# Mara X newbie question



## Browdo (Jan 20, 2021)

Afternoon, after much research and contemplation I've purchased a fab new Mara X from BB (great service so far!).
Thanks for all the info on this forum to help with my choice.

I have had it set up for a few days now and as I am waiting on my b/o grinder I was sent some (very tasty) pre ground espresso coffee which I am using. 
Now my question is regarding the pressure while extracting a c. 18g shot in the medium basket. 
I have not managed to get the pump needle past 6.5/7 bar (peaking after about 20 secs) with roughly 28 seconds seemingly enough for a decent amount. (I've not weighed it).

Regardless it makes a very nice flat white... any thoughts?


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## Doram (Oct 12, 2012)

Browdo said:


> Now my question is regarding the pressure while extracting a c. 18g shot in the medium basket.
> I have not managed to get the pump needle past 6.5/7 bar (peaking after about 20 secs) with roughly 28 seconds seemingly enough for a decent amount. (I've not weighed it).
> 
> Regardless it makes a very nice flat white... any thoughts?


 The pre-ground coffee you are using is too coarse and not causing enough resistance. This is why the pressure during a shot peeks at 6.5/7 bar (It would normally be ~10.5 bar on the Mara X). The speed of the shot also indicated the coffee is too coarse - Mara X has a gentle ramp up so normal shots take a bit longer (~35-40 seconds is normal, though you can get tasty shots from shorter/longer times).

If you like the flat whites now, wait till you have a grinder and use freshly ground beans. You are in for a treat! 🙂 Enjoy your machine.


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## Dag (Jan 21, 2021)

Browdo said:


> Afternoon, after much research and contemplation I've purchased a fab new Mara X from BB (great service so far!).
> Thanks for all the info on this forum to help with my choice.
> 
> I have had it set up for a few days now and as I am waiting on my b/o grinder I was sent some (very tasty) pre ground espresso coffee which I am using.
> ...


 I was in the exact same situation a few days ago. With no pressurised basket I was struggling to get the recommended shot times and I needed to add milk to hide the acidity. I found in the end that slightly over-stuffing the single-shot basket gave enough resistance and longer shot times. So try experimenting with bigger doses.

My next bag of pre-ground came from Heart & Graft who grinds to two different levels for espresso. I chose the ≥9 bar option and now I can brew normally with the regular double-shot baskets.

My grinder arrived today so no more pre-ground for me. Taking a break from seasoning the burrs at the moment. I'm really excited to find out how much of a difference it makes.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@Dag grinding yourself will make a huge difference.


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