Most frequent questions about making espresso with a Breville / Sage machine with a built-in grinder
Troubleshooting, tips and techniques for home baristas
Making espresso at home can be very rewarding, especially with a Breville / Sage machine with a built-in grinder, giving you the chance to enjoy café-quality coffee in the comfort of your own home! But, you’ll likely run into questions along the way — from finding the right grind size to troubleshooting espresso extraction issues. Knowing the answers to the most common challenges can help you get the best results every time.
In this article we cover the most frequent questions we’ve been receiving over the years from home baristas, about making espresso with a Breville / Sage machine, along with practical tips and techniques. Whether you’re new to home espresso or looking to refine your skills, this article will help you overcome the most common challenges and brew the perfect shot at home.
1. What type of coffee beans roast should you use?
After pulling hundreds of espresso shots on Breville / Sage machines, I found to be getting the best results when I use medium and medium - dark roasts. Here I’d like to explain two reasons for why that is the case:
Density — Compared to light roasts, medium and medium - dark roasted coffee beans are less dense, so it’s easier for the grinder to “chew” through the beans.
Solubility — Medium and medium - dark roasts are more soluble, so it’s easier to extract the flavors out of such coffee beans. This makes the dialing in process easier and more forgiving, especially if this is your first espresso machine and you’re an absolute beginner home barista.
The built-in grinder of the Breville / Sage machines is not perfect, it can be inconsistent, but it does a good job. Having said that, you’ll make your life easier if you pay attention to the type of coffee beans roast you use to make espresso at home.
2. Can coffee beans be too fresh?
Yes — if the coffee beans are too fresh i.e. less than 1 week from the roast date, I would not recommend them for immediate use. Preferably, you let them to rest or degas, which essentially means that you give them some time to release the CO2 (carbon dioxide) that has developed during the roasting process.
On top of a very thick layer of crema, the espresso shots you make with coffee beans that are too fresh may run unevenly, taste slightly toasty and muddled in flavors. Ideally, you’re using coffee beans that are around 1 - 2 weeks from the roast date.
3. When do you start counting the espresso extraction time, at the start of the pump or at the first drop of espresso in the cup?
Once the water is in contact with the ground coffee — at the start of the pump — I consider that moment to be the beginning of the coffee extraction. Therefore, I always start the timer on my scale as soon as I press the brew button on my espresso machine.
4. Why is my espresso frothy?
That’s the case either because you’re using a pressurized basket or coffee beans that are too fresh.
If your portafilter has a dual wall “pressurized” basket, that is designed to force liquid through a tiny hole at the bottom of the basket, to create something resembling crema, leading to a foamy texture. This type of baskets are generally recommended for pre-ground or stale coffees. Instead, I recommend that you use whole coffee beans and grind fresh, and switch to a non-pressurized “standard” basket. Doing so will allow for a better crema and texture.
Very fresh coffee beans contain a lot of carbon dioxide. When you grind and make espresso with such beans, the CO2 escapes very quickly, creating extra foam. Instead, allow for the coffee beans to sit for a few days i.e. rest and degas and let some of the excess CO2 to escape naturally, before grinding and brewing.
5. What’s the difference between changing the grind size on the outside dial vs adjusting the burr inside the machine?
The outside dial is the main way to change grind sizes when dialing in your espresso. The smaller the number, the finer the grind. And, vice versa, the larger the number, the coarser the grind.
Sometimes however, you can reach the maximum on the outside dial i.e. grind setting 1, yet your espresso still runs too quickly, in which case you can pull out and adjust the burr inside the machine (it comes set on 6 by default). Doing so will increase the grinding range and allow you to grind even finer, and achieve better espresso extractions i.e. longer extraction times, rich flavor.
6. I have a Breville / Sage 54mm portafilter and I cannot fit 18 grams of coffee in it. Is it the coffee or am I doing something wrong?
It’s very likely you’re using a dark roast. The expansion and loss of moisture during the roasting process makes dark roasted coffee beans less dense compared with light roasts. This means that for the same weight, dark roasted coffee will occupy more volume. When this happens, you can just decrease your dose and use 17 or 16 grams. Just make sure to adjust your grind size and brew ratio accordingly.
7. Why does my Breville / Sage espresso machine spray even when the grind size is right?
Pay attention to all the steps involved before making the espresso shot i.e. puck prep — how well you distribute the ground coffee in the basket, how hard and evenly you tamp on top of the coffee bed etc. Doing these steps right will allow the water to flow evenly through the bed of coffee, reduce channeling / spraying and extract the flavors in an uniform way. To learn more, read our article “Espresso puck prep for home baristas”.
8. What grind size are you using on your Breville / Sage espresso machine?
The grind size can vary greatly depending on the coffee beans you’re using. Some important aspects to consider when seeking the ideal grind size:
Dose — How much ground coffee are you using? For example, a high dose will create more resistance to the water flow, which means a coarser grind size is required.
Type of coffee beans — Country of origin, altitude and processing (washed, natural, honey) all have an impact on the grind size.
Roast profile — Darker roasts require a coarser grind size whereas light roasts, since are less soluble, will require you to grind finer in order to pull more flavor out of the coffee.
To learn more, read our article on “What is the best grind size for the Sage and Breville home espresso machines with a built-in grinder?”.
9. To adjust the extracted volume of coffee, do you weigh and push the brew button to stop the extraction once the desired amount of coffee is reached? i.e. 18 grams of coffee to 36 grams of espresso
To have better control over the amount of espresso extracted, I recommend to either run the machine in Manual Mode — this is more hands-on and allows you to apply your desired pre-infusion time, or use Program Mode — this is more convenient and sets the machine to always run for a set number of seconds.
For more details, you may read our article “Using the Manual mode on a Sage or Breville home espresso machine” and “How to reprogram the espresso shot volume on your Sage or Breville Barista Express”.
10. What should the ratio of coffee to espresso be, 18 grams of beans should make how many grams of espresso?
For a dose of 18 grams of ground coffee, I recommend starting with a brew ratio of 1:2 i.e. 36 grams of liquid espresso in the cup. This is a common brew ratio you’ll find in most cafés and works great for medium roasts. Additionally:
If you work with a very dark roast, I recommend looking up the ristretto — this refers to a ratio of 1:1 i.e. 18 grams of ground coffee will yield 18 grams of espresso. This creates a rich and syrupy espresso which is great for cortado and flat whites!
And, there’s also the lungo — which refers to a brew ratio of 1:3 i.e. 18 grams of ground coffee to 54 grams of espresso liquid. This is something I recommend when working with light roasts, which are more fruity and complex. Letting more water through will make the shot sweeter, lighter and more balanced in acidity.
I hope you find these tips helpful and, if you’d like to dive deeper, you may consider our espresso and latte art home barista workshops. Happy brewing!
