Sage Barista Express

dubstepper · 14-10-2020 10:09am

I can't see a huge difference between the two except for the screen. I have the express and used the Barista Oracle in an office. The difference at that price is the automatic tamping which is a very good feature but you are getting up to very expensive there. Even at that difference, which is the guts of 1k, it was really only the tamping, and perhaps a better frother.

mad m · 14-10-2020 3:02pm

dubstepper wrote: »

I can't see a huge difference between the two except for the screen. I have the express and used the Barista Oracle in an office. The difference at that price is the automatic tamping which is a very good feature but you are getting up to very expensive there. Even at that difference, which is the guts of 1k, it was really only the tamping, and perhaps a better frother.

The sage was on offer for 440. Seems to be expired

Silver-Tiger · 15-10-2020 8:00am

Got one before it expired on Tuesday. Hopefully it arrives by next Tuesday.

People were mentioning good youtube videos. Can you stick them up if you get a chance. I'll be all about americanos but good to learn more.

keith_d99 · 15-10-2020 9:42pm

Hi all - I am having some dialling in issues

I have changed my beans (Nota espresso bean from Baillies) and am now having to change my grind settings (nothing unusual there)

My grind setting was at 9 ... and my first was trickling out.
Pressure dial all the way to the right

I’ve had to change my setting to 15 now (and lower my grind amount as a result) to get a decent extraction time.

The settings seem all wrong? And the grind very course.

Shot looks ok ... latte doesn’t taste as dark as previous bean (Ponaire European). Not sure if it’s the bean or my technique

Any tips to dial this bean in properly?

ED E · 18-10-2020 8:24pm

Silver-Tiger wrote: »

Got one before it expired on Tuesday. Hopefully it arrives by next Tuesday.

People were mentioning good youtube videos. Can you stick them up if you get a chance. I'll be all about americanos but good to learn more.

Mine arrived via DPD Friday.

Missed the tamp holder for the first 12hrs

adrian522 · 18-10-2020 8:44pm

keith_d99 wrote: »

Hi all - I am having some dialling in issues

I have changed my beans (Nota espresso bean from Baillies) and am now having to change my grind settings (nothing unusual there)

My grind setting was at 9 ... and my first was trickling out.
Pressure dial all the way to the right

I’ve had to change my setting to 15 now (and lower my grind amount as a result) to get a decent extraction time.

The settings seem all wrong? And the grind very course.

Shot looks ok ... latte doesn’t taste as dark as previous bean (Ponaire European). Not sure if it’s the bean or my technique

Any tips to dial this bean in properly?

is 15 coraser or finer than 9 on your machine?

If the shot is just trckling out you need to grind coarser.

Also I'd only change one thing, either adjust the grind or adjust the dose.

You should aim for 2:1 ratio for your espresso in 25-30 seconds. Are you getting that with your current settings?

Silver-Tiger · 19-10-2020 10:36am

ED E wrote: »

Mine arrived via DPD Friday.

Missed the tamp holder for the first 12hrs

Mine is out for delivery this morning. Excited!

keith_d99 · 19-10-2020 1:08pm

adrian522 wrote: »

is 15 coraser or finer than 9 on your machine?

If the shot is just trckling out you need to grind coarser.

Also I'd only change one thing, either adjust the grind or adjust the dose.

You should aim for 2:1 ratio for your espresso in 25-30 seconds. Are you getting that with your current settings?

15 is Coarser yep ... 16 is the highest!

Have it up to 15 now ... get getting an extraction time of just over 25 seconds.
The dose seems just right also. Used that skimming tool to ensure I wasn't overfilling the portafilter.

Tasting ok ... just a rather bland bean I think. :rolleyes:

adrian522 · 19-10-2020 1:11pm

Yeah, possibly. sounds like the bean but I would have thought you should be grinding more towards the fine end for espresso. You don't have much scope for adjustments if you are on 15 and can only go to 16.

keith_d99 · 19-10-2020 1:32pm

adrian522 wrote: »

Yeah, possibly. sounds like the bean but I would have thought you should be grinding more towards the fine end for espresso. You don't have much scope for adjustments if you are on 15 and can only go to 16.

Yeah tried 8/9 first (the setting from the last bean I used) ....
I could hear the grinder having to work more (if that makes sense) ... sounded much different.

And when I pulled a shot it barely trickled out.

Damo 2k9 · 19-10-2020 2:56pm

Your doing well there then!

I have had to go as low as 1 on my Barista Express to get decent extraction.

skerry · 19-10-2020 3:07pm

Damo 2k9 wrote: »

Your doing well there then!

I have had to go as low as 1 on my Barista Express to get decent extraction.

I find the same. Have beans in there from a local roaster so only a couple of weeks old and have it dialed to 2 to get a decent shot. Needle just past espresso range with a decent tamp and about 24 seconds shot. I've tried tinkering to get longer extraction but I end up with too high a pressure and a bitter shot

Damo 2k9 · 19-10-2020 4:09pm

skerry wrote: »

I find the same. Have beans in there from a local roaster so only a couple of weeks old and have it dialed to 2 to get a decent shot. Needle just past espresso range with a decent tamp and about 24 seconds shot. I've tried tinkering to get longer extraction but I end up with too high a pressure and a bitter shot

Using 3fe beans roasted on the 13th, only opened yesterday. 18g in, grind dial @ 3, decent tamp and getting about 27 seconds for 36/37g which is not bad.

The Hound Gone Wild · 19-10-2020 9:09pm

keith_d99 wrote: »

15 is Coarser yep ... 16 is the highest!

Have it up to 15 now ... get getting an extraction time of just over 25 seconds.
The dose seems just right also. Used that skimming tool to ensure I wasn't overfilling the portafilter.

Tasting ok ... just a rather bland bean I think. :rolleyes:

I found that bean to be hyper dense. The grounds took up a massive volume in the portafilter. I think I had the dose down around 15g and a grind of 3-4 before I had anything drinkable.

ED E · 20-10-2020 7:12pm

Fair few comments online saying the grind volume(time) setting is wildly inaccurate. Do we agree?

The problem with coffee is its hard to tell good advice from the zeal of the coffee nazis that would piss on the grave of anyone who doesnt meet their standards.

Damo 2k9 · 20-10-2020 9:23pm

ED E wrote: »

Fair few comments online saying the grind volume(time) setting is wildly inaccurate. Do we agree?

The problem with coffee is its hard to tell good advice from the zeal of the coffee nazis that would piss on the grave of anyone who doesnt meet their standards.

I don't leave the hopper full, I single dose so that I know each shot I pull I have 18/18.5g in (- a tiny bit of retention). One of the reasons being (bean?.. :pac: ) that I have also heard the same

Jnealon · 06-11-2020 9:19am

On offer for £399, here

ExMachina1000 · 06-11-2020 10:39am

ED E wrote: »

Fair few comments online saying the grind volume(time) setting is wildly inaccurate. Do we agree?

The problem with coffee is its hard to tell good advice from the zeal of the coffee nazis that would piss on the grave of anyone who doesnt meet their standards.

Could always leave the hopper empty, place a cup on a weighing scale, pour in beans into cup until desired weight achieved and then pour into hopper and use manual grind function until hopper empties.

Colonel Claptrap · 06-11-2020 10:45am

ExMachina1000 wrote: »

Could always leave the hopper empty, place a cup on a weighing scale, pour in beans into cup until desired weight achieved and then pour into hopper and use manual grind function until hopper empties.

That's what I do. 18g in. 18g out.

dubstepper · 06-11-2020 12:19pm

I have found no major issues with grind volume. At finer settings the double shot is correct however at courser settings the standard double shot produces too much to fit. Not sure of the physics, but perhaps the coarse grind just takes more space. If I need a courser grind then I just changed the setting to one less on the amount. Works fine for me. I'm not pissing about with scales

Curious Geroge · 06-11-2020 12:25pm

Any issues with the water filters that are mentioned on the amazon reviews ? Hard to find, £14 a pop every 3 months etc.. would be good to hear from someone who's actively using one of these.

fits · 06-11-2020 12:58pm

Jnealon wrote: »

On offer for £399, here

Thanks. I made the leap

Damo 2k9 · 06-11-2020 1:06pm

ExMachina1000 wrote: »

Could always leave the hopper empty, place a cup on a weighing scale, pour in beans into cup until desired weight achieved and then pour into hopper and use manual grind function until hopper empties.

Colonel Claptrap wrote: »

That's what I do. 18g in. 18g out.

I use these and place 18/18.5g in them. When im making a coffee, I just empty one of these into the hopper and grind until empty. There is better jars such as these that may work too.

keith_d99 · 06-11-2020 1:20pm

I haven't used scales cause I haven't got one!

..... But I'd imagine they are handy for dialling in a new bean?

The weight is the one constant that shouldn't change .. oh and tamp pressure

Without the scales I just just go on having enough grind so that after tamping there is slight gap at the top of the portafilter. Before tamping it's piled high with a little spillage.

Have never had the grind settings lower than 8 (?!) .. any lower and the shots take way too long to pull.

At 8 ... shots that take about 25-30 seconds, needle is at 12 O'Clockish and there's a decent flow.

bamayang · 06-11-2020 1:35pm

fits wrote: »

Thanks. I made the leap

Is this only available to prime customers?

fits · 06-11-2020 4:14pm

bamayang wrote: »

Is this only available to prime customers?

Im not a prime customer.

Damo 2k9 · 06-11-2020 5:00pm

Deal seems to have ended now.

DaveyDave · 06-11-2020 6:16pm

keith_d99 wrote: »

I haven't used scales cause I haven't got one! ..... But I'd imagine they are handy for dialling in a new bean?

The weight is the one constant that shouldn't change .. oh and tamp pressure

Without the scales I just just go on having enough grind so that after tamping there is slight gap at the top of the portafilter. Before tamping it's piled high with a little spillage.

Have never had the grind settings lower than 8 (?!) .. any lower and the shots take way too long to pull.

At 8 ... shots that take about 25-30 seconds, needle is at 12 O'Clockish and there's a decent flow.

I got a fresh bag of Badger & Dodo, I'll start all over again with the scales and out 18g in but I was at 1 on the internal burr and 2 on the diall and still bitter. Extraction time was slower but just barely. Going to 1 seems to choke it.

fits · 06-11-2020 9:58pm

Damo 2k9 wrote: »

Deal seems to have ended now.

Glad I grabbed it while I could now.

DaveyDave · 09-11-2020 9:52am

How often should I be descaling the machine if I have hard water? If it's expensive to repair or parts are difficult to get I want to make sure I maintain it for a long lifespan.

Sage Barista Express

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