How To Dial In Espresso: Beginner To Pro In 22 Minutes!

[@aramse]

THINGS WE MISSED: 1) Don't miss the Easter Egg @ 21:52 2) Our video "Learn To Pour" has been nominated for a Sprudgie award under the "Coffee Video/Film" category! Please give us a vote if you enjoyed it by following the link sprudge.com/vote. 3) Whether you’re brewing pour overs or pulling shots always try and cup a coffee before you start brewing. It’ll give you a good idea of what you can expect in the cup. 4) This is NOT a beginner-only video, there tricks and hacks that range all the way to intermediate and advanced that are scattered across the entire video. 5) If you're wondering why so many people are commenting "eXpresso" then you haven't watched the entire video. :) 6) You can grind a few beans, pinch the grounds and rub them between your forefinger and thumb like a booger. Our fingers are actually quite sensitive and with a little practice you'll be able to get to a ballpark grind size even on a new grinder just based on touch. E.g. if it feels like flour it's probably too fine.

[@timatkins2228]

Loved that video! In fact I dig all your output

[@MotoSangria]

Author: "you don't need that fancy high-end machine". Also author: *tweaks pressure and temperature right on the front panel* 😅

[@bandoffathers5147]

Your dry humility makes this video the 3rd best thing on KZbin. Fantastically simple tips. Thanks!

[@mariusm3432]

What are the other 2 which are 1st and 2nd?

[@emberlea]

yeah what are the other two?

[@reallivebluescat]

Simple? 😂

[@DrPillePalle]

At first, I didn't want to watch another video on dialing in espresso but man, this is by far the best. Great lesson! In particular, I appreciate your calm style and getting to the point quickly, unlike many other KZbinrs.

[@aramse]

Thank you so much!

[@reallivebluescat]

You're also funny!

[@m.a.6478]

The biggest help in getting good espresso for me was to invest into a good single dose grinder from the beginning. To dial in a new bag of beans I need one to three shots normally. I never throw away a "bad" shot, I rather try to learn from it and bear my failure.

[@appreciatizer5911]

That's where I started is a grinder. For me it was the most expensive piece of my equipment. Figured get the big one out of the way

[@MikeyMoran]

Totally… I just got into making coffee a year ago with the breville, and just bought a DF 64 gen 2 and the quality of pulled shots just miles ahead of where I was before. Investing in grinder is so key

[@BBuchanan3]

I never throw out my failures. Sugar! It makes every one of them palatable.

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

I thought it was spelled expresso until my son corrected me. He got me started on this journey. I picked up a Mr. Coffee Espresso machine figuring that they had brought drip coffee to the masses, why not bring espresso to the masses? The masses, I think, will be highly disappointed. It is basically a Moka pot fitted with a 51mm portafilter. No pump, no lever = 19th Century ‘classic’ espresso. But I’ve been having fun over the last month or so accessorizing my machine, prepping pucks, and trying to master the art of steaming milk. I can make a decent cappuccino; but I’ve not been able to make the ‘silky-milky’ required for Latte Art.

[@aleksandrl6740]

This is perhaps the best abridged espresso dialling primer I've ever come across. Absolutely top notch. Thank you!

[@JonneytheKidd]

Never have i seen someone breakdown coffee like this guy, and I watch a ton of videos on espresso and all things coffee. Amazing job.

[@eoinc_Ire]

eXpresso ! I caught the bug a year ago, bought a descent grinder and a modest espresso machine. After going through a bag or two and realising I hadn’t a clue, I’ve been exploring different coffee varieties and countries of origin, from a local merchant that releases new coffees every 6-8 weeks. After this I feel ready to try espresso again! As for milk and latte art… maybe in a couple of years ( p.s. along my journey, I have stoped taking milk or sugar in my coffee, which was a big step for someone who has used both for nearly 50 years) Thanks the the video! Can’t wait to see more!

[@Voorneman]

Came for the knowledge, stayed for the humor (and the knowledge too!)

[@arihantgupta7011]

Love the content you folks are putting out. You’ve slowly become by 4th most preferred coffee channel after hoff, lance, & Kyle! Also I find the straight face sarcastic statements a hoot!

[@MikhailJathan]

Best “expresso” dial in guide i’ve seen in a while. Can’t wait to try that “Salami Shot” tomorrow!

[@robitibor777]

I consider this video the best, most professional explanation on how to dial In espresso on KZbin. Thank you. Subscribed.

[@kittencaterwaltz]

Wow. I love this guy. He’s funny. The interspersed humor did a lot to keep me watching.

[@_kwak]

I love your videos! My morning eXpresso (😜) routine has been pretty consistent for the last two years. Hand grind with the Normcore V2, puck prep with JKim WDT, brew with the Picopresso! I've upgraded my Picopresso over time and it's made leaps and bounds. Straight wall IMS basket, puck screen, and now a stand as of December! I've enjoyed my budget brewer that really lets me play and learn. This dialing guide gave me a few tips and tricks I hadn't heard of, namely the crush test! I went straight for my freezer and checked my current rotation of bags to test it out. Thanks again!

[@PhillipLangenkamp]

I used a cheap "eXpresso" machine with pre-ground Lavazza coffee and loved it compared to "regular" coffee. I just recently got into specialty coffee and making it with an aeropress and V60 and am astounded with how much more I enjoy filter coffee (I used to say that I "tolerate" coffee and love espresso). I can't wait to dive into making espresso at home! I've realized there is an entire world to explore and I'm beyond excited for it!

[@mr.rainbowlovescoffee]

Expresso. Thank you very much for your help. I started brewing espresso about 2 years ago. I bought the Breville Barista Express and now the Pro version. This is the most informative video I watched on KZbin for the last 2 years

[@garyshaw1174]

Great video. I've been roasting and making espresso for 25 years. I've even been growing my own coffee trees. This video still had a lot of points that I never considered. Very helpful!!

[@andershalskov-jensen735]

...bean doing expresso for 26 years. Still learning, and this video certainly helped.

[@Kyle_TheQuiltingBees]

Just ordered my Breville Express, so found your videos while searching for eXpresso tips. Thank you for the great information! I will be back for more.

[@SpicyNoodleConnoisseur]

Great run down all in one place! I've been on my eXpresso journey for years but I still learn something new with every Aramse video. Little nuggets of gold. Cheers from Vancouver Canada

[@Jerry0291er]

Expreso, just started with my new machine and thanks to this video I have a great foundation to start with. The information given is great. I’m already single so it’s why I have time to practice.

[@_n_d_]

Great video. I'm very new to eXpresso and only bought my first machine a few days ago (Breville Barista Pro - I can't justify the very expensive machine/grinder combos just yet). I bought medium roast beans and haven't properly dialed in yet so this video was very helpful. I think I'll go for dark roast next time.

[@jimsheeran160]

I did enjoy the video. I have been using my Brevel espresso maker for a little over a year now and am already upgrading some of my work flow. I now have a Niche grinder and have worked on my puck prep. I’m definitely in the rabbit hole and now looking for a higher quality duel boiler machine. Now that I am a subscriber I will be following you. Thanks for the great video and I enjoy your humor.

[@whachutalkinboutwillis]

eXpresso! I just started attempting pulling espresso shots at home with a brand new GAGGIA Classic Evo Pro. Knowing nothing despite having watched many videos, I bought light roast espresso beans for my first try. Needless to say, I wasted an hour of my time and several pucks worth of coffee beans only to have that so sour your teeth will fall out espresso result. I gave up and went back to the videos. Thank goodness I stumbled on this one because it explains things so clearly and the dry humor is just up my alley! To my fellow dark roast person, thank you for this excellent information. Hopefully my next attempt is closer to drinkable with my newly purchased medium dark roast beans that are currently de-gassing for a few days.

[@littlehouseofbig2138]

I've been brewing "eXpresso" around 10 years. Since I don't want to wind up single, I've never invested in the premium $1000+ equipment to get the most out of the roast. I just to what I can with the equipment we have. Thanks for your insights and the humor. You've earned a new sub.

[@Linus405]

I’ve been into expresso for more than two years and every time I watch one of those videos I always feel like I’ve been doing everything wrong, the whole time. Great job 👏🏼 (but no srsly great job, so much useful information)

[@uij8439]

espresso*

[@MuditBadlani]

People saying "eXpresso" really gets my goat - but for you sir, I (almost) went there. Fantastic video aside, I've discovered yet another roaster thanks to you. Bloom got a really frequent customer thanks to you, and since heavily fermented coffees from Yercaud have been my favourite till date, El Bueno will likely get a repeat customer too soon. I hope all these guys know how much business you bring them. At the very least, I'd like you to know how much joy you've brought me (over and above the puns in the videos). Also, since I'm finally comfortable with early morning grind size changes (V60 regular here) and can brew medium roasts properly now, the only impediment to me going in for your coffee subscription is gone (no light roast only option last I checked, and my grinder has un-numbered adjustment). Lastly, thanks for helping me defer going down the Espresso rabbithole for a few more years. I nevertheless watched the full video, of course, but for someone who's mornings have already been completely high-jacked by mostly atmospheric-pressure-brewing-methods, this was a good bit of caution.

[@foudifiTV]

La meilleure vidéo sur la compréhension des réglages à effectuer sur sa machine expresso. The best video on understanding the settings to be made on your espresso machine.

[@kdevine321]

Great video! I’m just starting with the intermediate level brewing with a calphalon temp IQ that I’ve had for a year and just got a bottomless portafilter. I’m channeling like crazy! This video will help me a lot!

[@JonathanJaynes]

This!!! Finally a sharable video for people who think im crazy. The dry humor was on point! Drowning in a shot of coffee??? 😂 eXpresso

[@fareedjumah3188]

One of the best espresso intro videos I've watched so far! Thank you!! 🔥

[@aramse]

🙏

[@vaughnsasse5039]

Thank you do much. I am gettingcready to start a new adventure and greatly appreciate your support in learning!

[@karlacarreon4024]

"unlike this dark roast" KILLED MEEEEE 😭😭😂😂😂😂

[@alkompvideo]

One of the most detailed and exhausting videos on the topic which I ever saw. And I saw a lot

[@VixenYoung]

Been pulling eXpresso for 3 years now but still able to learn new things from this video! Thanks for the coffeeducation and will definitely BREW ARAMSE!

[@stephennowlin325]

Thanks so much for this. Im about 2 weeks into the rabbit hole and loving every puck lol eXpresso!

[@gnrands50]

Expresso. Very informative. Your sense of humor also made it amusing. Thank you.

[@laurenceprantner8618]

I really like your conversational tone, and great tips.Thanks!

[@yoshikira4927]

This video is going to be one of the greatest of all time of 2024

[@lorynbortins]

Here to eXpresso my appreciation for another great video! I'm a year in to my espresso rabbit hole and this was a nice mix of ideas to revisit and new things to try. Excited to have a new dialing in routine to play with 🙌🏻

[@pppptkay]

"i drank 700 days thermal shock double fermented papaya infused cofee...and i survived" should be a merchandise t-shirt. immediately!

[@_arorarohit_]

One of the most informative video I have seen on espresso ❤. Thank you 🙏

[@cssc939]

Thanks for the overview and reminders about how steep the learning curve is...

[@MeisterHinkel]

Like your humor....and way of narrating. greetings from Germany, thanks for your time and dedicating

[@robertleon1195]

Just rebuilt a 2008 Gaggia Classic, PID will arrive soon. Baratza Encore ESP grinder, and so my eXpresso journey begins. Tearing down and rebuilding the machine then dialing in 9 bars of pressure taught me a great deal of theory being put into practice. Thank you -very- much for an excellent and informative intro to this rabbit hole.

[@heycooley]

Almost got that machine, but found an Oscar Simonelli. Definitely will be modified soon like yours. 👍🏻 Best of luck chasing the dragon. ☕️😎👍🏻

[@bkirkham]

Express o! I just got a Gaggia Classic Pro about a week ago. Your video is tremendously helpful.

[@russhill8643]

Thanks for the expresso tutorial. I started down the rabbithole in August of 2022 with my delonghi set up. Im internationally traveling and living for work now, so i took a small setup with my flair58, kinggrinder k6, and timemore kettle. Well, in March i hopped on the timemore bandwagon and got the 78s. I am now returning to Mexico from USA and I am traveling with the 78s in my carryon luggage! Hahah

[@oops262686]

One of the best videos on the internet with the stated title

[@NukeZoned]

I finally decided to buy a starter eXpresso machine, the ecp3630 with a bottomless portafilter and an ims basket, this was super helpful for me the actually get started thanks :)

[@Abrikosmanden]

Holy heck, this was a good eXpresso walkthrough 🤓 I intend on never brewing espresso at home, but I still watched it all the way through!

[@stephenjohnson5147]

eXpresso! I just started brewing with a Flair Pro 2. I have had many successes. Some really bad, and some really great. I have recently discovered that the fresh roasted beans I purchase, can vary slight enough to make adjustments. So this video is great help! Thanks.

[@dr7246]

I really enjoy your videos. Particularly the non- review ones where you go deep-ish on a topic. Don’t get me wrong, your reviews are high quality. There just so many product reviews out there. Also, as a musician- in the western tradition- and atheist, I like “Bach Shot” for those brilliant pulls, as Bach loved coffee and, in western music anyway, he’s the GOAT eXpresseaux

[@propertwb]

Excellent information with dry humor. Doesn’t get any better than that!

[@benandbessy]

You are pretty spot-on about this being a rabbit hole. I was like many others, looking from the outside in, enjoying my non-eXpresso brew methods (aeropress, v60, origami, chemex, french press, moka pot). But one day I was gifted a flair pro 2 and I am ankle deep in gear (WDT, hand-grinder, nanofoamer pro). lol

[@samheyman09]

Great video! Thanks for all the great knowledge sharing. Just a comment regarding terminology as I see it (I have lived in France and Spain), a traditional "Italian style" espresso is around 1:2 in ratio. The ratio you mention (1:1 to 1:1.5), for dark grinds, is referred to as a "Espresso Ristretto" and is a bit less common than the "traditional" espresso, it's definitely for the true connaisseurs (read cigar, digestif lovers). Ratios of 1:3 or more are known as "Espresso lungo". Also useful information that you mention correctly: single, double and triple shots are generally 7g, 14g, 21g, give or take. However nowadays, particularly when preparing milk coffees, the double shot is more 18-19g. Oh yes, I forgot, 'eXpresso" 🙂

[@braxtonjens7839]

Expresso. I think this is the best video on learning espresso.

[@allcoolandnew]

Thanks for that overview! The 'salami-shot' was a real eye opener for me. I'd heard of it before but never bothered to try it. I often struggled with making adjustments based on the advice around either 'bitter' or 'sour' taste. But after the salami-shot I could actually link a taste to it. It turns out that the first 10 second part which you described as extremly sour, I always interpreted as 'bitter'. So when I made adjustments based on what to do when your espresso is too bitter, I would actually do the opposite of what I should be doing (which was obviously very frustrating :P). Now with the salami-shot I have a kind of 'taste memory' in mind that helps me make adjustments, rather than just a word like 'sour' or 'bitter'. Very helpful!

[@aramse]

You’re not alone. Google “bitter sour confusion”, it’s super common. I’m glad the salami shot helped. It did the same thing for me when I first tried it. It’s also a lot of fun.

[@danielkenber9823]

Expresso! Just starting down our own path of at home shot pulls. What a fantastic video.

[@tekaneo]

By far the best video for beginners!

[@johnbeckman492]

Made it to the end. I'm committed! And since I'm retired, I won't end up single. We're both enjoying better brews

[@ZacharySOLough]

Awesome video, and always something to learn. Been brewing for a while but never tried the Heads, Hearts, and Tails method. Will def do that tomorrow morning.

[@jbryaniii]

Expresso baby! Great video. I’m new to espresso at home and have watched a ton of videos. This one might be my favorite! 😊

[@jesuswasacarpenter]

This is excellent! One if best videos I’ve seen!

[@robanmarques2677]

I’m new in the “eXpresso” at home hobby, loving the learning process, very addicted by buying new toys and accessories, starting experimenting some new fresh coffees, but for now very frustrating results on my “eXpresso” results! I found your video very informative on a very clear and practical way, thumbs up 👍 for the video, I already subscribe to your channel to see the rest of your videos, I still have hope to get a good “eXpresso” at home 💪. Thank you

[@robertpassaro4089]

eXpresso! Dude, you are hilarious *and* did a great job summarizing all these nerdball topics. Subscribed!

[@biledo1]

Expresso - thank you for the very informative and refreshing take on dialing in. It's broad, yet specific enough to give direction for each taste path and roast type. I really love the idea of trying a salami shot 👍.

[@thebitterfig9903]

I think I’m in the “get it close and call it good” camp. One of the first things I bought was a bottomless portafilters, and the squirts ruined so many cups for me. Then I swapped to a spouted portafilter, and the problem stopped. I’m sure there were probably as many squirts when brewing eXpresso, but I couldn’t see them and they didn’t bother me. Coffee stayed the same, but enjoyment went up. In a more practical and broadly applicable sense, it’s worth remembering that every metric except taste is significantly less important than taste.

[@DancingSpacePotato]

I don’t brew eXpresso at home because I think I’d go too deep down the rabbit hole, but I’m glad that if I do I have videos like this to save me from a lot of headache

[@roncourtright4298]

Thank you for the informative video. I just started by espresso coffee journey this week with my Robot. To eXpresso and beyond!

[@jo.comics]

Oh fantastic, I love me a good spro guide! Thank you a bunch for your work ❤

[@chrisg8995]

Highly recommend to anyone practicing to also use aromatics to help understand the notes of a bean. Like alcoholic spirits, wine, etc., so much can be gleaned from understanding aromatic notes. This will help one understand what flavors to try to extract and what the bean is good for in terms of brew style. Cheers

[@Stufireman]

Expresso - thanks for all the information. I cook my own beans and have a hand made Italian machine, and a very good grinder. My coffee's have always been good depending on the cooking process. Generally sweet and to the palates liking.

[@ivey1982]

Expresso from Montreal, Canada, eh! Just got the Profitec 500 and figuring things out. Very helpful. Been roasting own beans for about 3 months as well.

[@hardikranyal6495]

Very informative video. Greetings from 🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@nikkireynolds9514]

I’m just starting to brew espresso, and you’ve almost convinced me to give up before I start.

[@aramse]

Noooo

[@cktse_jp]

eXpresso! This is the best video I had watched on the subject. Thanks for sharing!

[@defendr24]

Expresso! Great video, made my head spin as I'm stuck in the mire of learning how to make espresso with too many gadgets. But the salami tasting lesson was so clear and I want to thank you for that...and 22 minutes of learning.

[@kiltedpiper98]

Super helpful video. Lots of information packed into a short period of time. Also love the humor thank you! Love eXpresso.

[@Athrix94]

Expressing my thanks and goodness for your videos and instructive goodness. Love your flow always. Thanks you Aramase!

[@Mike_Wazowskii7]

Sheesh man. I'm brand new learning this stuff and this video is a gold mine.

[@jessecorzato4998]

Great video, thanks for all the invaluable info. One thing I think would be useful to viewers is, where you speak of possible resolutions to a sour shot at 20:23, elaborate on the grind-finer approach. I.e., specify that this should be done while maintaining yield instead of time (if I have that right) and explain why. The increase-time approach is intuitive enough, but the grind-finer, not so much. Cheers

[@jeremybuch3278]

Wonderful background and humor - I love the information about how to make eXpresso :)

[@carspn1]

Finding this at the perfect time. Your humor is great too

[@TeeLichtet]

Definitely one of the essential beginner videos for brewing great eXpresso!

[@stonesculptor59]

eXpresso! Great video with rarely provided but important information for pulling shots from different roasts! Thank you ARAMSE!

[@jun6lee]

eXpresso! - Kinda wish I stumbled into this a few bags ago. That said, I think I may be juggling one too many problems. Recently got the sculptor 078s, hasn't 'really' been seasoned, which I know you had issues with. I've then also got myself a Lelit Bianca and so a bit of a deep dive into the deep-end considering I was previously using a Delonghi ec680. My take-away here is stop messing with flow control and stick with one bean to begin, else I'll get watery 15 secs 45g out forever!

[@johnlarrivee3665]

You are a MAD SCIENTIST!!! Excellent video thank you

[@Mark-xg6ok]

Excellent video and love the humour level ❤

[@lenno1107]

My expresso will never be the same again. Grest video!

[@sebouharakelian9896]

Been brewing for a couple days now, did enjoy this video a lot. My bank account is going to suffer as I begin this journey to devoted to taste bud arousal - Cheers!

[@wintryguy]

Expresso - I've been brewing for a couple of months now! Feels like my head is esploding! Might be the info or the caffeine. Very helpful video, although still getting my head around - everything. Not at all,fluent yet and keep having to pause the video to understand what you've just said. But I'm committed and patient, so will get there. 🤞 Not helped by being rubbish at technology, can't find the link for the great sheet. Keep doing these, they are helping.

[@wintryguy]

I must confess I'm a little confused, I know it's because of my inexperience. You are delivering so much info I can't keep up. I need to know the terminology you're using. For example to talk about flow, speed of brew and brew time. Am I right to say when I reduce grind (finer) the flow rate and brew time decreases and the speed of the brew is greater?

[@MrMatheusZanella]

Expresso. Great masterclass! The only thing I felt missing was how to choose, measure, and mix the sugar one puts in to sweeten it out

[@jackthepickledhound]

Milk and sugar seems sacrilegious but I'm just transitioning to espresso drinks at home from decades of drip.

[@Lol_khan]

Thanks for the eXpresso masterclass. It really helped

[@NicCummings]

Fantastic video with lots of useful ideas to go deeper. Thanks and eXpresso!

[@SandbagBouldering]

This guys humour always gets me.

[@CroesMilton]

You did a good job explaining some of the intricacies of making expresso thank you!

[@lukeski14]

Thanks for this! Definitely watched til the end as I now have a handy cheat sheet for my cabinet :)

[@petes_CE]

Great eXpresso content as always! Been brewing eXpresso since April 2023 and I'm hooked. Can confirm that 21:22 is true :D

[@FrankBielinski]

eXpresso! I share and enjoy your dry sense of humor. This video has some very helpful information for someone about to plunge into the prosumer espresso maker lifestyle. So looking forward to it. Thank you.

[@menelaos951]

The reference to Chris Herdon's paper is quite on point. After modifying my Gaggia Classic to 9bars of pressure and trying to master brewing with light roasts, I was completely lost. Adding 20microLiters of water per gram of coffee, per the paper's suggestion, let me tame the beast and start producing what I had been aiming for. Because it is a rabbit hole, indeed. Hats off, great video!