# Sage Barista Touch Settings



## ChrisC1983

Hi folks,

I've just taken a new Barista Touch out of the box and am playing around with the settings after watching a few videos online and reading a few forum posts. Currently, the default settings seem to be way off so I feel like I'm definitely making some sort of newbie mistake [my previous machine was a Sage Creatista Plus Nespresso so this is definitely a first step into this territory for me!]

I've got a bag of Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast Beans - I'll be getting some nicer fresher beans from a local coffee shop once I've got the settings close, I was conscious I would be pouring a lot away so didn't want to waste them!

So, trying to pull a decent Espresso, using the single wall double filter:

With a grind size of 8, grinding for 15 seconds I get about 10g of ground coffee. Grind size of 10 for same time period gives me more like 16/17g so that feels closer to what I need to get out.

If I then run the brew as a double for 30 seconds [the auto time] I get about 170g of coffee out. It's very watery as you would expect and the puck is really watery too.

It looks like I need to go finer on the grind, so I assume I'd need to increase the grind time to get 15-18g of coffee out? I'd guess I need to tamp harder too and see how that works? I'll keep playing around - from what I have read so far, it feels like I should be aiming for around 17/18g of ground coffee and then about double that out the other end, with a brew time of around 25 seconds.

So, I think I'm at too coarse a grind [certainly at size 10], not dosing enough, not tamping hard enough and then brewing for too long! Basically, everything wrong. I've literally tried to make 2 drinks but would appreciate any advice to save me wasting more and more coffee!


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## ChrisC1983

Hello all,

Quick progress update - getting there I think but still not perfect so any advice welcome!

With a grind size of 6 and an 18 second grind time I'm getting about 16g or so of ground coffee.

Reducing brew time to 20 seconds, gives me a much better drink, although it's still about 76g coming out - so a fair way off the 1:2 ratio. Although it actually seems like a decent amount for me - I think 36g or so wouldn't feel like much coffee.

It tastes 'decent' and I've made a latte with the above settings and it is perfectly drinkable. BUT, I bought this machine to make excellent drinks not just decent ones. The Creatista did that.

So, I think I need to get a little less out of the brew but conscious lots of people have said 25 seconds is the time to aim for? That would give me way too much at the moment. Should I reduce grind size further?


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## 24774

It's rushing out, that's a lot to get out of it and 16g in basket is on the low side too. But if you like the taste there no set in stone rules.

To get that slow, honey like pour I would suggest going through the stickied thread in the Sage forum. Once you've done everything suggested there, see where you are. You may need to adjust the grinder's internal burr, most people have to I think, I certain did. There's a video of how to do that in the thread.

If you've just got it out of the box, like I was, I imagine there's too many things you're not doing/doing wrong to troubleshoot helpfully at this point. From what you've said though, use 18g in the basket. You seem to be using grind size to weight in the basket....that's not an important metric. Whatever grind setting you use, you want say 18g in basket (maybe a bit more/less depending on the beans, but start with 18g). Adjust the 'amount' dial on the front so it grinds long enough. Push the grind button twice if it you have to. Grind size is about how quickly water moves through the puck, not weight in basket.

Those Starbucks beans will not react the same way as proper beans. I get you want to learn with them but it's a false economy. I would suggest buying speciality beans at the cheaper end. I used beans from Rave coffee, £5 per 250g for instance.

Go through the stickied thread in the Sage forum, test things out with that guidance, then you'll have a better idea of the things 'it isn't' (if you still have issues!).


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## ChrisC1983

Thanks, I think I'm slowly getting there! It's a shame the 'built-in' out of the box settings seem to be so far off.

I'll have a read of that thread again and see what I can try.

I'm aiming to get 18g in the basket and will adjust the grind time to deliver this [probably starting at around a 6 grind setting]. Once I've nailed that then I'll see what it outputs with a c.20 second brew and take it from there.

It's definitely better than it was - not sure that only 40/50g of coffee will be enough but I guess if it is thicker and stronger then that'll work just fine!


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## ChrisC1983

I've just read through the sticky thread and will try and grab some fresher beans before I explore further.

I'm definitely not such a pro that I think I'll be wanting to do some of the more fiddly things on there like grind into a different cup and then transfer to the PF but I'd like to improve some of the basics to get a really decent cup of coffee [rated as an amateur!].

Hopefully if I tweak the burr settings and get some fresher beans, make sure I get 18g out in whatever time it takes, and then see what it brews like, I should be OK. Depending on how much volume comes out I guess I can play with either the grind size or the brew time to get closer to that 1:2 ratio.

Does that seem like a decent approach?

Then if I change beans at any point, I re-calibrate the grind time to get 18g out and hopefully most of the other settings stay the same?


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## 24774

Sounds like a plan. Once you have a process, change one variable at a time, a common mistake is things not going well and changing say grind setting and amount in same go.

Make sure to run the dummy shots, they made a huge difference for me.



ChrisC1983 said:


> Then if I change beans at any point, I re-calibrate the grind time to get 18g out and hopefully most of the other settings stay the same?


 No, changing beans often means changing amount as well as grind setting. Some beans like 18g, some 19g etc. When learning I would stick to same bean. I didn't, but that didn't do me any favours, I should have. Down the line you'll find that some beans like a longer extraction than others too, but for now start with 18g, see how that works, then go from there.



ChrisC1983 said:


> I'm definitely not such a pro that I think I'll be wanting to do some of the more fiddly things on there like grind into a different cup and then transfer to the PF


 I get that but the reason that is done is the portafilter tends to spill beans and there's not enough headroom to get a funnel in there. Also, going into a cup then transferring to pf helps break up clumps, something the Sage grinders can struggle with. That's why many use a 'WDT' (I use a cocktail stick). I'd say try it without, then maybe try it with, see if you can see a difference. Then decide on your process.

'A really decent cup of coffee' while of course subjective, IMO requires some of these extra steps one would rather skip. You might be cool where you get to without them though, right now it's all about where you end up and if you want to go further.



ChrisC1983 said:


> It's a shame the 'built-in' out of the box settings seem to be so far off.


 Agreed. The burr inside the machine is miles off IMO. I know it's designed to be adjusted but it seemed strange the machine just wouldn't go fine enough out of the box, it wasn't even close. As a newbie it was baffling why the shots were just gushing out.


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## ChrisC1983

Thanks @CocoLoco!

I'll get some beans and stick with the same ones for a while, there's some nice coffee shops that sell fresh ground beans or I'll sign up for a subscription and get a regular delivery. I generally just have one coffee in a morning so don't need to be ordering loads at once so it doesn't go stale.

I'll change the burr setting and make sure I nail the 18g grind at somewhere around 6-8 grind size and then see what a 20 second brew gives me.

If it's too watery I'll go finer grind and see where we get to.

Thanks for the help!


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## 24774

ChrisC1983 said:


> see what a 20 second brew gives me.


 I assume that means without pre-infusion. Time it from when you press the button, aim for 28-32 seconds overall. Again, that's not set in stone, see what longer gives you once you feel more comfortable with your other variables.

Good luck!


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## ChrisC1983

CocoLoco said:


> I assume that means without pre-infusion. Time it from when you press the button, aim for 28-32 seconds overall. Again, that's not set in stone, see what longer gives you once you feel more comfortable with your other variables.
> 
> Good luck!


 That was in total but I will play around with it. On my earlier pulls, I used the standard double brew of 30 seconds but that was gushing out about 170g of brown water. As I tweaked the dose I reduced to a manual 20 seconds and it was getting better. I'll try the standard 30" with the 18g/grind 6-8 but I think it will give me way too much coffee!


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## 24774

ChrisC1983 said:


> That was in total but I will play around with it. On my earlier pulls, I used the standard double brew of 30 seconds but that was gushing out about 170g of brown water. As I tweaked the dose I reduced to a manual 20 seconds and it was getting better. I'll try the standard 30" with the 18g/grind 6-8 but I think it will give me way too much coffee!


 Most likely it will, but 20 seconds isn't the answer, that is too short an extraction time. Grinding finer will reduce the yield as water will travel through the puck more slowly. Using more coffee can also slow down the extraction.

For reference, my inner burr is set to '3' (I think!) and I usually move between 3 and 5 on the outer burr. Might not be the same for you, I'm not sure in variance between machines (or if that is even a thing), but that's where I'm at. I needed these adjustments to get from a very fast pour with high yield to a slow, honey like pour in the 'correct' weight range. Once you get there, you can tweak (or not, depending on how happy you are).


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## ChrisC1983

CocoLoco said:


> Most likely it will, but 20 seconds isn't the answer, that is too short an extraction time. Grinding finer will reduce the yield as water will travel through the puck more slowly. Using more coffee can also slow down the extraction.
> 
> For reference, my inner burr is set to '3' (I think!) and I usually move between 3 and 5 on the outer burr. Might not be the same for you, I'm not sure in variance between machines (or if that is even a thing), but that's where I'm at. I needed these adjustments to get from a very fast pour with high yield to a slow, honey like pour in the 'correct' weight range. Once you get there, you can tweak (or not, depending on how happy you are).


 Brilliant thanks.

Maybe I'll go from 6 to 4 on the inner burr and then see what a 30" brew gives me with 18g on something like a 6 grind size and go from there.


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## Tilt

Hi, I have just bought a barista touch and trying to work out the settings and found this thread and read the stickied thread. The shots I pull are quite sour or bitter. I've been managing to get 18g in and about 50g out which is more than the 1:2 ratio.

Did you manage to dial in a decent shot? What settings did you end up with? I have some rave signature blend.

I've been researching and getting advice from Rave coffee and as a result I adjusted the inner bur to 3 but then people said to bring the outer down to 6 but it got so fine it blocked the grinder then realised that in the barista touch is different to the express as the touch goes from 1-30 on the outer bur which completely threw me! I've plumped for 15 but still not great.

any help welcome!


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## soymilk

I leave the grind on 12.

18g of beans.

25-29 second brewing yields about 35g.

I bought a adjust table tamper/leveler and I set the depth to match the provided tamper.

This machine has been very nice to use.


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## Tilt

soymilk said:


> I leave the grind on 12.
> 
> 18g of beans.
> 
> 25-29 second brewing yields about 35g.
> 
> I bought a adjust table tamper/leveler and I set the depth to match the provided tamper.
> 
> This machine has been very nice to use.


 Thank you.


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## Jstroth

I bought a barista pro touch in December 21. Same previous coffee experience as you and same aim to have near artisan coffee shop quality coffee at home. 
Top tips:

change internal burr setting (mine is 4 but various threads say each machine is different). This is by far the most important thing to change from out of the box.

Choose an outer burr grind size and only in/decrease one level at a time. 
my outer burr is at 14 for my current beans (Artisan Coffee Roasters) but has been 15,16,17 for other beans.

While grind sizes are most important, once you're getting ok shots, I'm finding with the artisan beans I only need 16g of beans. I also find a light to medium tamp is best so I stop the grind before the automatic timer.

Other tips (mentioned by others above):

quality, fresh beans make it so much easier so I agree with the false economy comment re cheaper beans

Run water through the PF for c50secs on startup as otherwise you're putting warm coffee into a cold PF

If changing grind size, run the grinder to get rid of previous ground beans, otherwise your next test shot isn't a fair reflection.

stick with it! It's worth the initial time and wasted beans investment!

current settings:

barista pro touch

internal burr: 4

external: 14

15s grind time = 16g ground coffee

50s blank shot run with PF in group head (to heat up the PF)

30s brew time (inc the 3s it's pre heating)

Output: c. 40g coffee

coffee: Artisan Coffee Roasters Edinburgh - Guatemala beans


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## louis34

can you make a video, to see the settings you have?
I have struggle with problems.


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