One of the most concise and clearest vid regarding these home machines. Lot of us are looking to dial in for these machines and this video is just perfect. Thank U !
Wow this is exactly what I was looking for, as I was having trouble with how much coffee was being extracted after using different/darker roast and older beans. Thanks so much for the thorough yet fool-proof guide!
Lovely adjustment leason. Thank u Dave. I just order this Machine online today, So this training came just in time 🥳. I will post u later, see if i have same good results.
Hi Dave. I got the Machine yesterday and i already had some v good shots. Thank u for all guide. I try now to make adjustments with single shot filtre. I will send u pictures NexT time
Glad you’ve got some good shots. The single basket seems to hold very slightly more than half that of the double, which translates to about half the grind time used for the double basket plus 1 second.
Aha. I honestly want to make the single a bite stronger than normal. For double i grind 15 sec, for single i want to try with 10 sec. To have like aprox 12 gr of coffee. Hope it works. I guess i will see in the morning
See what you can fit in- 12g is quite a bit for the size of the basket. If you want it strong, you could always go for more of a ristretto with the double basket using a 1:1 - 1:1.5 extraction ratio, although this obviously uses more coffee
Hi Dave. I Could not make a creamy espresso with the small filtre. Anyway i put back the double filtre and grind a bite courser the bens and reduce the grinding time with 2 seconds. The espresso now Was very creamy and lighter than a normal double one. Exactly What i Was looking for. I forgot to make picture 😁. NexT time
Really helpfull and consice video without silly distactions. I'm looking into buying one of these, so I'm interested in how to tweak it. Thanks for the effort!
Update #1, 20g espresso so need 40 seconds started with 30grind for 14 seconds 22 grind for 20 seconds 17 grind and only about 10g came out for a full 60seconds I’m out of beans now so will continue next time. This is so infuriating. Might just try 18g instead too
Update: changed the grind size to 21 with 19g of espresso. I can definitely work with this now but need to fix it to make it more accurate down the line
You’re well balanced at explaining this process thank you. I have to subscribe so I’m not wasting any more time watching under explained or over explained……lol see what I did there. Seriously though thanks.
It does help, yes. I didn’t do that in this example, and after having finished the video, I did end up increasing the grind size one more notch, so what you are suggesting IS definitely true, although when making changes as large as this, it probably only really matters for the last adjustment, when you think you’re in the ballpark.
I'm going to use your settings to get my espresso tomorrow, the beans I'm using, not light roast, if anyone already has a perfect setting, please help, thanks.
Keep in mind that my settings work for me ,on this machine, with this coffee I’m using at the age it is current- the settings on my machine won’t give the same results on another- it’s best to dial in your machine based on what you see in front of you
I guess I’m trying to figure out what I need to set the internal grind size at, if I set it to 4 what do I set the outside grind/time and brew time? Internal set to 4 External set to 7 What do I set the time ? What do I set the brew? When I first tried it I used the settings it came with and it was way too sour. I’d rather have a bitter flavor then a sour flavor The settings above gave me a bitter flavor so now I’m trying to even it out At the moment I don’t have a scale. I know that will help when I get one lol Also I’m using hair bender from stumptown coffee roasters. I love their flavor in their shop and I know what a good shot should taste like, trying to create it has been an challenge because I’m not really sure how to use the machine Is it possible to use the timer instead of the scale?
It’s good that you know what the code should taste like- that will really help you when it comes to tasting it. Unfortunately, there’s no real substitute for scales when dialling it in, especially the first time. As you change the grind size, it varies how much coffee you will get out in a given time. Getting a set of scales delivered next day will probably be cheaper than the core you’ll go through doing it trial and error
@davewellscoffee so I got the scale, I have 18g measured grind size 6 and the inner is 4 I been going through 6, 7 and 8 It will pour around 9 seconds so it’s a little behind I believe, and the puck is muddy, I went up to 7 for a more course grind correct? But it seems to still be sour? And that means I need to go back down? I also put the measure card thing in and it doesn’t quite meet with it maybe like one cm off with the 18g measured
@ muddy puck and 9s to drop is a good indication that the grind is too fine. Set the shot length to maximum and see how long it takes to pull 36g into the cup. Make adjustments until you get it to around 30s for 36g
Hello Dave, frankly speaking I am still struggling to prepare a proper espresso, even if I followed everything you showed in this video. Exactly 18 gr (13-15 grinding level) grind, just right brewing time, but the coffee at the end is still very sour. What else you might suggest? Thank you. Miklós
Hi Miklós, first of all, it sounds like you’ve got your settings pretty good, so don’t go making any crazy changes. Sour coffee can be a symptom of several things. Generally, under extracted coffee will be sour. An easy way to experiment is to extend your brew time by a few seconds to get a longer extraction, leaving evening else the same. This will dilute the more acidic sour tastes in the early part of the pour and add more of the bitter tastes that develop later in the pour. Also, a lighter roast will have a much more acidic/sour taste, often associated with fruity notes, so will benefit from a longer brew, but you could try using a darker roasted coffee, which will have a more bitter taste, often associated with more chocolatey notes.
@Dave Thank you for this. I bought a Sage Oracle Touch a month ago. It has been a steep learning curve. When I use coffee fresh from a local roaster, medium roast my settings are 19g in 18grind site, 25s extraction, 94°C giving me 35 ish g of extraction tasting a well. So acids and bitter notes blended and somewhat mild. But when i try any other coffe i could find in a normal store it turns out horrible and i fail to dial it in. Like for example Italian coffee, rather dark roast, at 10+ grind size, same dosage, it just runs through. when i go below grind size 10, somewhat getting to the 35ish g of extraction, it still is incredible sour with strong bitter notes in the after taste. Umdrinkable. I tried increasing the dosage, upping the temperature, etc etc. but it is the same with with various "off the shelve" coffees. I will try your method tomorrow though. Does one prioritise extraction ratio over anything first? like you did here... so is it more important to get the right flow and extraction fvolume first right and then improve taste?
The oracle touch is very similar, but does make it all slightly easier. In answer to your question, yes- if you first prioritise extraction ratio, everything else will pretty much fall into place. If you aim for 2:1 as a starter, you can adjust to taste afterwards, but that should pretty much get it tasting at least decent. Enjoy it 😁
Please help me! I’ve been trying to figure out this exact machine for years. 😢 I have a grind size of 4 and it takes 38 seconds to get 18.5G for a double shot. It then takes me 27 seconds to get 36g but it’s acidic tasting and barely any crema. What am I doing wrong?
38s seems like a long time- has it always taken this long to grind or is it taking longer more recently? I’m wondering if your burrs could be a bit blunt. You can get coffee grinder cleaner which might help if they’re not too bad. amzn.to/4hK0S84 Next, what sort of coffee are you using? A darker roast will naturally give more crema and will have less acidity- maybe try that. It will also grind quicker. Make sure whatever coffee you’re using is fresh, after a couple of weeks it will naturally produce much less crema and lose its freshness.
Hey Dave, I'm sure you've touched on this already, but if you were to do a single shot with the single shot basket, how would you adjust these settings, (all of grind size, grind time and brew time) to get a perfect shot like you just did? Is it any different, or the same process? Using single shots these days since my cup doesn't fit a double shot. Also, on this, do you have to use a single shot basket to pull a single shot? can you still use your double basket? I feel like it would pool water at the top of the puck otherwise.
The single basket will hold just over half of what fits in the double the basket. If I was using 18g in the double, I’d try 10 in the single. Because of the reduced size, the effects of any inconsistency are larger, so it’s not as easy to get consistent shots with the single basket; if I want a single shot, I tend to use the double basket and collect it into 2 cups next to each other. Don’t use half the dose in the double basket- there is too much room in there, which will lead to the water channeling through the puck and give you bitter coffee. Either go with the single basket, or use half of a normal double shot.
@ roughly speaking yes. When I have used it, I found extraction to be a couple of seconds quicker than a double (so if a double was 30s, a single might take 27s). Best bet is to see what it tastes like. If you’re using the single basket, try to be especially consistent with everything you do preparing the puck, as little differences can have a big affect on the output.
Very informative and usefull video..I’ve recently bought the same one and your instructions really helped me..May I know what composition of robusta and arabica coffee beans you suggest?
Firstly, double check your coffee beans- for the purpose of setting the machine up, go with something like the regular Lavazza beans from the supermarket- make sure they are a new bag (ie not opened weeks ago). That should give you a fairly middle of the road benchmark for dialling in. That grind setting you have, along with the burr setting of 3 does seem as though it should be very fine. What does the ground coffee feel like? It should be slightly gritty- finer than sand, but coarser than icing sugar. This website gives a good description: library.sweetmarias.com/espresso-the-grind/ Having got your coffee beans, if the grind feels about right, just continue making adjustments, taking the burr down another notch. If it feels too fine, go back up a notch on the burr- sometimes super fine settings result in a counterintuitive higher flow. If you do end up reducing the burr further, keep an ear out for any unusual noises , and stop the machine immediately if you hear any metal grinding sounds- if the burrs impact each other (which shouldn’t happen, but could at really low settings) that can cause permanent damage to the grinder.
@@davewellscoffee Thanks so much for your reply, I wasted a whole £10 bag of Strangers Coffee... so I'll jump on the Lavazza! I did notice the beans were roasted on Nov 2023... they haven't been opened but I wonder if that is one of the reasons. I took Burr down to 3 (now moved it back up to 5) and all the way down to 1 with no luck on the machine, so will try again!
Hi Dave Love the touch machine and have just about survived the dose ,weight and extraction that all newcomers experience. I am getting “steam wand blocked message” this has come up each time and I have checked the 4 holes are not blocked visually and also using the pin Have run the cleaning cycle several time but the message comes up. Have blown air through the tip and also used a torch Any suggestions apart from taking it back to the shop? Regards Harry
If you unscrew the end of the wand can you see through the larger hole to see light through the 4 small holes? Whilst you have the end off, have a look up the body of the wand with a torch to see if there’s anything visibly blocking it (although I can’t think what would get up there).
@ tried that all clear,, didn’t think to look up the body though Ran the milk options several times and each time the message came up with nothing in the 4 holes. Have also run the steam wand clean option several times and after reassemble the blocked message comes up. Have returned the machine to the supplier and it is on its way to the repairers
Hi Dave, I bought a second hand Barrista Touch and irrespective of the grind size (I went all the way down to 1) the machine extracts at 4seconds every time and in 30seconds I get 80g worth of extraction. I get 37g every time at 10seconds, any idea what the issue is? Should I send the coffeee machine back to the seller?
As a follow up I have adjusted my grinder internal adjustment from 5 to 1. The result of this is that I am able to extract at a 9 grinding setting, using 18.5g of coffee, 37g of extraction at 30seconds. My only issue is that the extraction starts at 6 seconds. If I try to reduce the grind size the machine still extracts at 6 seconds but the extraction reduces to 18g at 30seconds. How can I reduce this early extraction?
Honestly don’t worry about the early extraction if the extraction ratio is good in 30s. Also, be careful not to go too fine if you have changed the internal burr all the way down to 1; if you reduce it too much, you can get the burrs to grind against each other, which can damage the grinder. Watch out for any unusual noises when grinding.
With a 6 grind size the coffee starts to pour in about 8 seconds but I'm getting 60 g in around 30 s. Is this an issue with the machine setting? Another question is, when you make a 36 g espresso, is it considered a single shot? How do you make a double shot then? Thanks a lot for your videos!
Stop your shot when you get to 36g and use that to make your adjustments. Off you’re using the Barista Touch, you can’t change pre-infusion (ie the low pressure period at the start of the shot), so don’t worry about the 8s - it’s more of just an indicator, but is very much secondary to the brew ratio. 36g would be a double shot. A single would be 9-10g of coffee in the single basket, giving 18-20g out. It’s much harder to get consistent results with the single basket, so I tend to just use the double and collect it in 2 separate cups each side of the spout.
I am using Lavazza 5/10 with my new machine. At a grind size of 7 I get 18g, but it slightly overflows the double basket when I tamp. It takes about 7 seconds to first drip, and I get 46g of liquid in 25 seconds. Where should I adjust?
Make it 2 steps finer and see how that goes. You can try tapping the portafilter to settle the ground coffee before tamping- that and the slightly finer grind size should help with out overflowing
My real issue with this machine is that even when I do everything the same (same coffee beans, same amount and grind size), I at times get different output. Maybe my coffee puck prep differs from shot to shot but I try to do it the same. I'll try with a WDT and puck screen to see if those help.
Consistency in every aspect of the process is key. A WDT definitely helps with the flow through the puck. Also, if you’re pulling multiple shots, you’ll notice a difference between the first shot and subsequent shots if you haven’t warmed up the portafilter and group head.
3 things: (1) a short(er) extraction - go for an extraction ratio of just under 2:1. (2) go for a lighter roasted coffee. Dark roasts are more bitter. (3) make sure your coffee isn’t too old. Keep coffee in an airtight container (vacuum sealed ideally), and if you grind it, use it immediately. Try to get coffee with a ‘roasted on’ date, and use with 3 weeks of that for optimum flavour.
Got a barista touch recently. Straight out of the box the grind has to be down to 3 or 4 (out of 30) and apparantly ❤❤ some people even need to reduce down the internal burr to get an even finer grind which i dont understand because at 2 on my new machine chokes the flow way too much. Anyway, with fresh beans, and 18g in and 36g out bang on 30s Im getting extremely sour shots. If i go down a notch from 3 to 2 the pull time goes from 30s to 50s for 38g out and that tastes off. Any ideas appreciated.
The reason people may change the internal burr is, if you reduce the burr, you could then increase the grind size from your current 3-4, to somewhere mid-range, which would give you more room for further adjustments if required. Also, each machine IS different, so some people may find it impossible to get a fine enough grind out of the box. Regarding your sour shots, what sort of coffee are you using? Sounds like the extraction ratio and time are pretty good- is it a light roast? Light roasts will be much more acidic, and will often benefit from a longer extraction. You could try more of a 2.5 or 3:1 extraction ratio. You could also see how you get on with a medium dark-dark roast coffee.
Where does the 37g come from? According to Breville, double shot should be about 60 mls, which weighs more than 37g. I’m just trying to understand the formula a little better. Thank you for the video.
Due to the creme on the top of the espresso shot it's really hard to get the exact volume so it's much easier to use weight for the yield. He is simply doing a 1:2 yield ratio which is whatever your dose size is (his is 18.5g) times it by 2 to get your preferred outcome size.
In theory yes, but in reality, I have found that the basket takes about 10g. If I’m making singles I usually just use the double basket and collect from one side of the spout, giving half the shot (admittedly this isn’t very often). It’s a bit wasteful, but I find I waste more coffee trying to get a good result with the single basket. If that’s how you have your coffee every time it’s probably worth persevering with the single basket.
Yes, I had to reduce mine by 2 notches. You basically want to make sure that you have some room to adjust the dial on the side of the machine up or down several steps when the machine is dialled in, that way you can always adjust for different coffee etc.
Hi Dave, enjoying your channel, really good tips and I've subbed. Can I cheekily suggest that you grab a silicone gun and apply some decorators caulk behind the light baffle on your wall unit. It'll stop the light leek from the LED. As a joiner, it drives me nuts 🤣
I’ve fixed it (although I had already filmed another video before doing it). OMG, how did I not notice this before?! It’s like you pointed out the clock ticking, I couldn’t stop seeing it until it was fixed!
The grind time and coarseness settings are carried across to all recipes, including custom recipes. For the brew time, it will default to a 30s double shot for all built in recipes, but when you have sorted your espresso, it’s worth saving a brew custom recipe with the settings you have used. This can be the basis for any drink. You can apply the same shot timing to any of the preset recipes by pressing the button which cycles between ‘double’, ‘single’ and ‘custom’, then adjusting the time to what you want- you have to do this every time though, which is why it’s worth saving your own recipe. Milk settings are different and adjustable for any of the preset or custom recipes, and it will remember the last settings used. Personally I use one custom recipe for every drink (except long black/ Americano, as that adds in water). I then steam milk manually to suit whatever it is I’m making.
Add 15 to your grind size and try again. (So size 21). Keep making adjustments by halving the difference between actual shot time and 30 until you’re between 25-35s, then just do one step at a time until it’s perfect.
@Dave - Perhaps a dumb question. I've managed to get 18.5g yielding around 35 in 27s. The volume appears to be a single shot. If I want to brew a double shot for a latte, what do I do now? Still use 18.5 and just brew for double the time?
Well done on dialling it in. What you have got there is a double shot, a single is half that weight in the smaller basket. If you want more volume of coffee, it’s best to add hot water rather than keep extracting, as that tends to make the coffee bitter.
@davewellscoffee thank you for that helpful context! My confusion (which, again, is probably dumb), is that when I brew two nespresso pods on standard espresso shot (not lungo), it fills up an espresso cup. When I brew the double shot out of the breville, it's barely half the espresso cup. Is the nespresso just non-standard in volume?
@@steepconversations I’m not sure that there is a defined ‘standard’ for size of a shot, and there isn’t a right or wrong brew ratio- however most people do tend to favour around 2:1. Some machines have larger baskets, holding 22-24g, which would give you a bigger shot. Nespresso pods do some crazy stuff - they only have about 6g of coffee in, but give a better extraction than you would expect considering. Also why you’ll be able to make better tasting coffee with your Breville.
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Do you have to do this everytime you get a new bag of beans?
Once the machine is properly dialled in you’ll only need to make small changes. I generally weigh the beans and coffee when I start a bag of different coffee.
36g out is a double shot (it will be slightly more than 36ml with the crema). 60ml is quite a high extraction ratio- it’s likely to be bitter. Stop the shot at 36g and see how long the brew took. Adjust until this takes 25-35s. This will almost certainly improve the taste.
You should NOT have to weight each shot with the Touch. If the weight is wrong you should time the grind and save the brew settings. The preprogrammed times are quite accurate and only thing you may need to do is adjust grind size
No- and I think most people won’t measure it every time, although there would me no harm if you wanted to. I only measure the first time I use a new bag of coffee to make sure it’s dialled in well enough.
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Do you have to do this everytime you get a new bag of beans?
Not to this degree. When I get different beans I weigh the coffee into the portafilter and weigh the coffee pouring the cup, then if needed I’ll make any adjustments, but it’s only small adjustments after the initial setup, which doesn’t take long
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One of the most concise and clearest vid regarding these home machines. Lot of us are looking to dial in for these machines and this video is just perfect. Thank U !
Wow this is exactly what I was looking for, as I was having trouble with how much coffee was being extracted after using different/darker roast and older beans.
Thanks so much for the thorough yet fool-proof guide!
Lovely adjustment leason. Thank u Dave. I just order this Machine online today, So this training came just in time 🥳. I will post u later, see if i have same good results.
Hi Dave. I got the Machine yesterday and i already had some v good shots. Thank u for all guide. I try now to make adjustments with single shot filtre. I will send u pictures NexT time
Glad you’ve got some good shots. The single basket seems to hold very slightly more than half that of the double, which translates to about half the grind time used for the double basket plus 1 second.
Aha. I honestly want to make the single a bite stronger than normal. For double i grind 15 sec, for single i want to try with 10 sec. To have like aprox 12 gr of coffee. Hope it works. I guess i will see in the morning
See what you can fit in- 12g is quite a bit for the size of the basket. If you want it strong, you could always go for more of a ristretto with the double basket using a 1:1 - 1:1.5 extraction ratio, although this obviously uses more coffee
Hi Dave. I Could not make a creamy espresso with the small filtre. Anyway i put back the double filtre and grind a bite courser the bens and reduce the grinding time with 2 seconds. The espresso now Was very creamy and lighter than a normal double one. Exactly What i Was looking for. I forgot to make picture 😁. NexT time
Thank you so much for this video is exactly what I was looking for! I have the same machine but wasn’t getting the results that I intended.
I LOVE this video! It will save a ton of time, coffee and frustration! So many adjustments, but it's good to know how it's done.
Really helpfull and consice video without silly distactions. I'm looking into buying one of these, so I'm interested in how to tweak it. Thanks for the effort!
excellent. i still wish the youch impress gave you adjustment by the mm like touch does by the second. great work will tey a new step tomorrow, thanks
I’m so glad I found this, will update once I try it out myself
Update #1, 20g espresso so need 40 seconds
started with
30grind for 14 seconds
22 grind for 20 seconds
17 grind and only about 10g came out for a full 60seconds
I’m out of beans now so will continue next time. This is so infuriating. Might just try 18g instead too
Update: changed the grind size to 21 with 19g of espresso. I can definitely work with this now but need to fix it to make it more accurate down the line
You’re well balanced at explaining this process thank you. I have to subscribe so I’m not wasting any more time watching under explained or over explained……lol see what I did there. Seriously though thanks.
When you change the grind size, do you need to run the grinder a bit so that it flushes out all the coffee that was ground with the previous setting?
It does help, yes. I didn’t do that in this example, and after having finished the video, I did end up increasing the grind size one more notch, so what you are suggesting IS definitely true, although when making changes as large as this, it probably only really matters for the last adjustment, when you think you’re in the ballpark.
I'm going to use your settings to get my espresso tomorrow, the beans I'm using, not light roast, if anyone already has a perfect setting, please help, thanks.
Keep in mind that my settings work for me ,on this machine, with this coffee I’m using at the age it is current- the settings on my machine won’t give the same results on another- it’s best to dial in your machine based on what you see in front of you
I guess I’m trying to figure out what I need to set the internal grind size at, if I set it to 4 what do I set the outside grind/time and brew time?
Internal set to 4
External set to 7
What do I set the time ?
What do I set the brew?
When I first tried it I used the settings it came with and it was way too sour. I’d rather have a bitter flavor then a sour flavor
The settings above gave me a bitter flavor so now I’m trying to even it out
At the moment I don’t have a scale. I know that will help when I get one lol
Also I’m using hair bender from stumptown coffee roasters. I love their flavor in their shop and I know what a good shot should taste like, trying to create it has been an challenge because I’m not really sure how to use the machine
Is it possible to use the timer instead of the scale?
It’s good that you know what the code should taste like- that will really help you when it comes to tasting it.
Unfortunately, there’s no real substitute for scales when dialling it in, especially the first time. As you change the grind size, it varies how much coffee you will get out in a given time.
Getting a set of scales delivered next day will probably be cheaper than the core you’ll go through doing it trial and error
@davewellscoffee so I got the scale, I have 18g measured grind size 6 and the inner is 4
I been going through 6, 7 and 8
It will pour around 9 seconds so it’s a little behind I believe, and the puck is muddy, I went up to 7 for a more course grind correct? But it seems to still be sour? And that means I need to go back down? I also put the measure card thing in and it doesn’t quite meet with it maybe like one cm off with the 18g measured
@ muddy puck and 9s to drop is a good indication that the grind is too fine.
Set the shot length to maximum and see how long it takes to pull 36g into the cup.
Make adjustments until you get it to around 30s for 36g
@@davewellscoffee okay thank you! I’ll try that! Ill probably comment again and let you know how it goes because i dont know what I’m doing 😂
Hello Dave, frankly speaking I am still struggling to prepare a proper espresso, even if I followed everything you showed in this video. Exactly 18 gr (13-15 grinding level) grind, just right brewing time, but the coffee at the end is still very sour. What else you might suggest? Thank you. Miklós
Hi Miklós, first of all, it sounds like you’ve got your settings pretty good, so don’t go making any crazy changes.
Sour coffee can be a symptom of several things. Generally, under extracted coffee will be sour. An easy way to experiment is to extend your brew time by a few seconds to get a longer extraction, leaving evening else the same. This will dilute the more acidic sour tastes in the early part of the pour and add more of the bitter tastes that develop later in the pour.
Also, a lighter roast will have a much more acidic/sour taste, often associated with fruity notes, so will benefit from a longer brew, but you could try using a darker roasted coffee, which will have a more bitter taste, often associated with more chocolatey notes.
@Dave Thank you for this. I bought a Sage Oracle Touch a month ago. It has been a steep learning curve. When I use coffee fresh from a local roaster, medium roast my settings are 19g in 18grind site, 25s extraction, 94°C giving me 35 ish g of extraction tasting a well. So acids and bitter notes blended and somewhat mild. But when i try any other coffe i could find in a normal store it turns out horrible and i fail to dial it in. Like for example Italian coffee, rather dark roast, at 10+ grind size, same dosage, it just runs through. when i go below grind size 10, somewhat getting to the 35ish g of extraction, it still is incredible sour with strong bitter notes in the after taste. Umdrinkable. I tried increasing the dosage, upping the temperature, etc etc. but it is the same with with various "off the shelve" coffees. I will try your method tomorrow though. Does one prioritise extraction ratio over anything first? like you did here... so is it more important to get the right flow and extraction fvolume first right and then improve taste?
And thanks to you and everyone for the great content here. ;) subbed of course
The oracle touch is very similar, but does make it all slightly easier. In answer to your question, yes- if you first prioritise extraction ratio, everything else will pretty much fall into place. If you aim for 2:1 as a starter, you can adjust to taste afterwards, but that should pretty much get it tasting at least decent.
Enjoy it 😁
Please help me! I’ve been trying to figure out this exact machine for years. 😢 I have a grind size of 4 and it takes 38 seconds to get 18.5G for a double shot. It then takes me 27 seconds to get 36g but it’s acidic tasting and barely any crema. What am I doing wrong?
38s seems like a long time- has it always taken this long to grind or is it taking longer more recently? I’m wondering if your burrs could be a bit blunt. You can get coffee grinder cleaner which might help if they’re not too bad. amzn.to/4hK0S84
Next, what sort of coffee are you using? A darker roast will naturally give more crema and will have less acidity- maybe try that. It will also grind quicker. Make sure whatever coffee you’re using is fresh, after a couple of weeks it will naturally produce much less crema and lose its freshness.
@@davewellscoffee Thank you! I haven't perfected the machine yet but switched to a dark roast and its way better. I appreciate the help!
Hey Dave, I'm sure you've touched on this already, but if you were to do a single shot with the single shot basket, how would you adjust these settings, (all of grind size, grind time and brew time) to get a perfect shot like you just did? Is it any different, or the same process? Using single shots these days since my cup doesn't fit a double shot.
Also, on this, do you have to use a single shot basket to pull a single shot? can you still use your double basket? I feel like it would pool water at the top of the puck otherwise.
The single basket will hold just over half of what fits in the double the basket. If I was using 18g in the double, I’d try 10 in the single.
Because of the reduced size, the effects of any inconsistency are larger, so it’s not as easy to get consistent shots with the single basket; if I want a single shot, I tend to use the double basket and collect it into 2 cups next to each other.
Don’t use half the dose in the double basket- there is too much room in there, which will lead to the water channeling through the puck and give you bitter coffee. Either go with the single basket, or use half of a normal double shot.
@ thank you so much, this is really helpful! And then you’d say the process is the same? Still 25-30 second extraction for a single shot?
@ roughly speaking yes. When I have used it, I found extraction to be a couple of seconds quicker than a double (so if a double was 30s, a single might take 27s). Best bet is to see what it tastes like. If you’re using the single basket, try to be especially consistent with everything you do preparing the puck, as little differences can have a big affect on the output.
@ you are incredible!! Thank you so much!!
Good video and information, thank you. Audio was a little hard to hear but thank you.
I’ll see what I can do about that. Glad it was useful though 👍
Very informative and usefull video..I’ve recently bought the same one and your instructions really helped me..May I know what composition of robusta and arabica coffee beans you suggest?
I generally use 100% arabica. It’s entirely down to personal taste
I still couldn’t get this to work, always seems fast even at 1 settings and changing Burr to 3?
Can you advise?
Firstly, double check your coffee beans- for the purpose of setting the machine up, go with something like the regular Lavazza beans from the supermarket- make sure they are a new bag (ie not opened weeks ago). That should give you a fairly middle of the road benchmark for dialling in.
That grind setting you have, along with the burr setting of 3 does seem as though it should be very fine. What does the ground coffee feel like? It should be slightly gritty- finer than sand, but coarser than icing sugar. This website gives a good description:
library.sweetmarias.com/espresso-the-grind/
Having got your coffee beans, if the grind feels about right, just continue making adjustments, taking the burr down another notch. If it feels too fine, go back up a notch on the burr- sometimes super fine settings result in a counterintuitive higher flow.
If you do end up reducing the burr further, keep an ear out for any unusual noises , and stop the machine immediately if you hear any metal grinding sounds- if the burrs impact each other (which shouldn’t happen, but could at really low settings) that can cause permanent damage to the grinder.
@@davewellscoffee Thanks so much for your reply, I wasted a whole £10 bag of Strangers Coffee... so I'll jump on the Lavazza!
I did notice the beans were roasted on Nov 2023... they haven't been opened but I wonder if that is one of the reasons.
I took Burr down to 3 (now moved it back up to 5) and all the way down to 1 with no luck on the machine, so will try again!
Hi Dave
Love the touch machine and have just about survived the dose ,weight and extraction that all newcomers experience.
I am getting “steam wand blocked message” this has come up each time and I have checked the 4 holes are not blocked visually and also using the pin
Have run the cleaning cycle several time but the message comes up.
Have blown air through the tip and also used a torch
Any suggestions apart from taking it back to the shop?
Regards
Harry
If you unscrew the end of the wand can you see through the larger hole to see light through the 4 small holes?
Whilst you have the end off, have a look up the body of the wand with a torch to see if there’s anything visibly blocking it (although I can’t think what would get up there).
@ tried that all clear,, didn’t think to look up the body though
Ran the milk options several times and each time the message came up with nothing in the 4 holes.
Have also run the steam wand clean option several times and after reassemble the blocked message comes up.
Have returned the machine to the supplier and it is on its way to the repairers
@@HarryWard-ni4ys sounds like you did everything possible. Hopefully they don’t take too long to sort things for you.
Hi Dave, I bought a second hand Barrista Touch and irrespective of the grind size (I went all the way down to 1) the machine extracts at 4seconds every time and in 30seconds I get 80g worth of extraction. I get 37g every time at 10seconds, any idea what the issue is? Should I send the coffeee machine back to the seller?
As a follow up I have adjusted my grinder internal adjustment from 5 to 1. The result of this is that I am able to extract at a 9 grinding setting, using 18.5g of coffee, 37g of extraction at 30seconds. My only issue is that the extraction starts at 6 seconds. If I try to reduce the grind size the machine still extracts at 6 seconds but the extraction reduces to 18g at 30seconds. How can I reduce this early extraction?
Honestly don’t worry about the early extraction if the extraction ratio is good in 30s.
Also, be careful not to go too fine if you have changed the internal burr all the way down to 1; if you reduce it too much, you can get the burrs to grind against each other, which can damage the grinder.
Watch out for any unusual noises when grinding.
With a 6 grind size the coffee starts to pour in about 8 seconds but I'm getting 60 g in around 30 s. Is this an issue with the machine setting?
Another question is, when you make a 36 g espresso, is it considered a single shot? How do you make a double shot then?
Thanks a lot for your videos!
Stop your shot when you get to 36g and use that to make your adjustments. Off you’re using the Barista Touch, you can’t change pre-infusion (ie the low pressure period at the start of the shot), so don’t worry about the 8s - it’s more of just an indicator, but is very much secondary to the brew ratio.
36g would be a double shot. A single would be 9-10g of coffee in the single basket, giving 18-20g out. It’s much harder to get consistent results with the single basket, so I tend to just use the double and collect it in 2 separate cups each side of the spout.
I am using Lavazza 5/10 with my new machine. At a grind size of 7 I get 18g, but it slightly overflows the double basket when I tamp. It takes about 7 seconds to first drip, and I get 46g of liquid in 25 seconds. Where should I adjust?
Make it 2 steps finer and see how that goes. You can try tapping the portafilter to settle the ground coffee before tamping- that and the slightly finer grind size should help with out overflowing
My real issue with this machine is that even when I do everything the same (same coffee beans, same amount and grind size), I at times get different output. Maybe my coffee puck prep differs from shot to shot but I try to do it the same.
I'll try with a WDT and puck screen to see if those help.
Consistency in every aspect of the process is key. A WDT definitely helps with the flow through the puck. Also, if you’re pulling multiple shots, you’ll notice a difference between the first shot and subsequent shots if you haven’t warmed up the portafilter and group head.
“I guess this guy’s internal grind setting is on 4, while I checked the other videos. Yours is on 6, which is why.”
Decade coffee is a challenge to me. It tends to be bitter. What can I do to take that away
3 things: (1) a short(er) extraction - go for an extraction ratio of just under 2:1. (2) go for a lighter roasted coffee. Dark roasts are more bitter. (3) make sure your coffee isn’t too old. Keep coffee in an airtight container (vacuum sealed ideally), and if you grind it, use it immediately. Try to get coffee with a ‘roasted on’ date, and use with 3 weeks of that for optimum flavour.
Got a barista touch recently. Straight out of the box the grind has to be down to 3 or 4 (out of 30) and apparantly ❤❤ some people even need to reduce down the internal burr to get an even finer grind which i dont understand because at 2 on my new machine chokes the flow way too much. Anyway, with fresh beans, and 18g in and 36g out bang on 30s Im getting extremely sour shots. If i go down a notch from 3 to 2 the pull time goes from 30s to 50s for 38g out and that tastes off. Any ideas appreciated.
The reason people may change the internal burr is, if you reduce the burr, you could then increase the grind size from your current 3-4, to somewhere mid-range, which would give you more room for further adjustments if required. Also, each machine IS different, so some people may find it impossible to get a fine enough grind out of the box.
Regarding your sour shots, what sort of coffee are you using? Sounds like the extraction ratio and time are pretty good- is it a light roast? Light roasts will be much more acidic, and will often benefit from a longer extraction.
You could try more of a 2.5 or 3:1 extraction ratio. You could also see how you get on with a medium dark-dark roast coffee.
Where does the 37g come from? According to Breville, double shot should be about 60 mls, which weighs more than 37g. I’m just trying to understand the formula a little better. Thank you for the video.
Due to the creme on the top of the espresso shot it's really hard to get the exact volume so it's much easier to use weight for the yield. He is simply doing a 1:2 yield ratio which is whatever your dose size is (his is 18.5g) times it by 2 to get your preferred outcome size.
Thanks Kevin, exactly this 👍
This is extremely useful, maybe I missed it but is a single shot coffee weight just half (of 18.5 grams)?
In theory yes, but in reality, I have found that the basket takes about 10g. If I’m making singles I usually just use the double basket and collect from one side of the spout, giving half the shot (admittedly this isn’t very often). It’s a bit wasteful, but I find I waste more coffee trying to get a good result with the single basket.
If that’s how you have your coffee every time it’s probably worth persevering with the single basket.
Hello Dave, did you change the internal burr size?
Yes, I had to reduce mine by 2 notches. You basically want to make sure that you have some room to adjust the dial on the side of the machine up or down several steps when the machine is dialled in, that way you can always adjust for different coffee etc.
So your internal grinder is in size 3 or something like that plus the adjustments that you showed?
@@alexacalcano5887 it comes set at 6 to start with. I had to adjust mine down to 4 to allow room to adjust either way from my normal range
Super helpful
Hi Dave, enjoying your channel, really good tips and I've subbed. Can I cheekily suggest that you grab a silicone gun and apply some decorators caulk behind the light baffle on your wall unit. It'll stop the light leek from the LED. As a joiner, it drives me nuts 🤣
Haha! I’ll get on it 🤣
I’ve fixed it (although I had already filmed another video before doing it). OMG, how did I not notice this before?! It’s like you pointed out the clock ticking, I couldn’t stop seeing it until it was fixed!
So when you have the espresso sorted, how do you apply them settings to all other drinks?
The grind time and coarseness settings are carried across to all recipes, including custom recipes.
For the brew time, it will default to a 30s double shot for all built in recipes, but when you have sorted your espresso, it’s worth saving a brew custom recipe with the settings you have used. This can be the basis for any drink. You can apply the same shot timing to any of the preset recipes by pressing the button which cycles between ‘double’, ‘single’ and ‘custom’, then adjusting the time to what you want- you have to do this every time though, which is why it’s worth saving your own recipe.
Milk settings are different and adjustable for any of the preset or custom recipes, and it will remember the last settings used.
Personally I use one custom recipe for every drink (except long black/ Americano, as that adds in water). I then steam milk manually to suit whatever it is I’m making.
Im aiming for 32g out. Well I got to 6 grind size and only got 20g after 60 seconds. What do I do now ?? Help !
Add 15 to your grind size and try again. (So size 21). Keep making adjustments by halving the difference between actual shot time and 30 until you’re between 25-35s, then just do one step at a time until it’s perfect.
@Dave - Perhaps a dumb question. I've managed to get 18.5g yielding around 35 in 27s. The volume appears to be a single shot. If I want to brew a double shot for a latte, what do I do now? Still use 18.5 and just brew for double the time?
Well done on dialling it in. What you have got there is a double shot, a single is half that weight in the smaller basket. If you want more volume of coffee, it’s best to add hot water rather than keep extracting, as that tends to make the coffee bitter.
@davewellscoffee thank you for that helpful context! My confusion (which, again, is probably dumb), is that when I brew two nespresso pods on standard espresso shot (not lungo), it fills up an espresso cup. When I brew the double shot out of the breville, it's barely half the espresso cup. Is the nespresso just non-standard in volume?
@@steepconversations I’m not sure that there is a defined ‘standard’ for size of a shot, and there isn’t a right or wrong brew ratio- however most people do tend to favour around 2:1.
Some machines have larger baskets, holding 22-24g, which would give you a bigger shot.
Nespresso pods do some crazy stuff - they only have about 6g of coffee in, but give a better extraction than you would expect considering. Also why you’ll be able to make better tasting coffee with your Breville.
Do you have to do this everytime you get a new bag of beans?
Once the machine is properly dialled in you’ll only need to make small changes. I generally weigh the beans and coffee when I start a bag of different coffee.
Hi 18 g in 36 ml out is a single shot ? In a double basket ? I’m getting 60 ml out with awful tasting coffee ? Any advice . Thanks
36g out is a double shot (it will be slightly more than 36ml with the crema).
60ml is quite a high extraction ratio- it’s likely to be bitter.
Stop the shot at 36g and see how long the brew took. Adjust until this takes 25-35s. This will almost certainly improve the taste.
@@davewellscoffee thanks will have a go tomorrow.
Do you weigh 18.5 every time or just grind to nearest number of seconds that gives nr to 18.5?
You should NOT have to weight each shot with the Touch. If the weight is wrong you should time the grind and save the brew settings. The preprogrammed times are quite accurate and only thing you may need to do is adjust grind size
No- and I think most people won’t measure it every time, although there would me no harm if you wanted to. I only measure the first time I use a new bag of coffee to make sure it’s dialled in well enough.
Do you have to do this everytime you get a new bag of beans?
Not to this degree. When I get different beans I weigh the coffee into the portafilter and weigh the coffee pouring the cup, then if needed I’ll make any adjustments, but it’s only small adjustments after the initial setup, which doesn’t take long