted external grinder to 18 and have expresso extracted at 20 sec on the dot. Anything above or below on external grinder does not work.
@@jessemeghanmault1457 Same thing happening to me. Freshly roasted beans, I haven’t adjusted the internal grind setting, but on the external I can’t go lower than 10 or I won’t get enough volume
After changing the grind size and shot volume the pressure always sits on the lower side when pulling a shot. How do I increase the pressure? Always sits on the lower end (pre infusion) on the pressure scale. Great vid BTW
adjusting finer will up the pressure. That worked for me.
Got mine yesterday but i don’t understand why the both filters lights is blinking in your video its only one filter light 💡 on while mine bith blinking how can i setup that could u please reply me back
If it's blinking from one light to the other that would usually indicate that the hopper isn't locked. Try removing the hopper and then re-locking it. Ta, Kev.
when you measure your weight of your coffee to work out the ratio are you including the weight of the portafilter ?
No, around 18.5g-19g of whole beans into the grinder is perfect.
The issue I’ve got with this machine is that once I’m dialled in my shot times still vary quite wildly, do you think it’s machine temp? So I’ll pre flush the group head etc, pull a shot at 22 seconds. Not change anything. The next shot is 30 seconds. Any ideas?
How long are we talking in between shots? Back to back, or a bit later in the day?
@@Coffee_Kevhi Kev. Thanks for the reply. Back to back. So a minute or so in between.
Do you have any tips on making less of a mess? When I tamp, it's kicking grinds all over the place.
Also, my pucks are constantly getting stuck in the water dispersing area. Any thing I'm doing wrong?
Hi,
Watch this short post :th-cam.com/users/shortsM0zjhLGhMco?feature=share
This should help.
Ta
Kev
Hi Kev. Thanks for making this vid. I am trying my hand at dialing in. At the moment, what the dose Im getting is around 15-16g on the double wall basket. Is this expected or have I done something wrong along the way?
That's about what I get as well, and the machine seems to think this is right. You can always adjust the extraction accordingly and pour a 32ml shot to keep the ratio correct.
K I’m a novice and just bought this machine. I’m confused as to what filter to use….what was square one that was in from factory?
Square with a bunch of holes at the bottom is the double cup single wall. This is what total use when grinding fresh beans. This is what he’s been using.
which portafilter insert do you use? single wall or double wall?
Single wall. Double wall is only for pre-ground coffee. Breville say that you should use double wall for older beans as well, but I've tried it and it pours a shit coffee every time if you've freshly ground the beans, even if the beans themselves are pretty stale. Just adjust the grind size until it has enough pressure using the single wall basket. Double wall does work well for pre-ground coffee though.
when do you start the timer when you measure 20-35 seconds? when you press the button or when it starts running out?
I looks like his scale timer starts on it's own when it detects the first bit of liquid hitting the glass.
The shot time is from pressing the shot button, so I'm pressing the shot button here and pressing the timer at the same time. Ta, Kev.
I don't think I was using the scales in auto start mode actually, if I was then yeah I'd add the rest of the shot time to the time showing on the timer, for instance if first drips were at about 8 seconds, and the timer shows 20 seconds, then I'd know that's a 28 second shot - but I don't usually use auto start mode, I prefer to just start the shot and press the timer button if the machine I'm using doesn't have a shot timer. Ta, Kev.
I've just got this machine after watching your reviews (it was between the express and pro then saw this option and loved the dosing and tamper feature)
I've managed to get the extraction time close to 30 seconds but the crema is quite thin compared to what you're getting on this video, does a finer grind help produce a thicker crema?
Glad you are enjoying the Impress.
Re the crema:
Not necessarily, grind size is just one of the parameters relating to crema.
Cheers
Kev
Nice 👍
Hi what is the actual difference between 1 cup and 2 cup ? Does 2 cup button pour for longer ?
You could technically configure them to pour the opposite way if you wanted (so the single cup button pours for longer than the the double cup button), but by factory settings, yes. It's simply two different pour durations.
this might be obvious but what is the easiest way to switch between a double shot basket and a single shot without the machine automatically dosing twice the amount of coffee as necessary, is there a way of doing this without making a big mess.
Just press the "filter" button to toggle between single basket and double basket. Ta, Kev.
G'day Kev, I have a Breville Barista Expess and am not sure when to begin my timer for extraction time. Does extraction time commence at the moment the double shot button is pressed or at the moment coffee begins to pour from the portafilter? 💚💛⛳
Thanks for your message,
I would usually set the timer a second after you hear the water hit the coffee
Cheers
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev I’ve had the same question and not sure I understand your response. Can you clarify? Start timing on first sign of coffee hitting the cup (I.e. don’t count the infusion time of about 9 sec)?
Never mind. Saw this was clarified in another comment.
I've noticed on your serious of videos for this machine that when you take the portafilter out after tamping that there is some of the coffee grinds up the walls of the basket, what have you been doing to remove this or have you just left it? (Hope that makes sense).
Hi,
Thanks for your message,
I have left the grinds in as it really wont make any difference to the coffee as there is so little of it.
I did a test and it seems to be when the basket was slightly wet from being used for my demonstration, when the basket was completely dry, this didn't happen.
Cheers
Kev
Hi. Kev. What’s the difference between this and the Oracle? Which one would you suggest for someone who wants a good shot but having little to none knowledge and doesn’t want to have any ; :) is this like a semi auto?
Hi, I have filmed a video with the Impress Vs Oracle :th-cam.com/video/Dhe2dx0Nbx8/w-d-xo.html,
This should give you an idea.
Cheers
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev oh thank you . How come I missed that
I have had the impress for over a month. At first I was getting 18 grams on a dose and tamp, but now I am only getting 16.5 grams.
Hi John,
Out of interest, what beans are you using?
Ta
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev I use arabica mid roast
Got a new Barista Express Impress, and here is a question: Is the "7 degree barista twist" that is provided by the auto tamper supposed to be visible, as in, can you see the handle of the portafilter move at the end of the tamp, or is it invisible to the naked eye, occurring within the tamping mechanism? Really enjoying your videos and advice.
I have the same machine and if you take the cover off it's ever so slightly visible but not something you'll notice easily
Thanks for the kind words 😎. The twist is very small, and there needs to be pressure on the tamper for it to happen, so if you're tamping empty and looking at the bottom of the tamper, it won't move, but if you apply some pressure to the tamper with something to mimic it tamping, you'll see it move slightly, it's not much though, that's why you have to give it 2-3 tamps if you want a nice polished puck.
I'm finally done with the mediocre beans sage gave me for free when I bought my machine and it's time to try coffee works :) Out of curiosity, what grind size did you end up using for the chocolate browny blend? I have already changed the in-grinder setting to 4. I know that I'll have to play with the settings, but it would be good to have a baseline.
I'd try about 7 👍😃
I like the cup where to get one? Thanks
Hi,
Here is the link for the glasses :-)
amzn.to/3iXwQE2
Cheers
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev which size?
@@Coffee_Kev :) thank you for sharing
20-30 seconds from start of pour or from pressing the button? The manual doesn't specify
Hi Josh,
Start counting from when you press the button.
Cheers
Kev
Having some troubles with the amount of coffee being ground, and the autotamp reading.
Can hear a fair amount of coffee is being ground, but tamper reads as the lowest bar. Eventually it grinds WAY too much coffee, and have to dump out a lot of coffee grounds.
Once I do get it right, the setting doesn’t remember for the next coffee! And same issues resurface for the next coffee! HELP!
Try a reset! Press and hold MANUAL DOSE button and
FILTER button for 3 seconds to reset grind time to factory settings.
I'm having no success making a shot I've turned my inner grind to four and I've tried the outer grind at 17,16,15,14,12,10,7 when I've been below 12 it's come out choking it with tiny drips not making any expresso. I've been in the 17 and 16 it's come out with a 19 gram dose producing 47 to 60 gram shots and taking 30 to 35 seconds .
I'm using coffee from a roaster that was done on September 24th and it's October 25th I've gone through three bags of coffee no success
is there any way that you could help me? my pressure only ever goes just below the middle in the express oh range except when I've gone down to the 12 ground on the outside it doesn't get into the Gray. Is there a problem with the machine if the pressure is not getting higher than that? I've watched like eight different videos from people to try to understand what can be happening. I'm using the double shot basket single walled I'm not using the pressurized one because I thought these beans are fresh enough?
From what I understand, if you bought your machine recently, the newer produced machines only go up to about 9 bar of pressure, where older machines (
I'd recommend stopping the shot at your target yield, so this way you're just looking at the shot time, not shot time and shot volume. So if you're aiming for a 1:2, stop the shot at 40g. Did you get a proper blank disk, or one with a hole? If it's a proper one with no hole, do a backflush (just slap this in and pull a shot for about 5-10 seconds). Does the pressure needle go any higher? If you don't have a proper disk without a hole, just try it with the dual walled basket, with no coffee in. If the pressure needle isn't going any higher when backflushing, do a quick video of this, then create an online support case, upload the video, and tell them it appears your machine has a fault. Cheers, Kev.
Why is this so involved???? Who ever knew there were so many variables. This machine overwhelms me. Supposed to be easier with all the bells and whistles but I can't wrap my mind around it all. So do you change your basket when you only want one shot? I still don't know how to do that.
I ended up getting a second portafilter (beware: they ain't cheap!) so I could have one for the double basket and one for the single basket without having to pop the basket out and replace it every time.
Hello and thanks for all your great coffee videos, I've been bindge watching them since I found your channel :)
I've got a question regarding this machine. I'm about to buy one anytime soon, just waiting to see if there'll be any discount soon.
My question is - does the manual grind function have any influence on the automatic grind? Or is it possible to have two different coffee amounts, so I can dial in a perfect espresso with the automatic function and another dose (let's say around 14grams) for a coffee crema on the manual function and the setting for automatic grind will stay the same? I hope you understood...
Thanks in advance, greetings from Germany :)
i think the grind settings are always applied as they are mechanical. as far as i can tell with my machine after one week at least! enjoy. i can recommend it! loving it so far
hey kev, thanks for your videos! I just received my barista express impress and after a few failed shots I finally got the timing and dosing right with 4 internal and 8 external grind settings. My shots are 18g in, 36g out in about 26 seconds. I bought the Lavazza Qualità Rossa beans and I got a tasty cup but I don't notice the chocolate flavour. maybe it is too subtle. Or is there a technique to get more of that flavour?
Nice :-). Re the flavour, it's hard to say, but if you like chocolate, and you're in the UK, check these out: bit.ly/chocolatebrownieblend (YT25 for 25% off first order) I can tell you that if you get anywhere close to dialed in with these beans, I'd be surprised if you didn't pick up the chocolate. Ta, Kev.
Kev what scales do you use?
Hi Tommi,
I use a few different ones, I have the Acaia Lunar which are great but are quite pricy, I also use the Timemore black mirror scales which are great. , but the one I would recommend on a budget is the my way barista scales.
Have a look at my blog post: coffeeblog.co.uk/the-best-coffee-scales/
This should give you a better idea.
Cheers
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev cheers