HI. This is most probably the best informative video so far. I especially like the fact that you stick to the topic and did not ad any unnecessary back stories.
I bought myself a bambino plus as a Christmas gift to myself, along with a breville smart grinder. Your video was outstanding as every piece of equipment you have discussed, I have been pondering. I already own a scale. I did buy a dosing funnel as I could see right away pushing those grounds in with my hand was truly a pain in the butt! However, I’ve had to return my bambino plus. I watched another one of your videos where I learned about the pressure relief valve, and now I understand why there is water underneath my drip tray. The pressure relief valve causes water to go underneath the drip tray, and then onto my counter. The drip tray does not clip into the machine fully. Going to get the Bambino as a replacement. I don’t do a lot with milk frothing, and I certainly don’t want to have to clean up water on my counter every time I make an espresso. Your video has been so, so so helpful! I think a self-leveling tamper and a WDT tool will help me a lot as the next purchases. Thank you.
Just got my plus 3 days ago and the reason why I chose it over the regular Bambino was for the valve. I had a VERY cheap espresso machine before and i hated the soupy puck so the relief valve helps mitigate that. In addition, I'm still learning especially with grind size and I definitely ground it way too fine this morning. Had it not been for the relief valve I would've had a little explosion when taking off the portafilter. No issues with leakage onto my counter thus far. Is it possibly a defective unit?
It may have been a defective unit, but I thought I would try the plus even though I had read reviews saying the drip tray doesn’t seat properly. It’s good you got a unit that works correctly.
As someone who is the recipient of the gift of a Bambino Plus for the holidays, I appreciate your video immensely. The path to proper espresso equippage is a difficult one, to say the least. I already have a coffee scale and I have been saving corks to make WDTs. I have also removed the plastic insert in the stock portafilter (Why? Just...why?). I was planning on buying a dosing funnel to keep the workplace tidy and to make sure the coffee winds up in the portafilter basket where it belongs, too. Beyond that, the bewildering array of gadgets and devices had me stumped. Your video pulled back the curtain on many of these contraptions and I am grateful for your insights into them. Thanks again for your excellent video! Subbed!
Nice video, I use a puck screen on my Pro because it keeps the group head so much cleaner, it is an extra step but much cleaner and the puck comes out solid and as for cleaning the screen I use steam arm and it does a great job and is easy to do. I use a Eureka Mignon grinder which does a much better grind then the built in grinder, my favorite tool has to be the funnel but I like them all, but it's all about the coffee and I'm lucky and have a local roaster makes around 8 - 9 blends and the coffee is always freash and only $13.00 -$14.00 a pound, again nice job on video keep it up :)
Great comment. I'll use the steam wand to clean the puck screen - nice tip. Love the overall message: lots of ways to make espresso, and find the best workflow for YOU. Some like puck screens, others like their tampers, and they all help in different ways. Coffee is the most important, so find a good local roaster.
Got myself the gold barista pro as I call it the Man Sheiky aka Banchester City edition. Love it once i got my coffee's dialed in, that's what was initially time consuming and frustrating. Single Origins were the most painful but that is all in the past now. Next machine down the track may be a La Morzocco for like 5 times the amount i paid for my Barista pro
With the puck screen, I think the idea is that if your puck prep is really good, it doesn't help much. But if the puck is somewhat uneven, it can help reduce channeling. So it's more of an insurance. I personally use it because I believe in its insurance value and it's really easy to add.
This was honestly incredibly helpful. So, a good tamp and WDT Tool are the biggest impact and worth looking into more. I am glad you mentioned the kind of nuances with a dosing funnel and puck screen and all that because I was worried about how many tools or accessories I'd need. I am a huge minimalist but I don't like sacrificing quality, so, ,if I needed more tools to I'd deal with it but forgoing those kind of nuanced tools/accessories it's nice to know I don't really need them for the every day kind of use. I don't need the best cup every single time just a better cup than the Aeropress every time haha 🤣 I use a metal screen and paper screen on the Aeropress but it's nice to know a bottomless portafilter and what comes in the box is enough. The scale, WDT and maybe the self leveling tamper is all I'll really need. What do you think of knock boxes and what do you do with the leftover pucks?
Knock box was the one that I missed here, and Breville mini knock box is really nice and cheap. Solely a convenience item as you can knock straight into the trash. Also, Scale and WDT are all you need. New tamper can come later, unless you want it. Don't get FOMO from watching social media :). Glad these videos help :).
@@craftcoffeespot Ah, gotcha! Thanks for all the helpful information ☺ Perfect! :D I'll add that to my list with the Bambino Plus and ESP and I'll be all set. I really appreciate that. I can't wait to start brewing! Just 14 days till I'm in the new place and can start learning to make the perfect cup for myself.
In all these accessories the one I have and like the more (I have one of each 😂) is the funnel! My boyfriend is so happy since I bought it. No more messy counter, no more waste... even if you shake the handle it is none of he efficiency of a good dosing funnel. But mine is not like the one you show in this video.
I use wdt, puck screen, bottomless portafilter, and a nice calibrated tamper. I wish I got a shake cup. Sometimes, wdt will just chase the clumps around. Oh and I use a cheap scale which I want to mention. This is my second cheap scale, get a good one, these cheap ones have both dropped calibration a ton of times.
I enjoyed this appraisal of accessories and I have had the same experiences with my Sage Barista Touch. The Puck screen advantage is debatable and I do have a problem with spattering during the brewing. I guess I'll try the paper filter. Now, the problem I needed to solve was the tamping which I correctly deduced was due to the poor design of the included tamper. The difference in diameter of the tamper and the portafilter is, in my view, much of the cause of channelling! After tamping there is an area left uncompressed coffee, or alternatively the real reason for "tilting". I'm now awaiting the delivery of a new tamper which is 53.3mm diameter - watch this space!
Fascinated to hear about the clumping with the Breville machines. We have a 10 year old Ascaso machine and a separate grinder . Am looking at upgrading in NZ so thanks for the details . Sue
I used a puck screen on my old Saeco. The problem was, the Saeco ONLY has a double dose pressurized basket, and I make single doses. So putting a single dose into a double dose basket leaves a lot more space between the coffee and shower screen. That results in a wet/mushy puck, and a lot of coffee getting behind the shower screen. The puck screen holds down the coffee, so it does not get mushy and cuts how much coffee gets behind the shower screen. So for MY machine and setup, it WORKS. However it was a PAIN to get the correct size. It took me THREE tries. Hint, metal expands when heated. So when the puck screen gets heated from the HOT water, it expands. If you sized the puck screen "perfectly" when cold, after it is heated and expands, it gets stuck in the basket. I pull single shots. On MY machine, you could not use a puck screen when pulling double shots. There is NO room for a puck screen. The shower screen screw head leaves an impression in the puck. So if you really want better water distribution on my machine for a double shot, you have to replace the shower screen with a better shower screen.
Update: I found a better WDT tool. It's made by MiiCoffee, and the needles are more sturdy with more space in between each one. After more testing, I found the WDT needles need .5 in between each one so the coffee doesn't get stuck and clump in between close needles. MiiCoffee WDT is the same price and has a stand too - link in the description is updated!
I think I know the answer to this, but can you use the auto leveling tamper with the dosing funnel? My breville came with a dosing funnel and I’m quite fond of it. Without it, the grounds get everywhere. I’m not even talking about using a wdt. It gets everywhere just through the machine’s grinding process.
@@SGTSHMELTON92 dosing funnels are great - the Breville plastic one is good. Just take off the funnel after dose and use the self-leveling tamper. Works great.
remove the plastic thingy.. in the portafilter.. it's just a click in and unhygienic. and the shaking the portafilter really helps, sadly it still makes a little mess. thanks for this video... very nice.
I’ve read different things on the plastic thingy…some say you shouldn’t have hot espresso pouring over aluminum? Either way, I’ve gone to bottomless as it’s easier to clean.
@@thelandrekt3224 that’s a good one, since retention is a big issue. How was installation? Breville hopper can already be fickle as is. That’s also cheaper than I thought.
I like the Knock Box for the sound it makes when you thwack your portafilter against it. But sticking out your index finger over your waste bin and whacking the portafilter against it does the same thing.
Thank you for your great video! I’m a freshman of coffee machine, and wondering which one between Breville Barista Pro or bambino + standalone grinder. Can you please advise?
Great video. Is the bottomless portafilter suppose to be a lot tighter than the stock ? The ones I’ve bought in Amazon have been so tight I fear it may damage my Breville impress.
I am in the process of selecting my Breville machine from Bambino Plus through the Pro and the models in between. I want to be able to do puck press myself. I’m still very torn on whether to get the built-in grinder or not. This was a helpful review of add-on accessories! Can all of these be used on all models? (Obviously the hopper add-ons will only apply to grinder units.) Also, I’ve seen some nice stainless steel magnetic funnels. Can those be attached to a bottomless portafilter and still be able to grind in the Breville’s built-in grinder?
Yes, they can be used on any model (except the dual boiler). You need the twist-on funnel in this video, which can attach to the built in grinder. Also, if you’re debating grinder or not, we have another video on that topic. It’s worth watching here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8PdlSD9zMXM.htmlsi=fLofv3c_62i75P55
I bought Bottomless Portafilter and didnt work fo me, Can you please sher with me how to adjust my setting on Berville Touch for Double Cuppachino Shoots
What do you mean by “barely marks an movement”? Pressure at zero? The puck screen doesn’t create any resistance, and pressure gauge depends on grind size. Pressure too low = grind finer. Pressure too high = grind coarser.
@@craftcoffeespot Thank you. Yes, that precisely. But I find it strange that when I am not using the screen the pressure goes well into the espresso range and whenever I use it it fails to build the pressure up. I will try to grind it finer to see if it builds up enough pressure but what puts me off is that without it I do not have this issue.
@@ErnestoCalixto hmmm, are you prepping the puck the same? You should prep and tamp exactly the same, then add the puck screen after the tamp. Also, press down firmly on the puck screen to make sure it’s in place (just with your fingers). It also could be a basket issue. Breville stock baskets have a slight taper that could keep the puck screen from fitting snugly.
@@craftcoffeespot I was prepping it the same, weirdly enough turned out to be that I needed to press it down harder and that seems to work it takes a little more to start flowing but it still gets the 2:1 ratio. I think I am set.Thank you!!
@@craftcoffeespot Also noticed that the cover did not fit evenly, leaning on one side and i had to increase a bit the dose for it to sit perfectly even. I am getting a different basquet.
It mixes, but you decide the amount of ground coffee in and espresso out. Getting that ratio of in:out is very important. Using 18g of ground coffee for espresso is different than 16g. You need a scale to measure down to individual gram.
@@craftcoffeespot so I need to use the scale to weigh the coffee grounds after the brevile is done grinding and then the actual drink itself afterwards as well?
So I got a grinder weight of 18 g to a T but probably lost some in the process so a little less 17+ also took about 20-22 seconds to draw and it weighed 1.9 something how is that? Also it was for 2 shots
@@ronaldj3184 grind finer. Go finer until you get 1.3oz (35g) in 25-35 seconds. Stop the shot at 40g out max. I’d go 3 settings finer to start. Once you get there, taste again and make some tweaks. If you can’t grind fine enough, check the inner burr.
I learned a lot. But I must tell you the cost of these machines are insane and I wish they would give you the right tools in the box. I will be going and buying a more professional machine. Breville I thought was good enough for home use. But my expresso never looks as good as the ones you showed.
You don’t need any tools right away. A simple $10 scale is enough. Get that and slowly add what you need as you learn. Espresso takes a lot of practice! You can watch our other videos to see the process. It’s well worth learning, as I’ll never go back to regular coffee.
Such guff is talked about coffee. Any small cafe in some backwater in Italy will give you an unbelievable coffee far better than any coffee I have ever had in the US.
First, thank you for accessories tutorial. This is very helpful. I bought wdt tool and scale. I purchased Breville barista express (paid around $400 for new on amazon) about a month ago and have a problem dialing it in. Seems like i bought a bit expensive chemistry set. Before I was using 6 cup bialletti moka and I think I mastered it pretty well. The coffee that I usually buy is Lavazza Espresso Italiano or Gran Crema. I always making sure that label says 2 month or less on the package, so it’s not stale. For lavazza gran crema that I’m experimenting with I was setting internal burr setting at 2, 4 & 6 and grinding adjustment setting to 8, 10 & 12. I alway get a good crema, but taste is quite bitter. Taking in 17g or 16g and stopping machine around 32 to 32gram (double esp) In all these tries, the timing was always less than 18 sec. What would you recommend? I would be interested to see someone dialing in Lavazza coffee and explaining settings to get a drinkable espresso.
Hmmm, you're on the right track here. I would recommend turning down the water temperature if you got bitter taste. The BBE thermocoil can get quite hot, especially after a few shots (and don't steam milk first). To reduce water temperature on BBE, hold "program" button while machine is off, and the lights will flash on. Press one to set a temperature, where coolest is on the left (power button). I'd also extend pre-infusion to 10 seconds. Do that with a manual brew by holding the two button (it will pre-infuse when holding the button, then full pressure when you let go, and press again to stop). You maybe could grind finer, but grind and ratio seem on the right track here. We elaborate on the BBE here: craftcoffeespot.com/espresso/breville-barista-express-review/
@@craftcoffeespot ha.. interesting. Now after reading the above review, I’m wondering if i should return BBE and wait for the sale on Barista Pro? I’m still having few days return window on Express. What would you recommend? I guess, durability wise they should be in the same category.
@@BB-fp6gh I like the Barista Pro over the Express hands down. But, you’re still going to have to learn the Pro, and not sure when/if the next sale will be. Breville has been discounting the Express heavily this year.
My opinion is a bottomless portafilter isnt for most people who make their coffee at home, except as a guide to dial in. Even the most perfect extraction will splatter or spit sometimes. A portafilter bottom stops that mess and pulls the same shot. Take that plastic out btw.
Bottomless portafilter is subjective, like all tools... I’ll take the spraying instead of having to break a nail pulling out the basket each time to clean it. Bottomless also forces you to master puck prep.
