Ready to pull your first shot of espresso on your Breville espresso machine? Here are our top tips & simple steps to produce that perfect shot.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Active Time2 minutesmins
Total Time7 minutesmins
Keyword: breville espresso machine, how to use breville espresso machine
Equipment
Breville espresso machine
Materials
Whole coffee beans
Filtered water
Instructions
Add fresh whole coffee beans to your Breville's hopper.
With the grinder hopper full of beans, you're almost ready to make your first espresso with your Breville. Before you push start, make sure the grind size is set to the middle setting. As you gain experience using your Breville espresso maker, you'll adjust the grind size to home in on the ideal setting, but the middle of the range is a good place to start while you learn.
Similarly, you should set the grind amount to the middle setting as a good starting point. Now you're ready to select the shot size—single or double—and start the grind by firmly pushing the portafilter in.
One helpful tip is to weigh the portafilter using a kitchen scale and zero the scale before you grind the coffee. After the grind finishes, you can put the portafilter with coffee back on the scale to see how much coffee you ground. Ideally, you want to use around 8-10 grams of coffee for a single shot and between 15 and 18 grams for a double shot. If your grinder is outside this range, you can adjust the grind amount setting next time.
Give the ground coffee a quick tamp by firmly compressing the grounds and removing the tamper with a quarter twist. Don't stress too much over using the right tamping pressure. Getting the pressure right takes practice and is something you can learn as you gain experience.
Now the moment of truth! You're finally ready to pull your first shot. Insert the portafilter and turn it until it reaches the "lock" position. Press the appropriate button—either 1-cup or 2-cup—and voila, you've made your first espresso.