At Spiritus Coffee, we’re proud to be the go-to choice for freshly roasted espresso in the area. With more and more customers reaching out, particularly about the Breville Barista Express, I wanted to share some insights based on my personal experience using the machine for over ten years. (Shout out to Breville for replacing mine twice due to heavy use!) Whether you're an espresso aficionado or just getting started, here are some helpful tips for dialing in the perfect shot.

Step-by-Step Guide to Dialing in Your Breville Barista Express

1. Understanding Your Shot

When pulling espresso, focus on two key things: the amount of espresso extracted and how long the extraction takes. A good shot should land in the "espresso range" on the machine’s pressure gauge (about the 12 o’clock mark). Here’s how to get that dialed in:

2. Tools You’ll Need:

• Digital Scale – You need precise measurements, so grab a small scale like this one.
• Dosing Cup & Tamper Leveler – Up your espresso game with a dosing cup to evenly distribute grounds and a tamper leveler for consistent tamping.

3. Grind & Dose:

• Set your grind size to 8 and use the double shot grind option.
• For precision, weigh out 19 grams of beans. Grind only that amount using the double shot grind button.
• Once all the grounds are in the hopper, use the dosing cup and tamper leveler to evenly tamp the espresso into the portafilter.

4. Pull the Shot:

• Place your cup on the scale and hit the double shot button.
• Start a timer as soon as espresso begins to flow (it might take 10 seconds before the flow starts).
• Aim to get 36 grams of espresso in 20-30 seconds.

Adjustments:

If your shot takes longer than 30 seconds, make your grind coarser. If it takes less than 20 seconds, make the grind finer. If you’re consistently running too fast or too slow, adjust your dose: lower from 19g to 17g if it’s too slow, or raise to 21g if too fast.

Why Fresh Beans Matter

A crucial element to espresso (and one Breville’s troubleshooting team often recommends) is using freshly roasted beans. This is where Spiritus Coffee comes in! We roast our beans fresh every week to ensure the best flavor, aroma, and extraction. In fact, you can subscribe to have a fresh bag of beans delivered right to your door weekly, ensuring you’re always stocked with premium local espresso.

Spiritus Coffee’s Classic Espresso Blend

Our Harmony Espresso Blend is meticulously crafted from beans sourced from the finest coffee regions—perfect for your espresso machine at home. This blend strikes a balance between sweetness, body, and acidity, making it approachable for all espresso lovers.

• Brazil: Sweet, nutty, with low acidity and rich chocolate notes.
• Colombia: Balanced acidity with caramel sweetness and fruity undertones.
• Guatemala: Cocoa flavors, velvety mouthfeel, and bright acidity.

Tasting Notes:

• Flavor: Rich chocolate, sweet caramel, roasted nuts, and a hint of fruity brightness.
• Aroma: Cocoa and toasted almonds.
• Body: Smooth, full-bodied with a creamy texture.
• Finish: Lingering sweetness with a satisfying aftertaste.

Whether you’re enjoying a straight shot or crafting a latte, the Harmony Espresso Blend offers a delightful experience in every cup.

Try Our Fresh, Locally Roasted Espresso

Spiritus Coffee is your go-to source for fresh, locally roasted espresso in the Lombard area. Experience the difference that freshly roasted beans can make in your espresso routine. Sign up for our subscription service today, and you’ll never run out of the freshest espresso beans for your home brewing setup.

So, a friend of yours purchased some Spiritus coffee, and can’t stop raving about it. You enjoy coffee now and again, but you’re hardly an expert; everyone’s always talking about Americano this and Latte that. It’s hard to find your favorite style when you don’t know what your options are. You are not alone. So, let’s check it out. Depending on who you consult, there are over 20 different ways to create a coffee drink. But, let’s get to some of the basics.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t say the most basic coffee drink is … well, coffee. Our freshly-roasted coffee is perfect for a cup of drip – put it in a filter and give Mr. Coffee a run for his money. While we encourage you to participate in Ritual, it doesn’t have to be fancy; savoring a cup of coffee at the kitchen table can be every bit as satisfying as lounging on a beach.

Espresso

The classic base of most coffee drinks: espresso. It’s a concentrated form of coffee that is offered in “shots,” small cups the approximate size of a shot glass. Espresso is made by pressurized hot water forced through very finely ground coffee. You use the same beans for espresso as you do for your French Press or Mr. Coffee. The difference is that the beans are ground to a finer consistency – and we’ll do the grinding to your preference, if you so desire.

Latte

Hot lattes are created with espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk. Generally, it is one-third espresso and two-thirds steamed milk topped with a layer of foamed milk. You can enjoy them hot or iced, and many other drinks use the latte as a foundation. If you use half and half instead of milk, you change the latte into a Breve.

Mocha

What’s a mocha then? It’s yum? Seriously, though, it’s a latte made with chocolate sauce and usually has some whipped cream on top.

Cappuccino

And the cappuccino …? You guessed it – more espresso, milk, and foam. Here the proportions are generally one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk, and one-third foam.

Macchiato

There’s more? Oh, so much more, friend. Same espresso, same milk. But now, we put the steamed milk in first and add the espresso on top. Another difference is that the Latte is mixed together upon serving, while the macchiato presents with more foam on top, served as a layered drink. It is sometimes referred to as a Cortado in other countries. Here we know a Cortado as consisting of espresso mixed with a roughly equal amount of warm milk to reduce the acidity.

Con Panna

Now, we’re going to take that espresso and make a con Panna. It sounds fancy, but it’s a simple and delicious treat. Take a shot of espresso and put some cream on top. Preferably, heavy whipping cream. We suppose a dollop out of a can will do, but to truly enjoy breaking through the cream to a rich coffee requires a thicker cream. That’s it. That’s con Panna; a delightfully simple drink. (We personally enjoy some cinnamon and a sprinkle of sea salt on ours.)

Red Eye

It’s a late-night flight that can leave one bleary and sluggish. An antidote is the coffee drink named for that very situation. A Red Eye consists of brewed coffee topped off with a shot of espresso. It’s particularly strong, because it starts with the caffeine in a cup of brewed coffee and adds espresso to up the next level.

Americano

An Americano is another simple option – it’s merely espresso with hot water. It brings espresso closer to the drip coffee that Americans have been drinking for years, which might have led to the name Americano. You can vary the shots of espresso and the amount of hot water to your taste.

Frappe

The frappé was invented in 1957 by a Nescafe representative in Greece. They have become a hallmark of postwar outdoor Greek coffee culture. Derived from French, the name frappe describes a drink chilled with ice. Some are similar to slushes, others are more like iced coffee. Today, they are often made with a milkshake machine, but can also be made using a cocktail shaker. The blend is instant coffee and water (sugar optional) that are blended until a thick foam forms on the top. It’s poured into a glass with ice cubes and cold water, and served with a drinking straw.

No matter your favorite drink, it will be all the more amazing when you use Spiritus Coffee to create it! Enjoy.