Breville Barista Touch Espresso machine: Extraction

Portafilter and filter basket

When I make a Flat White for my wife and me, the espresso starts flowing in under seven seconds. This means the extraction is too fast. This indicates the grind is too coarse.

One must adjust the grinder to a finer setting by turning the dial on the side of the machine. Change the grinding size one unit at a time. A change of two is the limit.

The goal is to increase resistance, to slow the flow of espresso through the filter basket, resulting in a drier, more compact puck.

How to Adjust the Grinder for a Slower Flow

1. Adjust the Side Dial: Turn the grind dial on the side of the machine to a lower number. This results in a finer grind.

2. Adjust in Increments: Change the grind size by small increments (about 1–2 units at most). 

3. Increase Dose: If the dose is underweight and the razor does not touch the surface of the ground coffee in the portafilter with attached filter cup, you can increase the amount of coffee grounds by increasing the grinding time.

4.  Adjust Internal Burrs: This is a real last ditch effort. I have never tried this but I did find this recommendation on the Internet in a couple of places. 

   If the side dial is already at its finest setting (1 or 2) and the shot is still too fast, you may need to adjust the inner top burr. Remove the hopper, take out the top burr, and adjust the metal wire handle to a lower number (e.g., from 6 to 4 or 3).

Puck Condition

• Drier Puck: Because a finer grind requires higher pressure to pass through, the machine will extract more efficiently, resulting in a drier, firmer, and more compact puck.

• Faster Flow = Damp/Muddy Puck: If the coffee is too coarse (flowing too fast), the puck will often be damp and muddy, as water passes through without being properly trapped.  

The goal is to aim for an extraction that begins in roughly 8–10 seconds and finishes around 25–30 seconds. If all goes as planned, you now have an espresso with nicely balanced flavour.

And, if the puck, while still in the filter basket, looks quite wet with a centre hole running right through the entire puck, you have forgotten the filter basket. Oops! The coffee streams will have started quite early and there will be coffee grounds in your drink. Toss the drink and to start over.