# Just joined the Sage Barista Pro club..



## MarkoPolo (Jan 28, 2021)

Hi All,

This is only my second post. My first post was pros vs cons of the Sage BE vs the Breville Barista Max.

After much deliberation and reading up i decided to go with the Sage Barista Pro as the title suggests. I'm down 250g of fresh coffee beans with another 1kg from Bailies arriving tomorrow, but i believe I'm nearing the end of the seemingly endless tunnel that is dialling in.

Like any newbie, i have a few questions. Apologies in advance if they have been asked/answered under different threads before. I've went through quite a few previous threads and have taken some notes. So here goes - feel free to ask for my info and apologies if any of my terminology is loose:



First of all i think it would be wise to get a decent tamper or distributor. Does anyone have any recommendations?


Should the shower head be showing on the puck after extraction, even when using the razor?


Even though it's "ready to go" after a few seconds, should I wait any amount of time before pulling a shot? I've read that the Pro works best after 4 cycles.


This might be a vague question, but is the top burr adjustment really needed? Has anyone found that they have not needed to change it? I guess the answer varies with the different range of beans and particularly different roasts. I've been only used Medium so far, so that might be why i don't see the need to adjust (yet)


When should I start counting for extraction time if doing manually on scales? From start of pre-infusion or from first drip? I know the BP has the timer built in but just thought i'd ask if wanting to time it manually?


I think that is all the questions for now. No doubt i'll have plenty more to ask in the near future.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.


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## 24774 (Mar 8, 2020)

MarkoPolo said:


> decent tamper or distributor.


 The Motta tampers are good. Great price and quality (£20). Check out BlackCat Coffee UK for those. Distributor - get a cheap on from Ali Express, see if you like it first. £15-18 there. I'm still using mine, didn't see a reason to upgrade to an expensive one.



MarkoPolo said:


> Should the shower head be showing on the puck after extraction, even when using the razor?


 The puck expands so can touch the shower head. Should it? I'm not sure really, mine doesn't normally but sometimes it does. Can I tell the difference in taste? No.



MarkoPolo said:


> Even though it's "ready to go" after a few seconds, should I wait any amount of time before pulling a shot? I've read that the Pro works best after 4 cycles.


 Ready to go after the heat up time you mean? You don't just turn it on and go from cold do you? The 4 cycles thing is the lower Sages use a particular heating method and the water is hotter after a few cycles. I run 3/4 then run my shot.



MarkoPolo said:


> is the top burr adjustment really needed?


 It was for me. I couldn't grind fine enough. I don't know why the BE comes set the way it was, it just didn't work properly. Once I changed the inner burr I was able to grind fine enough for a nice slow pour as it should be. Before it just rushed out as the grind wasn't fine enough.



MarkoPolo said:


> When should I start counting for extraction time


 From when you push the button. When people say 'a 32 second shot', that's 8/9 seconds of pre-infusion and 23 seconds or so of shot pouring out. Don't just pull the shot automatically though (as in press the button and stand back), pull it manually (you choose pre-infusion time and shot length). Look in manual how to do this if you are not doing it.


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## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

what he said. i haven't seen an ali-express distributor IRL, but based on photos it looks different to my motta, and imo, not as good...except...i don't really think the distributor is very useful any more. i haven't used mine in months now. get good at tapping to get the basket roughly level and then a good tamper (i really like my motta as well) does the job.

i guess i could try using my distributor again but i kinda felt that the distributor and the tamper were doing broadly the same job (at least on the sage 54mm baskets), and the tamper is easier to use.


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## 24774 (Mar 8, 2020)

I had the Motta first, it's well made and heavy but it just didn't go deep enough. I sold it on here and got an Ali Express one. Quality was comparable, not the nice matt finish of the Motta but well made, just as heavy and for me better in the hand as it's thicker. And most importantly it goes deep enough!

As for using it, that's why the OP should get a cheap one. Some people like me stick with them, others give up on it. I knock the pf, use distribution tool, then use a palm tamper. I like that the tool gives a nice flat surface for tamping.


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

I bought my distributor off Amazon. It's both a distributor and palm tamper in 1 with the height on both sides being adjustable. It's not available any more, but this is very similar. £17.99 and available on Prime next day delivery

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CR9W3BH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_8G0EV8SRPX3X8N6RKXK0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


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## MarkoPolo (Jan 28, 2021)

Thank you all for the your responses.



CocoLoco said:


> The Motta tampers are good. Great price and quality (£20). Check out BlackCat Coffee UK for those. Distributor - get a cheap on from Ali Express, see if you like it first. £15-18 there. I'm still using mine, didn't see a reason to upgrade to an expensive one.


 @CocoLocoI was actually looking at this one earlier that @dutchy101linked above https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CR9W3BH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_8G0EV8SRPX3X8N6RKXK0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I'm thinking of ordering as the reviews seem good. I actually have a distributor from Aliexpress for my older machine but is isn't as snug as it should be on the portafilter.



CocoLoco said:


> Ready to go after the heat up time you mean? You don't just turn it on and go from cold do you? The 4 cycles thing is the lower Sages use a particular heating method and the water is hotter after a few cycles. I run 3/4 then run my shot.


 No, I usually just switch it on and press the double espresso button 2/3 times. So it's usually on for 15 minutes or so with a few blind(?) double espresso cycles.

Another vague question perhaps, but how much of a dose do you all find yourselves using? Again, I know it can vary but I find myself going 20-21g and I'm beginning to think I'm maybe going a little heavy. Again, it could just be these beans are better with a lower dose.


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## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

geez, i go 18g!

i found the motta too deep lol!


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## ImthatGuy (Dec 4, 2015)

All the very best for your new purchase.

For what they're worth, here are some thoughts from my experience with the Pro (bought new last October):

1. Warming up - the Pro doesn't warm the portafilter until you run some water through it. I run 2-3 single shots through the empty portafilter before I make a shot - this warms the filter and the cup/mug and makes quite a difference, to my taste. I start the process as soon as the machine is ready - no reason to wait longer.

2. A decent tamper/distribution tool helps. I got a combined one from Amazon for not very much and it works fine.

3. I've found a hands-free dosing funnel like this one from Amazon really useful. Grind the beans using this, tap it a few times to settle the grounds, then remove and tamp. What I usually do is a very light tamp with the funnel on using the Sage tamper, then a full tamp with the palm tamper.

I've not had to adjust the upper burrs. I have a reliable grind fineness and volume (grind 3, 13 seconds) that works for me


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## MarkoPolo (Jan 28, 2021)

ImthatGuy said:


> All the very best for your new purchase.
> 
> For what they're worth, here are some thoughts from my experience with the Pro (bought new last October):
> 
> ...


 Thank you for the input - much appreciated.

The warming up method is very similar to mine thankfully. I just ordered a tamp/dist tool very similar to the one you linked, if not the same only under a different brand name. It should be with me tomorrow. Also ordered a dosing funnel similar to the one you have linked via etsy.

I think the last thing on the list now is practice  I'll report back in a week or so with my thoughts. Thank you all!


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

I know that Sage recommend to dose 19g for a double with the Bambino Plus - not sure whether this is the same on Barista Pro or not


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## Wilkins1kc (Feb 14, 2021)

The Motta levelling / distribution tools are adjustable........no instructions to say that and they are really stiff, but you can screw the business part in and out of the handle to adjust the depth.


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## 24774 (Mar 8, 2020)

MarkoPolo said:


> Another vague question perhaps, but how much of a dose do you all find yourselves using? Again, I know it can vary but I find myself going 20-21g and I'm beginning to think I'm maybe going a little heavy. Again, it could just be these beans are better with a lower dose.


 I've never gone that high. I think maybe I tried 19.5g before but I start with 18g and adjust from there. Some beans take up a lot of space in the pf, the bean I'm on atm like 17.5g in the pf. I'd drop it right down if I were you, see how that plays.


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## 24774 (Mar 8, 2020)

Wilkins1kc said:


> The Motta levelling / distribution tools are adjustable........no instructions to say that and they are really stiff, but you can screw the business part in and out of the handle to adjust the depth.


 Sorry, I meant shallow, not deep, I was picturing it going deeper into itself. It adjusts to about 7mm/7.5m, that's the minimum. That's too deep for the Sage pf I found. I have mine set very shallow now.


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## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

CocoLoco said:


> Sorry, I meant shallow, not deep, I was picturing it going deeper into itself. It adjusts to about 7mm/7.5m, that's the minimum. That's too deep for the Sage pf I found. I have mine set very shallow now.


 yeah, that's what i found too. u probably want 5mm or so, at 7-8 mm it's really more of a distributing tamp, which i suspect overall doesn't work that well.


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