Sage the Barista Express Espresso Machine, Bean to Cup Coffee Machine with Milk Frother, BES875BSS - Brushed Stainless Steel

Product Information

While the steam power of the Barista Express isn't going to power the Orient Express, the steam wand on the Barista Express is in my opinion one of the best with which to learn to properly texture milk.

What I recommend is flushing for 10 seconds or so, with the portafilter inserted, and flush into the cup so you're warming that up, and then if you're pulling another shot straight after this, do the same again to ensure that the group is at the same temp, and your cup is warmed – but this time don't do it with the portafilter inserted (as that should still be hot from the last shot) and instead just let the water flow from the group into your cup while you're grinding for your next shot. Once you have your new Sage Barista Express machine at home, Join Sage's virtual coffee masterclass to learn how to get the most out of your machine. PID stands for Proportional Integral Derivative, and it just means a feedback loop which enables something (in this case, temperature) to be constantly controlled. The group head interior and shower screen should be wiped with a damp cloth to remove any ground coffee particles. The Sage Barista Express is one of Sage's game-changing espresso machines, and I say “one of” because this is what Sage does, but the “game-changing” comment, where the Barista Express is concerned, comes from the fact that it was the first commercially successful integrated grinder traditional espresso machine.If the coffee beans are very finely ground you will have a stronger taste and if the grind is coarser you will have a milder taste.

Ensure the portafilter is firmly inserted and secured into the brewing head before using the machine. Whether you could get away with using the Barista Express for your business would depend on how many coffees you think you’ll be selling per day, and how busy you might be in one short period of time. I weigh the dose and the minimum dose for a single shot is about 12 grams which I feel is excessive and overfills the filter. Looking forward to watching your videos on dialling it in when it arrives and when that’s sorted, I’ll give some of your coffee a go!Use either beans or pre-ground beans, with the conical burr grinder allowing for efficient grinding at high speeds. If you were thinking of going for the Barista Express because you thought it was ultra convenient for getting great cup quality using freshly roasted high quality coffee beans, and you're hoping for a user experience closer to using a one-touch bean to cup coffee machine, then the Barista Touch Impress would be the obvious choice. I really like the Express Impress, and I'd actually recommend it over the Barista Express to anyone who is planning on using freshly roasted coffee beans.

HANDS-FREE OPERATIONInnovative grinding cradle allows any at-home Barista to grind directly into the espresso portafilter. This is mainly designed to get the max lifetime out of the burrs, I think, meaning that as the burrs wear you can gradually tweak them finer, but it does mean you can go a bit finer if you need to. Once loosened, carefully remove and retain the screw, stainless steel shower screen and black dispersion plate. MICRO-FOAM MILK TEXTURINGThe steam wand performs at the level that allows you to hand texture micro-foam milk that enhances flavour and enables creation of latte art.I would look at the available extended warranty available on the Barista Max range from Currys though, if I was thinking of going for that machine. If any of the holes in the tip of the steam wand become blocked, ensure the STEAM / HOT WATER dial is in the STANDBY position.

Before using for the first time, please ensure that your electricity supply is the same as shown on the rating label on the underside of the appliance. Whether or not any tank-fed machine can actually feature “true” pre-infusion is a matter for debate among much cleverer people than me, (I'm not even a proper Barista I just play one on YouTube) but pre-infusion would usually be done at line pressure from a plumbed in machine before the pump is then engaged, and tank machines don't have line pressure so it always pumps pressure, but, Sage machines are set to in some way mimic line pressure by limiting the pump pressure initially and then ramping up to full pressure. This isn’t through any fault of the machines – indeed the grinder is good and efficient, the brewing of the coffee is good, with the pre-infusion process doing a sterling job in drawing out the flavour of the beans and the steam wand does exactly what a steam wand should. What I'd say about this, is that while it's true that there are some parts for the Barista Express which are harder to get hold of, some of the more commonly required parts including the pump, the solenoid valve, rubber seals, and so on are standard parts, and they can be more economical to fix if you seek out a local espresso machine engineer. The Barista Express allows you to grind the beans right before extraction for rich full flavour and precise temperature control ensures optimal espresso extraction.Again, it’s a home machine, but I’d feel more comfortable using this machine in a business setting than the Barista Express, especially when it comes to speed to produce milkies. It has the faster ThermoJet heater so it heats up faster, and the steam ready time and overall steaming time is a bit quicker, It has a four hole steam tip vs one hole with the Barista Express, which aids in the slightly increased steam power of the pro. I always weigh my shots, even when using the razor tool, and the weight actually gives an indication of how well dialed in you are. But they're cheap, and I've not seen any Sage Barista Express alternatives that I think are any better.