I am a relative beginner, but keen to develop some skills. I emailed Kev with questions, he replied quickly and helpfully and gave me a discount code for this machine! I have now watched the videos on this, made a purchase via his link and saved over £100! Thanks so much, Kev! I am excited to get going when this arrives...
This is exactly what I need at home. At work I do it the old fashioned way with a gaggia. Thanks for the info and review. I would love it to have a direct water line hook up though. Maybe I can rig up my own!!
This may be a sweet spot for people who just want great coffee. We’ve had the original double boiler for many years, just one coffee each per day. I learnt how to make coffee with an initial foray into espresso science, set up the machine, and just used it. But while we had coffee better than you could expect from your average cafe or restaurant, it was still quite variable. Only recently did I take the trouble to buy a scale, and that has been a revelation for consistency - obviously! Anyhow, there are a lot of people like me who, yes, are interested in optimising their technique, but don’t make enough coffee, and don’t want to waste so much coffee, to dial in their grind, measure, tamp and extraction to perfection, all at once, and our taste buds would just get confused in the process anyway. A good coffee is sometimes just a good coffee, and if it’s a bit off target, we drink it anyway. If this machine proves to be solid and reliable it will probably be our next one.
Hi Paul, It is definitely a machine for people who don't want any faff and just want great coffee. It's amazing isn't it by just adding or adjusting one thing like using coffee scales can improve the taste of your coffee dramatically. Thanks for your input 🙂 Cheers Kev
@@dynamitekicker Actually we just bought the Oracle bc it was reduced. It's more convenient, takes up less space with integrated grinder but again the plain double boiler is the best one for enthusiasts or coffee snobs. Already miss the manual steam wand.
Hi Kev I have a machine same as the one you are demonstrating now, breville impress express, what is an accepted volume of water consumed by this machine to create a cappuccino as mine uses in excess of 300mls seems a bit excessive to me ,what are your thoughts, John
Hi Kevin, good name :-). The grind size will just depend on the bean you're using, but don't pay too much attention to the shot time. I'd recommend starting out aiming for a 20-35 second shot time, don't get caught up too much by the numbers, focus mainly on the taste. See: ruclips.net/p/PLpvTS0sPQCo_ukCdc0rByrspcAlIpmkaU Cheers, Kev.
Great video as always. I have two questions. Does it actively heat up the portafilter, or do you have to run blind shots to warm it up, as with the BBP? Also, do you know if this will be available in the United States? I have been searching and I cannot get a definitive answer.
Hi Louis, Thanks for your message, No it doesn't actively heat up the portafilter and flushing is advised. As far as I know the Impress is due to be released in the US Very soon. I will let you know as soon as I find out. Cheers Kev
Hi i have a little problem or question - how can i reset the amount of water that is distributed to the factory one? I played with it and now i feel like the factory setting was the best but with the impress there is no programm button like with the express
Adding Auto milk steaming like on the Touch would be nice but I think it would put a big dent in their Oracle sales. To be honest why would you pay £1400 for the Oracle over the BBEI if it did the same milk functions as well
I think all these easy to use features would be great for sales. Quality shouldn’t have to suffer for lower cost machines. The big double boilers are better for entertaining larger numbers of guests. The oracle is too big for my needs.
@@Coffee_Kev thanks for fast reply Kev. I have gone through so many beans trying to get it right. Still haven’t got that crema like you get😔 Have been using 1 cup filter basket? Would this change using 2 cup basket? Thanks Kev👍🏼
Thanks for the great video. MaybI ask you one question. Did you go from grind size 16 to 2 in your video. I couldn’t really follow that. Why not start at 4 instead of 16 (beside the manual says so). 16 would almost always be too coarse, right?
They make good coffee but their design is flawed! I’ve had two machines and it will always leak water onto your worktop. This is not a fault as they claim, but they won’t admit it’s a bad design.
I’ve be been using the Barista Express for 4 or 5 years now, but this looks like the sweet spot in the range for me. This is what I’ll replace my Express with when it expires.
Why not the pro? The pro is easier to adjust settings wise and has a thermojet heat system which is ready in 3secs Vs the 30-40secs. I also tested this one and the pro and found the steam wand is ready to use much faster!
hi Kev, Thanks for all the videos - they are very informative. Have bought the Impress and about to begin with it. I have one initial question - Is priming only for first use or do i need to prime each time i make a coffee? Thanks a lot.
Hiya - love the videos, it convinced me to go and buy an Impress. However I'm having a bit of bother with the dialling in... I'm using what I think are quality beans, but the factory grind setting of 16 seems to produce a rather thin and bitter espresso. But I went to 2 as you did in your video, and I barely get any water coming out of the portafilter at all. I know it's trial and error, but would you expect me to not get anything at 2? this is with the internal burr left alone. I don't have any scales but also even at 16, you seem to get a lot more volume of coffee from each pour than I am.
Cheers Andy, yeah all beans are different where grind is concerned, you've just choked it with too fine a grind, ney bother just back up and go more coarse. You're best off making quite small grind adjustments when dialing in. For more in depth advice just email me. Kev at coffeeblog.co.uk. Cheers
I’ve been looking around for something like this and it came to be between the impress or delonghi prestigio. After all the videos I’ve seen, the express impress hands down beat the others. Getting this one for sure.
I am the father of coffee 18 grams, extraction 36, and ring control scale and use the double and the degree of grinding coffee The measurements in detail that Barista Express Empress Breville just got from the day A complete and detailed explanation of the gear and types of coffee
Hi Kev, thanks for all your brilliant vids 🙏 I've just bought a pack of your choc brownie beans to try 🙂 Quick question...could I also use the Impress to easily grind coffee beans for a moka pot, cafetière, etc.? I've just bought a Sage grinder, and have been researching machines to go with it, but thinking this might be the better option to get coffee for me and the better-half quickly sorted in the mornings.
Hi Neal, yeah you can, you'd just need a dosing ring so you can start the grinder (make the machine thin you've inserted the portafilter) or just get a bottomless portafilter and put that in without a basket 🙂. Cheers, Kev.
Ive watched a few of your videos now, which have all been really informative and helpful. As a complete novice I think like this looks like the ideal machine for me but the price is still really high. I think probably too late for the party for a discount code so will have to wait until a sale, if there ever is one! I'll keep watching your videos to see if there is anything else similar to this.
Great review! How does this compare to the Breville Oracle? In one of your videos you said you were going to do a comparison review of the Breville Oracle and the Breville Oracle Touch. I can’t wait for that video. I am undecided between those two machines on which one I should buy. Just waiting to see your comparison first. Thank you so much for the work and time you put into making your videos. I appreciate it so much.
Hey Kev, Great video! thinking about getting one. I have 1 question: Does the machine allow you to grind and brew at the same time? Occasionally i have people over for coffee and pie. If the machine allows this at the same time, i can prep 1 filter while the other one is brewing. Thanks!
Hi Kev and the CoffeeBlog community… I am worried I am doing something wrong (I am a beginner home barista and have just got this machine)… I keep seeing reviews that operate at grind size 2-5, but I keep getting over extraction unless I am at about 16 - and I have had to move the inner grind control to more coarse! I am working with beans roasted two days ago, that I was told are medium roast… any ideas (the results at this grind size are tasty, however!)?
I've got a impress, and I'm struggling to brew the perfect espresso. The crema is thin, I tried few beans, even very fresh roasted. It sometimes runs fast, sometimes too slow, sometimes little water, sometimes cold...
Thanks for the great video! However all the videos only seem to focus on the double shots. Will you still aim for ~25 seconds with a single shot or is that supposed to be shorter? Are you counting from the pushing of the button or after the preinfusion? Thanks!
Kev, how can I manually operate the Impress to achieve a 1::2 ratio? I bought this machine because my wife LOVES coffee. We'll unbox on Christmas morning.
Hi, give this a try: Turn your machine off, Press the two cup shot button and the power button and hold together for approximately 5 seconds, the machine will turn on, Press the power button to turn the machine off, unplug it from the socket for about 30 seconds, plug back in and turn it in, hopefully the I button is no longer on. Cheers Kev
Hi Kevin can I ask you a question can you tell me if your machine recognise when its low of water as I've just got half way through making a capperchino and it ran out of water and pump got noisy only had since Thursday thanks
What coffee would you recommend for this machine? Just bought one of these today only I’ll be drinking it so probably one coffee a day. Usually make a flat white any recommendations on quantity of beans to buy each time to keep them fresh? Best way to store larger quantities and not effect flavour etc?
At 9:20 you have grounds built-up in the portafilter along the side furthest from you. I am experiencing the same issue every time I tamp and have to manually knock it off the side wall before tamping a third time. Is this something I need to resolve or is it OK to pull a shot this way?
Hello, thank you for the video, it's very well done, Bravo ! I have a question, I use Illy coffee machines with iperespresso capsules. I very like the taste of the coffee. I was wondering if getting a machine like this will be giving me even a better coffee experience and taste ? And it might also be more economic in the long run to by coffee grains instead of capsules. What do you think ?
Hi Michel, Thanks for your message, I suppose you have to think realistically how much you spend on your capsules each month and If you want to branch out into a new hobby :-) I definitely think your tastes will be heightened by trying freshly roasted/ freshly ground coffee rather that from a coffee pod and the Impress is a great machine that is fairly easy to use without the mess or faff of an espresso machine with a separate grinder . Cheers Kev
Thanks 😀. I'll do a side by side comparison but the main difference other than the assisted tamp is the assisted dose. To get decent, consistent results with the Barista Pro requires a bit more learning than with this, the Impress is for people who want assistance rather than to have to develop skills before they can pull decent shots.
Main difference other than the tamping is the heat system. The pro has a thermojet heat system which means it heats up much faster, is quieter and makes the steam wand heat up faster. Would still recommend the pro as the go to sage product!
My wife likes a double shot in the morning and a single in the afternoon. Will this keep messing up the dose size that the machine ‘learned’? Does single even need re-dialling in?
Don't worry Kev! Sorted - you just cost me half a kilo of coffee beans! I did what you said from the start and reduced the grind to 3. Thats why it didnt work! Changed it up to 21 and its perfect! FFS!
Kev - just bought the Express Impress. Folowed your instructions by the letter. Dosed/Purged as instructed. Pressed the two cup button and nothing came out. It started dribbling and then stopped. Tried it a few times, on occasion i reduced the grind. The red light came on saying low dose. Pressed it again and it overfilled it. Evenytually got the smiley face. Went to run a shot, and nothing. The water comes through well when the coffee handle thing isnt attached but nothing much when it is. Gone through hald a bag of very expensive freshly roasted beans and about to pack it back up and take it back. Any advice before i do?
Hi, out of interest, are you using the filter?, if so take it out and see if your machine starts to work, if this is the case, soak the filter for a couple of hours or over night, then put the filter back in and see if your machine works, Let me know how you get on. Cheers Kev
Hi Kev! Great video. I’ve bought impress few weeks ago however still struggling to get the perfect brew. I like 1:2 shot whereas my partner prefers 1:3 what would be the best way to dial in this issue 😅 do we use different grind setting for each? Thanks a lot
What I don't understand is why Sage is more expensive than Breville yet it's the same machine, same technology, same principle just a different brand name.
Yes, and no ;-). It depends on which Breville you're referring to. Hi, If you're looking at a Breville machine in Australia or America, then yes, these machines are sold in the UK as Sage. If you're looking at a Breville machine in currys, then no these definitely aren't the same. Breville worldwide, based in Australia, sold the brand name "Breville" in Europe in the 80s, so now they can't sell Breville machines here, they sell them under the Sage Appliances brand instead. The Breville brand name is owned by an American firm called Newell brands who have offices in the UK. This same company also owns a company in Australia called SunBeam. Sunbeam developed a range of spookily similar machines to Breville, which compete with Breville machines in Australia, and they obviously decided it would be a clever move to start selling these machines in the UK under the Breville brand. Cheers :-) Kev
Hi Ally, That is difficult to answer as the are two different types machines, The Brera being a bean to cup machine and the Express being a traditional espresso machine with an integrated grinder, If you are asking about the barista express impress against the Brera the difference when it comes to the skill requirement, it is much less as the impress has the assistance to take the place of barista skill Cheers Kev
Can you swap out the portafilter for others? (For instance a bottomless) Or does Breville have a proprietary one that doesn’t allow interchangeability. Same question for baskets
You can swap the portafilter, yeah, but it has to be a 54mm one which is compatible with Sage/Breville machines, there are lots on the market including bottomless. I can't think of any reason this wouldn't work other than if you're using another basket the dosing may be out. Cheers.
Hi Kev, would u say Pro is much better machine when it comes to the actual taste of espresso than Express Impress?? How would you rank them two against each other? Thanks
Hi Kris, I have just filmed a comparison that should by ready to watch in a few weeks, The Impress, you should just be able to turn on and make coffee without the faff of learning, Where as the Pro is a machine to use if you want to gain some skills in your coffee making. Cheers Kev
I am (almost) satisfied with the Sage Barista Pro. However, there is one point that unfortunately speaks against the machine with all the technology and compactness: The coffee is simply not hot. Even with all the tricks like once Wsser run through etc.. In any case, not as you know it from gastro machines. Has this been fixed in the meantime?
I've never noticed an issue with the Barista pro where shot temp is concerned. Have you got a thermometre? If so, make sure the cup is warmed, and that a decent amount of water has been purged after the machine as heated up (to ensure everything is pre-heated including the brew path, group, shower screen and portafilter), and let me know what the temp of your espresso is. I'll do the same here and we can compare. Ta, Kev.
Those whole built in tamper seems like a bit of a gimmick to me, over time I could see myself getting irritated by the whole process. Manual tamping is half the fun anyway!
It may seem like the only difference is the tamp lever but there is actually a lot more to it. Not sure where you saw that price, can you let me know, please Glad you enjoyed my review. Cheers Kev
I am big fan of creamy thick espresso from Italy and wondering if this machine is able to dial in espresso of that or similar density or will still be more waterish like home automatic machine? I know that question is more subjective but just wondering what is your opinion? Thank you in advance.
If you keep dialing in your espresso you will find that you can recreate the creamy thick espresso. Maybe grind the beans finer than suggested as you will get a thicker consistency in the final espresso.
Hi Kev, I bought the Barrista Express Impress about a month ago (thanks to a great reduction code from you ;-) ). I am still discovering the machine.. when I try to reduce the grind size below 11 no water flows through the basket (single or double) - it seems to be struggling.. I've tried with various coffee beans, same problem... I've done a backflush once a week since having the machine.. any ideas on how to resolve this? thanks for the great videos!
Hi Kev. Great video well done 😀. Based on your experience, could you say this is DeLonghi's La Specialista Prestigio direct competitor? Have you ever seen / tried / reviewed La Specialista Prestigio? What do you think of La Specialista, would you recommend it? It would be nice to see a great comparison between: La Specialista Prestigio & The Barista Express Impression; The Barista Express Impression & The Barista Pro and one with all of them. Hope to see something like that one day 😉. Congratulations again and thanks ☺️
I am going to be doing a few comparisons of the impress with various machines including La Specialista over the next few weeks so keep watching my reviews! The only similarity I can see is the tamp lever, so they aren't really competing against each other as far as I can see. Cheers Kev
Would you suggest using the hopper and autodoser instead of simply weighing beans for every individual espresso? Or is that such a major part of the machine, that if I am planning not to use it, I am better off getting a different machine?
I will buy my first decent espresso machine when Breville puts this feature on a machine like the barista touch or a barista express with the faster heating element.
Hi Beta, Ah the age old discussion about heating elements :-) The pros of the new thermojet are faster heatup, slightly faster steam ready time, slightly faster steaming time, faster shot ready time after steaming milk, and there's less noise, not in terms of volume but the thermojet machines don't require any internal flushing to cool down so they make noise only when you're using them, while the original thermocoil makes a bit of noise after pulling the shot as there's internal flushing to cool it back down to shot temp. The pros for the original thermocoil are that as it's a bigger unit and it gives off more heat, the cup warmer gets warmer, so it does work to some degree (most cup warmers on home machines are just for looks), and when you're making multiple shots within a relatively short space of time, because everything is a bit warmer (thanks to the heat the bigger heater kicks out), there are less heating things up required. For example, if you turn on your barista pro 20 mins after pulling the last shot, it'll be stone cold internally, so you'll need to flush it through just the same as with the very first shot to get everything warm. With the express impress, 10 minutes later everything internally will be warmer. Ta Kev
@@Coffee_Kev , I watched videos, read what I could. I’d like to hope I can sufficiently master dosing, tamping and grind without special assist. Before reading your comment I succumbed to the sale of a barista touch missing the price drop by the skin of my teeth. Surely I can figure out how to pull a good shot without a gage and I hope it’s hot when it needs to be. Thanks for shedding light on older element. I suspected it had more material and stayed hot longer. Thanks for your informative videos!
Hi Kev, you said in another comment that you're preparing a video where you'll be dialing in with different beans. Could you elaborate a bit further on the dialing in process for beans roasted a long time ago (say for example 6-12 months ago), as most people buying known brand bags from the internet rarely get anything "fresher" than 6 months old. I recently bought the Barista Pro and I'm struggling to dial in a Buondi bag of beans and a Lavazza one. Both are blends, both are older than 6-9 months. My grind size is 2 (inner burr at 4) and still get way too fast extraction. Thanks for the great content!
Hi Antonis, Thanks for your kind words :-) Dialing in older beans is very difficult, I would recommend using the Dual Walled Pressured Basket. In which case ignore the shot time and simply go by the taste. But with these types of beans there's not much you can do. Cheers Kev
@@Coffee_Kev Thank you so much for your quick and informative reply! Your words will be headed and your advice followed as you're one of my favorite coffee youtubers and I trust your reviews and judgement completely! I can't wait for your next coffee-botherer video! Lots of love from Greece!
Great Video Kev, I bought the Bambino Plus on sale, used your discount and got it for £257! Your advice and videos were invaluable for helping me make a decision, when I have more time I might buy the Gaggia Classic Pro and mod it, If I have more money, well I will see what you recommend, but until then the Bambino plus will serve me well. Thanks for all your advice, keep up the good work.
Hi Philipp, Thanks for your message, There isn't a scale, but, I believe it senses the top of the puck of the coffee. Dosing isn't about weight its just the weight is all we have to go by, but in the impress the actual dose in terms of the height of the puck is kept the same every time. Ta Kev
I watched a few videos on this coffee machine, the MAIN drawback of this machine is the coffee grinder, e.g. it cannot finer grind between settings between 2 and 1. Hence you cannot obtain an "optimal" taste from this machine(ie using the built-in coffee grinder). The taste derives from this machine to make a cup of coffee for an "average" or "normal" coffee drinkers and not so much for "die-hard" coffee drinkers. Most coffee machines out in the market can do that already, correct me if I am wrong there is NO semi-automatic machine that can make coffee that will satisfy "die-hard" coffee drinkers. So this machine has a flaw. I don't think it can be fixed easily.
Hi :-). Yup, that's right, but I don't think this a flaw, it's simply that integrated grinder machines like this are not made for hardcore home baristas. Saying these machines are flawed because they're not made for super precise dialing in (something a very small percentage of people are wanting to do) would be like a F1 driver saying Ford Focus is flawed as it doesn't compare to the cars they specifically require for the way they need to use them. OK, maybe that's a slightly over the top analogy ;-), but I think it makes my point. Built-in grinder machines are for people who're happy with "ball park" dialling in. If you're a hardcore home barista, you're not going to want a machine with an integrated grinder. Cheers :-) Kev
@@Coffee_Kev there should more guys like you on RUclips that answer queries like mine, thanks. Some don't even bother, they just rake in the monies, they will say TOO BUSY to respond.
@@Coffee_Kev Furthermore, the RUclipsr will say to you, go to my Patreon page and ask your questions there. Over there, you are enticed to pay money hence the RUclipsr would rake in even more money.
I've got a number of different Duralex glasses, the espresso shot glasses are 90ml/30z and the ones I use for flat whites are just under 8oz, 220ml Cheers Kev
I simply just cant get the right extraction time. Standard 16 setting gives me to much coffee 1:3 ratio and very low extraction time 16-17 seconds. When i grind it finer at 13 setting. I get around 20-21 sec extraction. But when I grind lower then 12 settings. The amount of coffee decreases so much. The ratio goes to 1:1 and the extraction time stays around 20 sec. I just cant put the right settings to have the perfect ratio and extraction time. Please help
Ps. I was using the single shot basket. I get around 9-10 grams of coffee per shot and after extraction I get 30ml espresso. And I bought fresh roasted specialty coffee beans from a well known supplier.
@@2424bayan turkish bayan? 🤣 I finally figured out the setting. I manually increased the flowrate. That extended the extraction time with the perfect ratio. Now my coffee tastes amazing!
@@skydiamond4790 to change the standard flow settings just press the single shot and double shot button at the same time until they both flash. Then press the desired button singe or double shot button. Extraction starts and stops when you press the same button again. So press the button where you reach your desired extraction time.
@@Coffee_Kev Hi Kev, I’m using cheaper supermarket beans ( as my freshly roasted beams haven’t arrived yet) and my coffee is ok but not great yet, should I be using the dual wall basket ?
Cheers 😀👍. Grind size 2, but in my next video I'll dialing in with various different beans to show the dialing in process with this machine, including making the internal grind setting finer.
@@Coffee_Kev thanks. I purchased this machine a few days ago and am currently working my way through the dial-in process. It's my first espresso machine after using a Nespresso capsule machine for the past 10 years. 😒 So far I really like the quality of the coffee it produces.
@@Coffee_Kev First off thanks for the great intro video to this machine. I assume this machine is made to compete directly with the assisted Delonghi Specialista Maestro which I have been considering for a while but have heard mixed things regarding their consistency and reliability. I noticed there is also a manual dose function on this machine. Will you also be looking at this in your next video? Otherwise I assume you have no control on the precise dosage, just whatever the machine provides in the 18-22g range. Thanks!
@@davidfogliano8767 Thanks David. As far as I'm aware (I'll be doing side by side comparisons so I'll find out) the la specialista & the maestro version have a tamp lever, but this is the only similarity, the most important function as far as I'm concerned is the assistance where dose is concerned, the assisted tamp is just the cherry on the top really. I think what Sage/Breville have done here is to find a way to offer a similar level of convenience to the Oracle at a lower price point. Yeah there's a manual dose function, and yes you have the same control over the dose if you use the manual dose function as you'd have with any other manual espresso machine. Personally though, with this machine, the only reason I can see to have a manual dose option is if you want to purge coffee beans when adjusting the grind, which I'll discuss in the next video. Cheers 🙂, Kev.
The impress has only been officially released throughout the country from the 1st September so I can imagine that you will slowly start to see it in many stores soon.
@@Coffee_Kev Loving the thing!! Bit of a newbie so have been messing around a bit but your vids have really helped. Struggling with getting 20 - 30 sec from the time the coffee starts to flow, getting around 17 sec on grind 10 for a double. Just popped back to watch again as thinking of adjusting the grinder. Even though I'm not getting my timings correct the coffee tastes great! I seem to have a bit of a knack for getting the silky flat white milk really velvety and even my girlfriend loves the coffee!
@@stevedeffley6128 Hi Steve, it's from when you press the shot button (or maybe a second after as it takes just under a second for the preinfusion to start). But keep an eye for my next video... (tomorrow) as it may be helpful. Cheers, Kev.
@@Coffee_Kev That should help timings a lot so thank you very much. I'm going to be buying some coffee from your site but need a bit of advice, seems I'm a bit caffeine sensitive, one double and I'm wired for about 4hrs lol. I'll send a message through the website.
I watched couple videos about this machine and I'm an barista express owner. They say nothing changed on this machine except tamping mechanism and now they want $1300 for it😒 Thanks for the great review.
It's not just tamping, the tamping and the dosing together make for quite a different experience than using the express. I'm not sure what the price will be in the US but I doubt it'll be as much as $1300, in the UK its the exact same price as the barista pro so I'm guessing they'll do the same in the USA I'm which case it will be $850. Cheers, Kev.
I went through two Barista Pro machines a while back as part of my coffee “journey”. The experience was disappointing for a variety of reasons but primarily the inconsistency of results, mainly from the grinder I think. Attempts to measure dose and deliver a consistent shot were an exercise in madness and frustration. Arguably I was expecting too much and at least it encouraged me to seek out a dedicated espresso machine and grinder which at least provides consistency :) I hope this machine fares better for those investing in one. I also find that needing to adjust the grind settings so much from factory only serves to undermine confidence in the machine and one’s own ability :(
The Impress is for people who just want a quick and easy delicious coffee, I think if you are looking for more than that then an espresso machine and separate grinder is the way to go. Cheers Kev
I just got this machine but having a tough time grinding. I am using fairly fresh beans from Barn and the machine sounds like its struggling at 10, nevermind finer. Is the grinder not meant for anything but dark roast? Any advice?
Hi Jeff. What do you mean sounds like it's struggling? Can you email me a vid? Kev@coffeeblog.co.uk . Is the clutch engaging (loud clicking sound)? Are they fairly light roast, and a high grown washed single origin by any chance? It's not that the grinder isn't meant for anything but dark roast, but some single origins can be a real challenge for any entry to mid level grinders, especially higher grown washed processed, as they can be really hard. Some light to medium roast single origins can be hard enough to break some entry level grinders, stripped gears etc. Sage grinders have a slipper clutch which prevents this, similar to the clutch on cordless drills, limits the torque applied by the motor in case there's something in your beans that shouldn't be there (a stone for example), if that's happening then the beans you're using are too hard. If you don't think this is the issue just get an espresso blend so you can check if the same happens, as it could be a fault with the grinder. Ta, Kev.
I am a relative beginner, but keen to develop some skills. I emailed Kev with questions, he replied quickly and helpfully and gave me a discount code for this machine! I have now watched the videos on this, made a purchase via his link and saved over £100! Thanks so much, Kev! I am excited to get going when this arrives...
Thanks Ben,
Let me know how you get on when your machine arrives 🙂
Hi Kev. Love the look of this. Was considering a fully automatic bean to cup. You think this is better? Thanks
This is exactly what I need at home. At work I do it the old fashioned way with a gaggia.
Thanks for the info and review. I would love it to have a direct water line hook up though. Maybe I can rig up my own!!
Let me know if you do!
Cheers
Kev
This may be a sweet spot for people who just want great coffee. We’ve had the original double boiler for many years, just one coffee each per day. I learnt how to make coffee with an initial foray into espresso science, set up the machine, and just used it. But while we had coffee better than you could expect from your average cafe or restaurant, it was still quite variable. Only recently did I take the trouble to buy a scale, and that has been a revelation for consistency - obviously! Anyhow, there are a lot of people like me who, yes, are interested in optimising their technique, but don’t make enough coffee, and don’t want to waste so much coffee, to dial in their grind, measure, tamp and extraction to perfection, all at once, and our taste buds would just get confused in the process anyway. A good coffee is sometimes just a good coffee, and if it’s a bit off target, we drink it anyway. If this machine proves to be solid and reliable it will probably be our next one.
Hi Paul, It is definitely a machine for people who don't want any faff and just want great coffee.
It's amazing isn't it by just adding or adjusting one thing like using coffee scales can improve the taste of your coffee dramatically.
Thanks for your input 🙂
Cheers
Kev
Single boiler is reasonable if only making a few cups a day. Tough for entertaining.
@@dynamitekicker Actually we just bought the Oracle bc it was reduced. It's more convenient, takes up less space with integrated grinder but again the plain double boiler is the best one for enthusiasts or coffee snobs. Already miss the manual steam wand.
This might be the one for me. I’ve had my eyes on the barista pro for ages but I can’t be arsed weighing beans and having too much faff!
Hi Kev I have a machine same as the one you are demonstrating now, breville impress express, what is an accepted volume of water consumed by this machine to create a cappuccino as mine uses in excess of 300mls seems a bit excessive to me ,what are your thoughts, John
Great video Kev as I’m a newbie just wanted to now what setting did you use on the side to make a 27 second shot cheers Kevin from Aussie land
Hi Kevin, good name :-). The grind size will just depend on the bean you're using, but don't pay too much attention to the shot time. I'd recommend starting out aiming for a 20-35 second shot time, don't get caught up too much by the numbers, focus mainly on the taste. See: ruclips.net/p/PLpvTS0sPQCo_ukCdc0rByrspcAlIpmkaU Cheers, Kev.
very helpful thank you
Your videos are great Kev! You’ve sold me on the Impress but I live in the U.S. Any idea if/when the Impress will be available in the U.S?
Hi,
I believe the Impress in being released in the US at the beginning of October.
Cheers
Kev
Thank you Kev for the reply. 👍🏻
@@Testarossa12 No Problem :-)
Great video as always. I have two questions. Does it actively heat up the portafilter, or do you have to run blind shots to warm it up, as with the BBP? Also, do you know if this will be available in the United States? I have been searching and I cannot get a definitive answer.
Hi Louis, Thanks for your message,
No it doesn't actively heat up the portafilter and flushing is advised. As far as I know the Impress is due to be released in the US Very soon. I will let you know as soon as I find out.
Cheers
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev OK, many thanks for your reply. This is very much appreciated.
@@louisd95714 no worries 🙂
Hi i have a little problem or question - how can i reset the amount of water that is distributed to the factory one? I played with it and now i feel like the factory setting was the best but with the impress there is no programm button like with the express
Cool accent and excellent videos. You sound like a character from the Harry Potter movies😅😅
I love that , thanks :-)
How would you rate this against a Lelit ?
Adding Auto milk steaming like on the Touch would be nice but I think it would put a big dent in their Oracle sales. To be honest why would you pay £1400 for the Oracle over the BBEI if it did the same milk functions as well
I think all these easy to use features would be great for sales. Quality shouldn’t have to suffer for lower cost machines. The big double boilers are better for entertaining larger numbers of guests. The oracle is too big for my needs.
Can you pull the group handle out after dosing to distribute the grinds before tamping?
Hi Jen,
Great question,
I am gonna try it out and let you know :-)
Hi Kev, I am thinking of buying one. Do you have a discount code for John lewis or other retailers. Thanks in Advance
Hi,
If you drop me an email kev@coffeblog.co.uk
Cheers
Kev
You went from 16 to 2? I couldn't hear what you said.
When do you start to count the seconds. Is it when coffee starts pouring?
Just after you press the button :-)
@@Coffee_Kev thanks for fast reply Kev. I have gone through so many beans trying to get it right. Still haven’t got that crema like you get😔 Have been using 1 cup filter basket? Would this change using 2 cup basket?
Thanks Kev👍🏼
Thanks for the great video. MaybI ask you one question. Did you go from grind size 16 to 2 in your video. I couldn’t really follow that. Why not start at 4 instead of 16 (beside the manual says so). 16 would almost always be too coarse, right?
HOW DO I MANUALLY EXTRACT? I don't want to use the volume option but extract it myself based on my balance.
They make good coffee but their design is flawed! I’ve had two machines and it will always leak water onto your worktop. This is not a fault as they claim, but they won’t admit it’s a bad design.
I’ve be been using the Barista Express for 4 or 5 years now, but this looks like the sweet spot in the range for me. This is what I’ll replace my Express with when it expires.
Why not the pro? The pro is easier to adjust settings wise and has a thermojet heat system which is ready in 3secs Vs the 30-40secs. I also tested this one and the pro and found the steam wand is ready to use much faster!
I love your videos but the term Coffee Botherers makes me feel like I'm up to no good! haha :P
hi Kev, Thanks for all the videos - they are very informative. Have bought the Impress and about to begin with it. I have one initial question - Is priming only for first use or do i need to prime each time i make a coffee? Thanks a lot.
Hiya - love the videos, it convinced me to go and buy an Impress. However I'm having a bit of bother with the dialling in... I'm using what I think are quality beans, but the factory grind setting of 16 seems to produce a rather thin and bitter espresso. But I went to 2 as you did in your video, and I barely get any water coming out of the portafilter at all. I know it's trial and error, but would you expect me to not get anything at 2? this is with the internal burr left alone. I don't have any scales but also even at 16, you seem to get a lot more volume of coffee from each pour than I am.
Cheers Andy, yeah all beans are different where grind is concerned, you've just choked it with too fine a grind, ney bother just back up and go more coarse. You're best off making quite small grind adjustments when dialing in. For more in depth advice just email me. Kev at coffeeblog.co.uk. Cheers
Which bean is this one please? From that website. Thanks
The knob that says auto and manual, where is it set at kev?
I’ve been looking around for something like this and it came to be between the impress or delonghi prestigio. After all the videos I’ve seen, the express impress hands down beat the others. Getting this one for sure.
Hi Joyce,
Let me know what you think if you get one.
Cheers
Kev
Please can you tell me when you start timing? At the press of a button or when the coffee starts pouring?
As soon as you press the button :-)
I am the father of coffee 18 grams, extraction 36, and ring control scale and use the double and the degree of grinding coffee The measurements in detail that Barista Express Empress Breville just got from the day A complete and detailed explanation of the gear and types of coffee
Really clear and thorough review. Enjoy your presenting style. Currently in the market for this or the Pro but I think this might be the one for me!
Glad you found my review helpful :-)
Cheers
Kev
This machine or delonghi ec9355m? Hm both are same price..
Hi Bruce,
Have a look at this video:
ruclips.net/video/wNk6tcHu9G4/видео.htmlsi=GB9-PnD9LHjHP7hc
Cheers
Kev
Hi Kev, thanks for all your brilliant vids 🙏 I've just bought a pack of your choc brownie beans to try 🙂
Quick question...could I also use the Impress to easily grind coffee beans for a moka pot, cafetière, etc.?
I've just bought a Sage grinder, and have been researching machines to go with it, but thinking this might be the better option to get coffee for me and the better-half quickly sorted in the mornings.
Hi Neal, yeah you can, you'd just need a dosing ring so you can start the grinder (make the machine thin you've inserted the portafilter) or just get a bottomless portafilter and put that in without a basket 🙂. Cheers, Kev.
Ive watched a few of your videos now, which have all been really informative and helpful. As a complete novice I think like this looks like the ideal machine for me but the price is still really high. I think probably too late for the party for a discount code so will have to wait until a sale, if there ever is one! I'll keep watching your videos to see if there is anything else similar to this.
HI, Not sure where you are based but the Impress is on sale on the sage UK website at the moment.
Cheers
Kev
Great review! How does this compare to the Breville Oracle? In one of your videos you said you were going to do a comparison review of the Breville Oracle and the Breville Oracle Touch. I can’t wait for that video. I am undecided between those two machines on which one I should buy. Just waiting to see your comparison first. Thank you so much for the work and time you put into making your videos. I appreciate it so much.
Wow, thanks Gail for such kind words, Keep watching over the next few weeks for all my posts on the Impress.
Cheers
Kev
Hey Kev, Great video! thinking about getting one.
I have 1 question:
Does the machine allow you to grind and brew at the same time?
Occasionally i have people over for coffee and pie. If the machine allows this at the same time, i can prep 1 filter while the other one is brewing.
Thanks!
While i daily drive a rocket appartamento, credit definitely is given here. That tamp system? Reeeeally slick
How do you find the R A? It's a machine I've not got my hands on as of yet. Cheers, Kev.
Great review Kev, Just used your Black Friday code for a chunky discount and added the coffee/barista discount bundle and got a considerable saving.
Hi Kev and the CoffeeBlog community… I am worried I am doing something wrong (I am a beginner home barista and have just got this machine)… I keep seeing reviews that operate at grind size 2-5, but I keep getting over extraction unless I am at about 16 - and I have had to move the inner grind control to more coarse! I am working with beans roasted two days ago, that I was told are medium roast… any ideas (the results at this grind size are tasty, however!)?
Hey mate. did you ever find out why this is? my machine is the same, i hve to have my grind on 16 but not sure why everyone elses runs at 4-5
I've got a impress, and I'm struggling to brew the perfect espresso. The crema is thin, I tried few beans, even very fresh roasted. It sometimes runs fast, sometimes too slow, sometimes little water, sometimes cold...
Thanks for the great video!
However all the videos only seem to focus on the double shots. Will you still aim for ~25 seconds with a single shot or is that supposed to be shorter? Are you counting from the pushing of the button or after the preinfusion?
Thanks!
Kev, how can I manually operate the Impress to achieve a 1::2 ratio? I bought this machine because my wife LOVES coffee. We'll unbox on Christmas morning.
Hi, can anyone help. I've cleaned out my machine, but the info light is still on 🤷🏻♀️
Hi, give this a try:
Turn your machine off, Press the two cup shot button and the power button and hold together for approximately 5 seconds, the machine will turn on, Press the power button to turn the machine off, unplug it from the socket for about 30 seconds, plug back in and turn it in, hopefully the I button is no longer on.
Cheers
Kev
Thank you so much for your reply! Sorry, I only just realised you had 🤦🏻♀️ I will give it a try 😊 Thanks, Kaya
Do you have to press the single cup button before every cup of coffee you make?
Hi Kevin can I ask you a question can you tell me if your machine recognise when its low of water as I've just got half way through making a capperchino and it ran out of water and pump got noisy only had since Thursday thanks
how do you adjust the dose volume/time. I am wasting coffee every time on the single basket
What coffee would you recommend for this machine? Just bought one of these today only I’ll be drinking it so probably one coffee a day. Usually make a flat white any recommendations on quantity of beans to buy each time to keep them fresh? Best way to store larger quantities and not effect flavour etc?
I make almost all coffees in the range of 22-29 seconds and have a grinding coarseness of 15-17
At 9:20 you have grounds built-up in the portafilter along the side furthest from you. I am experiencing the same issue every time I tamp and have to manually knock it off the side wall before tamping a third time. Is this something I need to resolve or is it OK to pull a shot this way?
I have the same issue. Fairly annoyinng.
Hello, thank you for the video, it's very well done, Bravo ! I have a question, I use Illy coffee machines with iperespresso capsules. I very like the taste of the coffee. I was wondering if getting a machine like this will be giving me even a better coffee experience and taste ? And it might also be more economic in the long run to by coffee grains instead of capsules. What do you think ?
Hi Michel,
Thanks for your message, I suppose you have to think realistically how much you spend on your capsules each month and If you want to branch out into a new hobby :-)
I definitely think your tastes will be heightened by trying freshly roasted/ freshly ground coffee rather that from a coffee pod and the Impress is a great machine that is fairly easy to use without the mess or faff of an espresso machine with a separate grinder .
Cheers
Kev
Thank you for this good video. For a similar price what are the main other difference with Barista pro than automatic tamping ?
Thanks 😀. I'll do a side by side comparison but the main difference other than the assisted tamp is the assisted dose. To get decent, consistent results with the Barista Pro requires a bit more learning than with this, the Impress is for people who want assistance rather than to have to develop skills before they can pull decent shots.
Main difference other than the tamping is the heat system. The pro has a thermojet heat system which means it heats up much faster, is quieter and makes the steam wand heat up faster. Would still recommend the pro as the go to sage product!
Is this better then the gaggia classic evo
That would depend on the user, they're very different machines aimed at different users.
My wife likes a double shot in the morning and a single in the afternoon. Will this keep messing up the dose size that the machine ‘learned’? Does single even need re-dialling in?
Really want to order myself one of these ( Canada) but none of the link will ship it to me :( how do I get my hands on one of these ASAP
Don't worry Kev! Sorted - you just cost me half a kilo of coffee beans! I did what you said from the start and reduced the grind to 3. Thats why it didnt work! Changed it up to 21 and its perfect! FFS!
Fantastic 😀
Kev - just bought the Express Impress. Folowed your instructions by the letter. Dosed/Purged as instructed. Pressed the two cup button and nothing came out. It started dribbling and then stopped. Tried it a few times, on occasion i reduced the grind. The red light came on saying low dose. Pressed it again and it overfilled it. Evenytually got the smiley face. Went to run a shot, and nothing. The water comes through well when the coffee handle thing isnt attached but nothing much when it is. Gone through hald a bag of very expensive freshly roasted beans and about to pack it back up and take it back. Any advice before i do?
Hi, out of interest, are you using the filter?, if so take it out and see if your machine starts to work, if this is the case, soak the filter for a couple of hours or over night, then put the filter back in and see if your machine works,
Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
Kev
"No messing around?"
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. 😆
Hi Kev! Great video. I’ve bought impress few weeks ago however still struggling to get the perfect brew. I like 1:2 shot whereas my partner prefers 1:3 what would be the best way to dial in this issue 😅 do we use different grind setting for each? Thanks a lot
What I don't understand is why Sage is more expensive than Breville yet it's the same machine, same technology, same principle just a different brand name.
Yes, and no ;-). It depends on which Breville you're referring to.
Hi,
If you're looking at a Breville machine in Australia or America, then yes, these machines are sold in the UK as Sage. If you're looking at a Breville machine in currys, then no these definitely aren't the same.
Breville worldwide, based in Australia, sold the brand name "Breville" in Europe in the 80s, so now they can't sell Breville machines here, they sell them under the Sage Appliances brand instead.
The Breville brand name is owned by an American firm called Newell brands who have offices in the UK. This same company also owns a company in Australia called SunBeam. Sunbeam developed a range of spookily similar machines to Breville, which compete with Breville machines in Australia, and they obviously decided it would be a clever move to start selling these machines in the UK under the Breville brand.
Cheers :-)
Kev
I love that it avoids the mess from grinding and tapping your own pucks
Its a great machine :-)
Can you set the dose manually to get 18grams of beans into porta filter?
In your opinion what is the better machine, the Breville Barista Express or the Gaggia Brera. I’m coming from the Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista
Hi Ally,
That is difficult to answer as the are two different types machines, The Brera being a bean to cup machine and the Express being a traditional espresso machine with an integrated grinder, If you are asking about the barista express impress against the Brera the difference when it comes to the skill requirement, it is much less as the impress has the assistance to take the place of barista skill
Cheers
Kev
Can you swap out the portafilter for others? (For instance a bottomless) Or does Breville have a proprietary one that doesn’t allow interchangeability. Same question for baskets
You can swap the portafilter, yeah, but it has to be a 54mm one which is compatible with Sage/Breville machines, there are lots on the market including bottomless. I can't think of any reason this wouldn't work other than if you're using another basket the dosing may be out. Cheers.
Hi Kev, would u say Pro is much better machine when it comes to the actual taste of espresso than Express Impress?? How would you rank them two against each other? Thanks
Hi Kris,
I have just filmed a comparison that should by ready to watch in a few weeks,
The Impress, you should just be able to turn on and make coffee without the faff of learning, Where as the Pro is a machine to use if you want to gain some skills in your coffee making.
Cheers
Kev
Can the grinder go coarse enough for V60?
I am (almost) satisfied with the Sage Barista Pro. However, there is one point that unfortunately speaks against the machine with all the technology and compactness: The coffee is simply not hot. Even with all the tricks like once Wsser run through etc.. In any case, not as you know it from gastro machines. Has this been fixed in the meantime?
I've never noticed an issue with the Barista pro where shot temp is concerned. Have you got a thermometre? If so, make sure the cup is warmed, and that a decent amount of water has been purged after the machine as heated up (to ensure everything is pre-heated including the brew path, group, shower screen and portafilter), and let me know what the temp of your espresso is. I'll do the same here and we can compare. Ta, Kev.
Best of all auto dose + 9 bars for non pressurized basket
Those whole built in tamper seems like a bit of a gimmick to me, over time I could see myself getting irritated by the whole process. Manual tamping is half the fun anyway!
It may seem like the only difference is the tamp lever but there is actually a lot more to it.
Not sure where you saw that price, can you let me know, please
Glad you enjoyed my review.
Cheers
Kev
Can you advise why the creama with big bubbles ?
I am big fan of creamy thick espresso from Italy and wondering if this machine is able to dial in espresso of that or similar density or will still be more waterish like home automatic machine? I know that question is more subjective but just wondering what is your opinion? Thank you in advance.
If you keep dialing in your espresso you will find that you can recreate the creamy thick espresso. Maybe grind the beans finer than suggested as you will get a thicker consistency in the final espresso.
Great video, but that beep at 4:53 is very loud compared to your vocal levels. had my phone volume all the way up and it's a bit much.
Sorry about that :-)
This was super helpful! Which coffee did you use here from Coffee Works? That crema is incredible!
Hi Corey,
I used the Chocolate Brownie Blend :-)
Great video Kev, thanks for the discount code! Just got one of the Express Impress for £550! Can't wait for it to arrive.
Fantastic Lee :-)
Hi Kev, I bought the Barrista Express Impress about a month ago (thanks to a great reduction code from you ;-) ). I am still discovering the machine.. when I try to reduce the grind size below 11 no water flows through the basket (single or double) - it seems to be struggling.. I've tried with various coffee beans, same problem... I've done a backflush once a week since having the machine.. any ideas on how to resolve this? thanks for the great videos!
Hi Emily,
Yes, that indicates that you are choking the machine .
Can you let me know if you are using the standard baskets or dual walled.
Ta
@@Coffee_Kev hi! I’m using the standard basket..
When you are timing the shot are you timing from when you press the button or when the coffee begins to flow?
Hi Kev! Is it possible to a discount code for this month? Cheers
Hi Chris, email me
kev@coffeeblog.co.uk
I will send you a code:-)
Hi Kev, are you using the single wall filter, id be keen to see the single basket dialled in too
what was the final setting for grinding 16?
How would you compare this to say an entry level or mid level super automatic machine?
Oops never mind. I guess you answered at the end that’s it’s much better. Haha
Hi Kev. Great video well done 😀. Based on your experience, could you say this is DeLonghi's La Specialista Prestigio direct competitor? Have you ever seen / tried / reviewed La Specialista Prestigio? What do you think of La Specialista, would you recommend it? It would be nice to see a great comparison between: La Specialista Prestigio & The Barista Express Impression; The Barista Express Impression & The Barista Pro and one with all of them. Hope to see something like that one day 😉. Congratulations again and thanks ☺️
I am going to be doing a few comparisons of the impress with various machines including La Specialista over the next few weeks so keep watching my reviews!
The only similarity I can see is the tamp lever, so they aren't really competing against each other as far as I can see.
Cheers
Kev
Would you suggest using the hopper and autodoser instead of simply weighing beans for every individual espresso? Or is that such a major part of the machine, that if I am planning not to use it, I am better off getting a different machine?
Hi Anton, If you are wanting to do your own dosing and tamping I would say this isn't the machine for you :-)
I will buy my first decent espresso machine when Breville puts this feature on a machine like the barista touch or a barista express with the faster heating element.
Hi Beta,
Ah the age old discussion about heating elements :-)
The pros of the new thermojet are faster heatup, slightly faster steam ready time, slightly faster steaming time, faster shot ready time after steaming milk, and there's less noise, not in terms of volume but the thermojet machines don't require any internal flushing to cool down so they make noise only when you're using them, while the original thermocoil makes a bit of noise after pulling the shot as there's internal flushing to cool it back down to shot temp.
The pros for the original thermocoil are that as it's a bigger unit and it gives off more heat, the cup warmer gets warmer, so it does work to some degree (most cup warmers on home machines are just for looks), and when you're making multiple shots within a relatively short space of time, because everything is a bit warmer (thanks to the heat the bigger heater kicks out), there are less heating things up required.
For example, if you turn on your barista pro 20 mins after pulling the last shot, it'll be stone cold internally, so you'll need to flush it through just the same as with the very first shot to get everything warm. With the express impress, 10 minutes later everything internally will be warmer.
Ta
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev , I watched videos, read what I could. I’d like to hope I can sufficiently master dosing, tamping and grind without special assist.
Before reading your comment I succumbed to the sale of a barista touch missing the price drop by the skin of my teeth. Surely I can figure out how to pull a good shot without a gage and I hope it’s hot when it needs to be.
Thanks for shedding light on older element. I suspected it had more material and stayed hot longer.
Thanks for your informative videos!
Hi Kev, you said in another comment that you're preparing a video where you'll be dialing in with different beans. Could you elaborate a bit further on the dialing in process for beans roasted a long time ago (say for example 6-12 months ago), as most people buying known brand bags from the internet rarely get anything "fresher" than 6 months old. I recently bought the Barista Pro and I'm struggling to dial in a Buondi bag of beans and a Lavazza one. Both are blends, both are older than 6-9 months. My grind size is 2 (inner burr at 4) and still get way too fast extraction. Thanks for the great content!
Hi Antonis,
Thanks for your kind words :-)
Dialing in older beans is very difficult, I would recommend using the Dual Walled Pressured Basket. In which case ignore the shot time and simply go by the taste. But with these types of beans there's not much you can do.
Cheers
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev Thank you so much for your quick and informative reply! Your words will be headed and your advice followed as you're one of my favorite coffee youtubers and I trust your reviews and judgement completely! I can't wait for your next coffee-botherer video! Lots of love from Greece!
Great Video Kev, I bought the Bambino Plus on sale, used your discount and got it for £257! Your advice and videos were invaluable for helping me make a decision, when I have more time I might buy the Gaggia Classic Pro and mod it, If I have more money, well I will see what you recommend, but until then the Bambino plus will serve me well. Thanks for all your advice, keep up the good work.
Hi Hardip,
Thank you so much for such lovely comments, It really does mean a lot to me.
Cheers
Kev
Can you explain what the different baskets are?
Hi AJ,
Please read my post :coffeeblog.co.uk/pressurised-portafilter-baskets/
This should give help you :-)
Cheers
Kev
Thanks for your content! Do you know how the dosing works here? Is there a scale in the grind system? Cheers
Hi Philipp,
Thanks for your message,
There isn't a scale, but, I believe it senses the top of the puck of the coffee.
Dosing isn't about weight its just the weight is all we have to go by, but in the impress the actual dose in terms of the height of the puck is kept the same every time.
Ta
Kev
Does this also have a separate hot water spout for americano?
Hi Ed,
Yes it does :-)
Cheers
Kev
I watched a few videos on this coffee machine, the MAIN drawback of this machine is the coffee grinder, e.g. it cannot finer grind between settings between 2 and 1. Hence you cannot obtain an "optimal" taste from this machine(ie using the built-in coffee grinder). The taste derives from this machine to make a cup of coffee for an "average" or "normal" coffee drinkers and not so much for "die-hard" coffee drinkers. Most coffee machines out in the market can do that already, correct me if I am wrong there is NO semi-automatic machine that can make coffee that will satisfy "die-hard" coffee drinkers.
So this machine has a flaw. I don't think it can be fixed easily.
Hi :-). Yup, that's right, but I don't think this a flaw, it's simply that integrated grinder machines like this are not made for hardcore home baristas.
Saying these machines are flawed because they're not made for super precise dialing in (something a very small percentage of people are wanting to do) would be like a F1 driver saying Ford Focus is flawed as it doesn't compare to the cars they specifically require for the way they need to use them.
OK, maybe that's a slightly over the top analogy ;-), but I think it makes my point.
Built-in grinder machines are for people who're happy with "ball park" dialling in. If you're a hardcore home barista, you're not going to want a machine with an integrated grinder.
Cheers :-)
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev there should more guys like you on RUclips that answer queries like mine, thanks. Some don't even bother, they just rake in the monies, they will say TOO BUSY to respond.
Thanks for your kind words :-).
@@Coffee_Kev Furthermore, the RUclipsr will say to you, go to my Patreon page and ask your questions there. Over there, you are enticed to pay money hence the RUclipsr would rake in even more money.
How is the steaming pressure, is it same like the express or better
Hi Patrick,
It is exactly the same as the express.
Cheers
Kev
Kev what size is the glass you're using?
I've got a number of different Duralex glasses, the espresso shot glasses are 90ml/30z and the ones I use for flat whites are just under 8oz, 220ml
Cheers
Kev
I simply just cant get the right extraction time. Standard 16 setting gives me to much coffee 1:3 ratio and very low extraction time 16-17 seconds. When i grind it finer at 13 setting. I get around 20-21 sec extraction. But when I grind lower then 12 settings. The amount of coffee decreases so much. The ratio goes to 1:1 and the extraction time stays around 20 sec. I just cant put the right settings to have the perfect ratio and extraction time. Please help
Ps. I was using the single shot basket. I get around 9-10 grams of coffee per shot and after extraction I get 30ml espresso. And I bought fresh roasted specialty coffee beans from a well known supplier.
Same here, can’t get the right extraction. It’s either chocking or under pressure , although I tried different grind settings. It’s so frustrating 😢
@@2424bayan turkish bayan? 🤣 I finally figured out the setting. I manually increased the flowrate. That extended the extraction time with the perfect ratio. Now my coffee tastes amazing!
@@user-gy9hq5cb1f how do you that's
@@skydiamond4790 to change the standard flow settings just press the single shot and double shot button at the same time until they both flash. Then press the desired button singe or double shot button. Extraction starts and stops when you press the same button again. So press the button where you reach your desired extraction time.
Thanks for the discount code and the really informative videos, just bought one and setting it up now.
Fantastic Mark,
Let me know how you get on with it.
Cheers
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev Hi Kev, I’m using cheaper supermarket beans ( as my freshly roasted beams haven’t arrived yet) and my coffee is ok but not great yet, should I be using the dual wall basket ?
Thank you - great video and very informative.
Thanks Leoni :-)
good vid! what grind size did you end up at?
Cheers 😀👍. Grind size 2, but in my next video I'll dialing in with various different beans to show the dialing in process with this machine, including making the internal grind setting finer.
@@Coffee_Kev thanks. I purchased this machine a few days ago and am currently working my way through the dial-in process.
It's my first espresso machine after using a Nespresso capsule machine for the past 10 years. 😒
So far I really like the quality of the coffee it produces.
@@Tomkatoz74118 Cool, feel free to shout if you have any issues/questions. Cheers, Kev
@@Coffee_Kev First off thanks for the great intro video to this machine. I assume this machine is made to compete directly with the assisted Delonghi Specialista Maestro which I have been considering for a while but have heard mixed things regarding their consistency and reliability.
I noticed there is also a manual dose function on this machine. Will you also be looking at this in your next video? Otherwise I assume you have no control on the precise dosage, just whatever the machine provides in the 18-22g range. Thanks!
@@davidfogliano8767 Thanks David. As far as I'm aware (I'll be doing side by side comparisons so I'll find out) the la specialista & the maestro version have a tamp lever, but this is the only similarity, the most important function as far as I'm concerned is the assistance where dose is concerned, the assisted tamp is just the cherry on the top really.
I think what Sage/Breville have done here is to find a way to offer a similar level of convenience to the Oracle at a lower price point.
Yeah there's a manual dose function, and yes you have the same control over the dose if you use the manual dose function as you'd have with any other manual espresso machine. Personally though, with this machine, the only reason I can see to have a manual dose option is if you want to purge coffee beans when adjusting the grind, which I'll discuss in the next video. Cheers 🙂, Kev.
you can get it from John Lewis too
The impress has only been officially released throughout the country from the 1st September so I can imagine that you will slowly start to see it in many stores soon.
is it a 3oz glass cup?
Yes its 3oz :-)
Getting one of these delivered today! My first real coffee machine! Excellent vid and subbed!
Let me know what you think Steve.
Cheers
Kev
@@Coffee_Kev Loving the thing!! Bit of a newbie so have been messing around a bit but your vids have really helped. Struggling with getting 20 - 30 sec from the time the coffee starts to flow, getting around 17 sec on grind 10 for a double. Just popped back to watch again as thinking of adjusting the grinder. Even though I'm not getting my timings correct the coffee tastes great! I seem to have a bit of a knack for getting the silky flat white milk really velvety and even my girlfriend loves the coffee!
@@stevedeffley6128 Hi Steve, it's from when you press the shot button (or maybe a second after as it takes just under a second for the preinfusion to start). But keep an eye for my next video... (tomorrow) as it may be helpful. Cheers, Kev.
@@Coffee_Kev That should help timings a lot so thank you very much. I'm going to be buying some coffee from your site but need a bit of advice, seems I'm a bit caffeine sensitive, one double and I'm wired for about 4hrs lol. I'll send a message through the website.
one of the best reviews, thanks
Thanks Luli,
I really appreciate your comments :-)
Cheers
Kev
I watched couple videos about this machine and I'm an barista express owner. They say nothing changed on this machine except tamping mechanism and now they want $1300 for it😒 Thanks for the great review.
It's not just tamping, the tamping and the dosing together make for quite a different experience than using the express. I'm not sure what the price will be in the US but I doubt it'll be as much as $1300, in the UK its the exact same price as the barista pro so I'm guessing they'll do the same in the USA I'm which case it will be $850. Cheers, Kev.
I have one of these, love it!
Glad you are enjoying the impress, What do you like best about it?
I went through two Barista Pro machines a while back as part of my coffee “journey”. The experience was disappointing for a variety of reasons but primarily the inconsistency of results, mainly from the grinder I think. Attempts to measure dose and deliver a consistent shot were an exercise in madness and frustration. Arguably I was expecting too much and at least it encouraged me to seek out a dedicated espresso machine and grinder which at least provides consistency :)
I hope this machine fares better for those investing in one.
I also find that needing to adjust the grind settings so much from factory only serves to undermine confidence in the machine and one’s own ability :(
The Impress is for people who just want a quick and easy delicious coffee, I think if you are looking for more than that then an espresso machine and separate grinder is the way to go.
Cheers
Kev
I just got this machine but having a tough time grinding. I am using fairly fresh beans from Barn and the machine sounds like its struggling at 10, nevermind finer. Is the grinder not meant for anything but dark roast? Any advice?
Hi Jeff. What do you mean sounds like it's struggling? Can you email me a vid? Kev@coffeeblog.co.uk . Is the clutch engaging (loud clicking sound)? Are they fairly light roast, and a high grown washed single origin by any chance? It's not that the grinder isn't meant for anything but dark roast, but some single origins can be a real challenge for any entry to mid level grinders, especially higher grown washed processed, as they can be really hard. Some light to medium roast single origins can be hard enough to break some entry level grinders, stripped gears etc. Sage grinders have a slipper clutch which prevents this, similar to the clutch on cordless drills, limits the torque applied by the motor in case there's something in your beans that shouldn't be there (a stone for example), if that's happening then the beans you're using are too hard. If you don't think this is the issue just get an espresso blend so you can check if the same happens, as it could be a fault with the grinder. Ta, Kev.