Sage Barista Express

Klopp · 20-01-2023 10:58pm

I found it easy myself after a while and agree, all the weighing and micro adjustments are a little mad. My main frustration is the time and especially if you have visitors who will always want a second :).

Klopp · 20-01-2023 11:00pm

I love that Coffee. When I got my machine they were the first beans i got a few times. I may now go back for a bag.

FileNotFound · 28-01-2023 8:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120133714#Comment_120133714

The handiest I have found, was cloudpicker formation.

Once dialled in bag after bag requires almost no adjustment, unless you're slow to get through them and then all that's needed is up the dose by 0.1g now and then if they age a bit.

To start you'll find you overdose them, 18.6 - 19.3g in basket and then I use a leveller/tamper as is in this thread for ease.

Average morning cappuccino takes only a few mins. Mind I keep hopper empty and add by weight each time (or have a few pre weighed doses.

Consistent and good coffee - mind I use them for cappuccinos a lot due to the choc flavours.

Damo 2k9 · 30-01-2023 10:25am

Bought my BE in 2020, the night of the first lockdown announcement, great little machine when dialled in.

I did single dose every single time until xmas, now I just leave the hopper full.

It hasn't skipped a beat until people were over for coffee on Saturday, and the steam wand was just dribbling water... The hot water was the same, but espresso element was fine.

Ran a full descale cycle, then a backflush, and it was back working fine. I was half excited as it would give me an excuse to get something a bit more 'premium' but I cant fault this machine really!

magic_murph · 15-02-2023 12:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118595783#Comment_118595783

When you set the internal grind setting to 3 what did you set the external grind size too?

I have tried so many different combinations but get to get a good cup of coffee. I got a half decent one but then without changing anything the next cup was pure muck. Very frustrating for what should be fairly straight forward

Sync · 15-02-2023 1:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120243229#Comment_120243229

Currently running internal 3 and external is between 4 and 5 depending on beans. 3 & 5 working well for me with 3FE momentum blend.

magic_murph · 16-02-2023 12:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120243598#Comment_120243598

Thanks for that.

my Internal is set to 3 and when I switched the external to 3 then 4 then 5 (fine) but zero water came out and I barely tamped the puck. Went the other extreme and set the external setting to 11 (course) and this worked probably one of the better cups I have made. Took about 32 seconds from pressing button to reach 36g

Didn't taste too strong so will try again with setting 10 & 9 but that seems a better set up than previously experienced.

I am using Badger & dodo coffee beans that were about about 4-6 weeks back.

Sync · 16-02-2023 1:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120248057#Comment_120248057

All sounds good, another variable to mess with in all of that is to change how much coffee is going in, I've had varying results too just changing from 17g back to 16g etc.

magic_murph · 16-02-2023 4:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120248166#Comment_120248166

nice one - thanks. I generally aim for 17 -18g (17 was advised by a barista that sells the coffee I am using) Plus I wanted to keep one of the variables consistent. This combination is definitely producing the best coffee to date. The pour is maybe a touch fast but I can tweak that. Main thing is the coffee is drinkable. shame it took about 3 bags to get to this point

magic_murph · 23-02-2023 10:48am

Back again. This machine is driving me nuts.

I have made a decent cup and without changing anything the next cup is either horrible or simple doesn't purge properly as in little to no water gets through the puck.

I have kept the tamp as consistent as I can, firm but but squeezing the life out of it, no change to the grind size and same amount of coffee (18g). I also clean between cups - wipe the area the water comes out along with running water through it before making the next cup.

I just can't get past the completely inconsistent results.

I would have expected that once dialed in it was just a matter of putting the scales away and filling the coffee and pressing the double shot button but no such luck.

After the one nice cup I made yesterday I have to waste about 4-5 more cups before getting another decent brew. Fairly sure I had to change the external grind setting.

So cup one was set to 10 external grind and the next good cup was set to 7 external grind. Not sure how that even makes sense.

Has anybody else encountered such inconsistency ?

23-02-2023 12:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120243229#Comment_120243229

There’s nothing straight forward about espresso making.

23-02-2023 12:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278213#Comment_120278213

Have you tried other coffee beans or just the same ones? I have on occasions got beans that are just no good for espresso and can’t pull shots consistently.

My first guess if there’s no water coming is either the machines pressure is too low or the basket is overfilled. It may also be the grind is not fine enough (or too fine..)

Espresso is rather complicated when trying to get it really good. You’re using the sage grinder I presume? Maybe try asking your local shop to grind some beans for espresso and try that. I would also suggest some other coffee you might find that helps!

id also say it’s no harm to reduce the coffee by a gram or two and see how it goes.

Klopp · 23-02-2023 2:25pm

I agree with Raichu, it sounds like your basket is overfilled and the grind to coarse, you need to go finer. If you're using beans from a Supermarket it is very hit and misses imo with the Sage Barista.

I have tried multiple beans over the 3 years since I bought my Sage from fresh beans ordered online with a roast date within a few days to a week to bags bought in Tesco, Lidl and Aldi. In my own experience, I find only fresh beans medium roast work best for me and are the easiest to get consistency. I have had no luck with beans bought in Supermarkets, they usually get thrown out.

CalamariFritti · 23-02-2023 4:21pm

It must be frustrating and I feel for you but I really found it quite easy and consistent. Those beans I mention have a roast date on it and it's typically a month or two back. Clearly the beans don't have to be from last week.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120133907/#Comment_120133907

Klopp · 23-02-2023 4:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120279663#Comment_120279663

I agree, the beans don't have to be within a week just my own experience using fresh I find easy to dial in and I get good results as opposed to when I have bought from Lidl, Aldi or tesco.

magic_murph · 23-02-2023 4:46pm

I have tried 2 types of beans, both direct from roasters and roasted within a couple of days so don't feel that is the issue.

The pressure gauge generally gets to just as the limit of espresso range - not all the way maxed out but just to the end point of what looks like the suggested range.

when I fill the puck up I use the razor blade attachment to level off any excess grind then re-tamp. sometimes there weas quite a bit of waste even though 18g was dispensed so I change the grind level to reduce that.

I don't believe I have filled the water tank past the Max level but will keep an eye on that.

I feel I am following all the online advice - adjusting the grind, quantity and going easy on the tamp but I am getting probably 1 out of 5 decent cups. but even that 1 cup isn't quite hitting the mark and isn't close to a shop bought coffee but to be honest I am not sure if thats possible with a home machine.

alec76 · 25-02-2023 1:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120279762#Comment_120279762

Your tamping/distribution technique and pressure must be the same all the time. Practice,Practice and Practice.

You should get better results after few kg beans.

In my view, you need a lot of skills to get good results from cheap machines and grinders, it is possible to pull a good/great shot , but not easy. Grinder is the weakest link of this machine, probably the main reason of inconsistent shots, then thermoblock instead of boiler etc.

It is much easier to get consistent results from more expensive machines and grinders.

I strongly suggest you to get this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B093FVKVXT?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I have 58.5 version ( not for Sage machine) and find it very good,easy to use and extremely consistent compare to manual tamping ( and I have few years of practice with regular tamper). You need 53.3 mm version for Barista Express. You’ll get consistent distribution and tamping with this gadget and won’t be blaming skills , only the machine and grinder if results still poor.

DaveyDave · 26-02-2023 6:45pm

Regarding lots of skills to get good coffee from cheap machines, unless I'm doing something wrong I can attest to that.

Got an IMS filter basket and shower screen for my Barista Express for Christmas and didn't notice much difference. Had a number of single origin coffees through the Sette 270Wi and still not getting much flavour outside of just nice coffee. Bell Lane's Christmas single origin from 2021 was the only coffee I've had that had noticeable flavour.

No matter what I do I just can't improve the flavour of coffee on the Barista Express and between the expensive grinder, IMS upgrades, regular cleaning and various expensive coffees nothing has helped. I'm ok with what I'm getting now but I see a machine upgrade in my future.

magic_murph · 02-03-2023 1:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120286734#Comment_120286734

Thanks for the feedback. I have ordered that tamp device so should get it in the next couple of days. The taste and consistency has improved but still not perfect or as close as I can get it. Back to being able to make a decent brew but def room for improvement. Its frustrating but also some what enjoyable when the results is half decent.

Evil_g · 05-03-2023 9:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/114918317#Comment_114918317

I went with the Pro, primarily because it has more steps on the grinder. I still find that I'd like something in between steps sometimes (but can generally resolve this by adjusting does or tamp), so I think I'd be pretty dissatisfied with the express.

Evil_g · 05-03-2023 10:23am

On a separate note, why, oh why, can I not succeed at latte art with my pro?

I've watched countless youtube tutorials, including Lance Hendrick who everyone recommends. They all make it look so easy, but I just can't get it to work. All I want to do is make a heart.

I think part of the problem is introducing too many bubbles at the start. I do this for about five seconds, but my flat white then ends up with a head not much smaller than a pint of Guinness. Different videos recommend different durations for this, and it depends on the quality of the steamer which can range from professional grade to barely functional. Where does the barista pro lie on this scale?

So for those who've succeeded at this, what's your secret? In particular how long should I spend introducing bubbles for a flat white with the Barista Pro? What else might I be doing wrong?

alec76 · 05-03-2023 12:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120315716#Comment_120315716

Try this

https://youtu.be/T-Felehja_U

As for the quality of the streamer on Barista Express/Pro …Surely you know the answer yourself?

ps. It is harder to steam milk in winter too. Some milk brands perfectly steaming in summer and you’ll struggle to create any decent texture in winter months.

05-03-2023 5:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120279762#Comment_120279762

Why would you go easy on the tamp? 😅 you want to press all the air out of the coffee puck so tamp as hard as you can.

A loosely tamped puck will channel & produce awful coffee.

05-03-2023 5:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120315716#Comment_120315716

Latte art is a skill that takes a lot of practice and it’s probably not your milk or steaming.

Important to make sure to add the air at the beginning but for a flat white just barely, a latte a little more & a cappuccino would be about what you have already. Unless I saw what you’re doing it’s hard to know what you are doing incorrectly.

I always like to leave the milk to sit in the jug after texturing for 30-45 seconds or so (what I’d usually do is steam milk then pull the shot) and once it has rested the bubbles rise to the top and a few raps off the counter will burst the bigger bubbles and give you a nicer foam.

Make sure to swirl (or surf) the milk a few times to incorporate it. You want a glossy, shiny texture on top.

the latte art is not easy and you’ll prob waste a lot of milk before you get the hang of it and honestly unless you work in a cafe it’s not worth it imo.

What I’d suggest is just keeping on trying everytime you make a coffee and you’ll notice progress eventually!

I’ve been at it for 8 months now and my latte art is barely passable imo. So yea don’t get too down about it! I’d focus on making sure your milk texturing is spot on first then focus on latte art. At the end of the day, no pretty picture will make a crap coffee taste nice. It’s better to master the coffee before the art.

Like I said just about passable. 😂

05-03-2023 5:20pm

Oh! And try a different jug if you’re using the included sage one with the teeny tiny spout, they are terrible for latte art.

Try get one like this (if you google latte art jug you’ll find loads they don’t need to be expensive either)!

Evil_g · 05-03-2023 8:11pm

Oh great. There's lots I can try there.

Reduce the air. I kind of knew that already, but was wondering precisely how long I should add it for a flat white with the Barista Pro. My current five to ten seconds seems too long, so I'll reduce.
Let the milk sit. I had been doing that, but doing the milk before the coffee would mean letting it sit for longer than I have been doing up to now.
Swirl the milk. Yep, the videos all have that, but I didn't appreciate the importance of it.
New jug. Yeah I've been using the one that came with the Sage, and it doesn't seem to lend itself to creating a layer over the base.

Thanks for the advice!

Oh, and I've also bought one of those thermometers, to rule out overheating.

Dante · 05-03-2023 10:05pm

Any good video tutorials for steaming milk for a flat white? I find myself messing it up more often than I would like.

EDIT: Just saw the video posted above, ignore me!

06-03-2023 10:22am

Flat white should have barely any foam at all anyway that’s why it’s called a flat white!

FileNotFound · 07-03-2023 12:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120305279#Comment_120305279

Tamp/distributor tool is great, get the right grind and just find the best weight.

You will be consistent in no time. When you get a bean dialled in run it for a while, changing too often just wastes coffee dialling in all the time haha

magic_murph · 07-03-2023 1:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120323305#Comment_120323305

I am close to putting this machine in the bin. Just not able to get consistency. Maybe 50 cups made and 3 Max decent.

I have used the distributer tool and set it to the first setting ( the highest it can go) then when tamped the top of the puck seems lower than it should. a couple of mill lower than when measured with the razor tool that came with the machine. The results is a pour from one of the spouts and a trickle from the other. I have just wasted 10 cups of coffee and not one drinkable.

The coffee starts to come out after about 8-9 seconds after pressing the button (in line with the instruction manual)

to get to 38g of coffee is generally between 25-35 seconds usually about the 31sec mark - again in line with the instructions.

With those timings I would think I have the correct grind size (Qty is 18g)

Its like the worlds hardest rubex cube

Sage Barista Express

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