Tapestry Coffee BlogEspresso
How to Make Great Espresso on a Breville
For great espresso on a Breville, use the single-wall basket, dose about 18 g of freshly ground coffee, tamp level, and pull about 36 g of espresso in 25 to 30 seconds. If the shot tastes sour or runs fast, grind finer. If it tastes bitter or runs slow, grind coarser. That one rule fixes most problems on a Barista Express, Bambino, Barista Pro or any other Breville.
We pull hundreds of shots a day in our two Lakeville cafés, where our recipe is about 17 g in and 33 g out. The same steps work at home. Here's how to get there on a Breville.
Breville Espresso Recipe at a Glance
| Step | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Basket | Double shot, single-wall (non-pressurized) |
| Dose | 18 g of ground coffee |
| Yield | About 36 g of espresso (a 1:2 ratio) |
| Time | 25 to 30 seconds from pressing the button |
| Grind | Fine, about like table salt to powdered sugar |
| Coffee | Roasted 7 to 21 days ago |
1. Use the Right Basket
Breville includes two kinds of filter baskets. Dual-wall (pressurized) baskets have a single tiny hole on the bottom and are forgiving with pre-ground or older coffee. Single-wall (non-pressurized) baskets have many holes and make much better espresso with fresh coffee you grind yourself. If you're grinding fresh, use the single-wall double basket. Most Breville home machines, including the Bambino, Barista Express and Barista Pro, use a 54 mm portafilter. The Dual Boiler and Oracle use 58 mm.
2. Weigh Your Dose
Put the empty portafilter on a scale, grind into it, and aim for about 18 g. Weighing beats using the grinder's timer, because the amount it grinds changes with the coffee and grind setting. If the coffee sits too high in the basket and touches the screen, use a little less. Breville's Razor trimming tool can help you level the dose.
3. Set Your Grind
Start in the fine range your machine's manual recommends, pull a shot, and adjust from there. On machines with a built-in grinder, like the Barista Express, move a step or two at a time. On the Barista Express, the pressure gauge is a useful guide: a good shot usually sits in the middle of the "espresso range." Every coffee needs its own grind setting, and fresh coffee usually needs a coarser setting as it ages. Our guide to dialing in a new coffee goes deeper.
4. Distribute and Tamp
Break up clumps and level the grounds before tamping. A distribution tool or a few taps on the side of the portafilter works. Then tamp firmly and level, with the portafilter on the counter, until the coffee bed is flat and doesn't compress further. How level you tamp matters more than how hard. Breville's plastic tamper is light and small; a heavier tamper that fits the 54 mm basket, like the Model B tamp for Breville, makes level tamps easier.
5. Pull the Shot
- Run a little hot water through the group head to flush and preheat it.
- Lock in the tamped portafilter and put your cup on a scale under the spouts.
- Press the double shot button and start a timer.
- Stop the shot at about 36 g, usually 25 to 30 seconds.
- Taste it, then adjust the grind for the next shot.
Breville Espresso Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, thin, runs under 20 seconds | Grind too coarse or dose too low | Grind finer, check the dose is 18 g |
| Bitter, harsh, drips slowly past 35 seconds | Grind too fine or dose too high | Grind coarser |
| Spurts or sprays from the bottom | Uneven grounds (channeling) | Break up clumps, level before tamping, tamp level |
| Watery even at the finest grind | Stale coffee or the dual-wall basket | Use fresher beans and the single-wall basket |
| Grinder won't go fine enough (Barista Express) | Inner burr set too coarse | Adjust the inner burr one step finer (see your manual) |
Steaming Milk on a Breville
Use cold milk in a cold pitcher, filled to just below the spout. Purge the steam wand, put the tip just under the surface, and let it draw in air for a few seconds until the milk grows about 20 to 30 percent. Then lower the tip slightly so the milk spins, and stop when the pitcher is too hot to hold, about 140 to 150°F. Tap and swirl until the milk looks glossy. The Bambino Plus and Barista Touch can steam milk automatically.
Keeping Your Breville Clean
- After each shot: knock out the puck, rinse the basket, and wipe and purge the steam wand.
- When the Clean Me light comes on: run the cleaning cycle with the cleaning disc and a tablet, as your manual describes.
- Every 2 to 3 months: replace the water filter and descale, more often with hard water.
- Every month or two: brush out the grinder's upper burr and chute on built-in grinder models.
The Best Coffee for a Breville
Fresh beans matter more than any setting. Espresso tastes best about 7 to 21 days after roasting, and we print the roast date on the bottom of every bag. Abstract Blend, with notes of honey, berry and cacao, is the espresso we pull in our cafés and dials in easily on Breville machines.
Shopping for a machine or grinder? See our picks for the best home espresso machines and best espresso grinders. New to espresso? Start with how to make espresso at home.
Quick Answers
What grind setting should I use on a Breville Barista Express?
Start in the fine range the manual recommends, then adjust a step at a time until an 18 g dose makes about 36 g of espresso in 25 to 30 seconds. Every coffee needs its own setting.
How many grams of coffee go in a Breville double basket?
About 18 g for most 54 mm Breville double baskets. Use a little less if the coffee touches the shower screen.
Why is my Breville espresso sour?
It's under-extracted, usually because the grind is too coarse or the shot ran too fast. Grind finer.
Why is my Breville espresso bitter?
It's over-extracted, usually because the grind is too fine or the shot ran too long. Grind coarser.
Should I use the single-wall or dual-wall basket?
Use single-wall with fresh, freshly ground coffee. Dual-wall baskets are for pre-ground or older coffee.
How long should a Breville espresso shot take?
About 25 to 30 seconds from pressing the button for a double shot of about 36 g.
