# Absolute newbie with Sage Grinder Pro and Gaggia



## Baz123 (Apr 20, 2021)

Hi All

I am an absolute newbie to making expresso. I have a gaggia classic, a sage pro grinder and Lavazza supercrema beans.

I have filled the grinder with beans and tried to grind using the sage standard amounts for expresso but the portafiller keeps over filling. Do I need to adjust the settings?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Baz123 said:


> Hi All
> 
> I am an absolute newbie to making expresso. I have a gaggia classic, a sage pro grinder and Lavazza supercrema beans.
> 
> I have filled the grinder with beans and tried to grind using the sage standard amounts for expresso but the portafiller keeps over filling. Do I need to adjust the settings?


 Welcome to the forum....

Usually people weigh the amount they put in the portafilter....depending on it's size...a single holds between 7-11g and a double can be from 14-21g, with 17-18g being a common dose. Some coffees are denser than others, so fill level isn't as good an indicator as weight. So yes you need to reduce the amount and get a set of scales.

The scales will be useful for weighing the espresso output as well....when people talk about a 1:2 or 1:2.5 ratio, they mean 18g of coffee in and 36g of espresso out, or 18g in and 45g out.

One thing that might make a huge difference to your espresso and coffee experience is to get some nice fresh beans from a good online roaster...check out any of our sponsors for that....by clicking on their advertising banner


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## Baz123 (Apr 20, 2021)

Hi sorry do u mean weighing how much coffee beans I place in the grinder?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Baz123 said:


> Hi sorry do u mean weighing how much coffee beans I place in the grinder?


 Not into the grinder, if you are using a full hopper, but into the portafilter basket so you know that you are brewing with exactly, say, 16.0g of ground coffee.


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## GrahamSPhillips (Jan 29, 2021)

Take a look at Hoon's coffee channel on Youtube; likewise Lifestyle labs..


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

Yes and see some great ways of wrecking coffee - grinders too maybe.


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