The Essential Guide To Getting Started On Your Espresso Machine

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Hello there
01:06 Bar Basics
08:35 Cleaning
12:36 Coffee
18:23 Espresso
Some videos if you’re ready to dive down the rabbit hole of espresso:
• A Beginner's Guide To ...
• DIAL IN ESPRESSO WITH ...
• HOW TO STEAM MILK ON T...

[@azul4904]

i appreciate that you have the kindness to explain something you know a lot of to those who are starting at 0 without making us feel dumb at all. you’d make a great teacher :)

[@nomadsolos]

agree Morgan is a great teacher. Here is a World Champion Barista breaking down the science of making coffee on an elementary level. While some things she suggests I would not find helpful to me - I think overall it will be helpful to everyone. I am a coffee snob of sorts, but I do not know it all, and never will. It is great to add to my knowledge base from a delightful champion that Morgan is.

[@jimchodzinski1140]

There is now a level 0. I'm in!

[@azul4904]

@@nomadsolos i agree! i have the knowledge you’d get from binge watching coffee content like this or james hoffman’s on a daily basis, but i still cannot afford an espresso machine so i have little to no practical skills (my moka pot game is better than ever tho lol), so when the time comes these videos will be quite helpful:)

[@emilymullenhour8680]

@@nomadsolos ia

[@krislove1167]

It's easy to forget that we all started from 0 at some point....

[@mafiacat88]

My personal tip for better tasting espresso is to pack the portafilter with instant coffee. After that, your espresso will taste better by comparison. One route for enjoying things is raising the ceiling of quality, the other is just blasting out the floor.

[@morgandrinkscoffee]

You know what, that’s valid

[@nomadsolos]

@@morgandrinkscoffee Valid yes - but - would I want to return for a second cup?

[@morgandrinkscoffee]

A little clarity on something near the end: If you’re close to the parameters you want your espresso in, it can be an easy fix to adjust the dose rather than changing the grind size. It also will frequently reduce coffee waste and if you have pre-ground coffee, it’s one of your few variables that you can change. However, it’s very much a starting out position. You should aim towards being comfortable adjusting your grind size as well but that’s something that, in my experience, can only be really learned through time and practice with your grinder. Hope that helps! Again, there are a whole lot of dialing-in methods and there’s a whole lot of good advice out there. Find what works for you and trust your taste buds.

[@Shottty101]

I watched so many dialing-in videos starting out that we're generally helpful but could not convey adjusting by flavor. The best thing I did was buy coffee from a shop that also pulls shots of their Single Origin coffee. Got a Gesha from my local shop that was insane and I don't think I would've even come close if I hadn't had the reference point! The only downside is you'll be comparing what you pull to a shop with a $3,000 grinder 🥲

[@_mball_]

This is a little bit of a contrarian take as it seems like most folks recommend keeping dose constant as the "first" parameter. BUT, personally, I definitely prefer adjusting by dose since a lot of grinders aren't as easy/consistent to adjust. (And for various reasons, I'm using a Robur at home). That said, I always like to hit my target ratio first. Even if a shot is running super slow, I'll still let it finish. Besides, with a little milk many flaws are covered up. ;)

[@Shottty101]

@@_mball_ drinking mediocre/bad shots as lattes is a home espresso rite of passage!

[@w_ed8677]

I got my first espresso 2 months ago and it took A LOT of different videos from many different creators to get everything I needed to start making nice consistant coffee. This video is an awesome combination of all those videos in one nice clear package. While I have all the equipment and knowledge you shared today, it was nice to have confirmation that I am in the best position to be making some nice coffee. Great video and thanks for all your efforts on youtube to entertain and inform us.😊

[@violadude]

What machine did you buy?

[@CostaLara]

5:49 This just changed my life forever! 18 towels for each towel, mindblowing, we'll always remember you when cleaning from now on 😆💖

[@jessicadawn9023]

I appreciate the jazz version of "Happy Birthday" at about 27:00

[@michaelvelazquez4174]

As a photographer, Never realized how many comparisons to photography there is to pulling a good shot of espresso. Especially with the exposure triangle and the coffee grind size, weight of coffee, and length of time to pull the shot. They all relate to each other and are dependent, and that makes understanding how to dial in your coffee that much easier to understand 😮

[@ykhemani]

Amazing video as always! Pro tip: if you want to drive yourself completely insane, get a bottomless portafilter and a shot mirror. This will maximize frustration levels, and occasionally result in you jumping for joy, not (necessarily) because how wonderful the shot you just pulled tastes, but how horrifically or beautifully your extraction flows.

[@morgandrinkscoffee]

I do love a good product that maximizes my frustration X)

[@richardhaselwood9478]

Oh, I know that feeling :(

[@ykhemani]

I prepare coffee with either a manual lever espresso machine (the Flair 58) or a V60 immersion brewer, and given how the focus of so many things in life is automation, I thoroughly enjoy the manual approach to coffee, including seeing the results of my efforts. Cheers!

[@ninetendopesaitama2107]

Have a mirror and it helps to see if something is off. It doesnt drive me crazy. It shouldnt and my shots are spro level ;) ☮️

[@andream9470]

Oh but when you get it right it's SO pretty.

[@zachary20XX]

I did not get any sort of espresso equipment for the holidays, but this video really really makes me want to...

[@goodenoughaccompanis]

I don’t have an espresso machine, just listening to learn-but noticed around 26 or 27 minutes that the music in the background was most definitely the tune of “happy birthday” 😆. Maybe it was that the whole time, just caught on at the end, gave me a good chuckle! (Piano teacher here, ha)

[@AussieMumVLOGS]

What was I so intrigued by the towel folding? I liked your passion for the towel! Your voice is very asmr

[@dorothyl5294]

Morgan you’re outfit is giving Steve Jobs keynote vibes but I love it 😂 thanks for another informative and helpful video!!

[@Casperski1312]

Its so fun how all of the hobbies I'm drawn to are super expensive to start. Anyway, thanks for the super helpful video!

[@deegoldman17]

I’m applying for a barista job so I came here to see some basics before training. Super helpful, and now if I ever want to get my own machine I have the foundation for a new hobby skill.

[@eden668]

I just wanted to say that I don't even like coffee but I love listening to you explaining things! it's very relaxing

[@user-mr4qf6hf6c]

G'day Morgan, I'm from Brisbane, Australia, and I have an Australian-designed machine, the Breville Barista Express Impress, made in China. I have a new Australian Pesado filter basket made by IMS in Italy; my coffee weighs 20.6 grams for my eight-day-old Toba coffee beans from Botero. Unless I change my filter basket or grind size, my coffee amount will stay the same because my Breville Impress has automatic dozing and tamping. I've set the water volume, left the temperature, and then altered the grind size, so I get around 41 grams of espresso out in 25 to 30 seconds. If I can't manage that, I adjust the water volume of the machine. I'm so happy you started so simply on the Breville Barista Express, which is similar to my coffee machine. I started with a SMEG coffee machine like the one you reviewed and an AU$100 Sunbeam coffee grinder; I only used my two-shot pressurised filter basket and often didn't enjoy my coffee. I'm much more impressed with Breville, and I like my coffee even more with my new filter basket. I also prefer my 280 ml Royal Doulton Coffee Studio coffee cups over my double-walled glass 350 ml mugs for my flat whites. I like it when my sister and hubby or my nephews and nieces visit so I can make them a coffee. Thank you. I've learned by watching KZbin videos and reading the coffee manuals. Cheers ☕ George

[@edrxpark]

This is a really great walkthrough that doesn't leave your head spinning. And yes, thank you for bringing up tamp consistency, I feel it doesn't get stressed enough in other videos.

[@chomp54321]

If there is a one-stop shopping on how to start a coffee journey, then this is IT! Really great into video. So many new-to-espresso people in my coffee group are a bit apprehensive on where to start with their newly acquired machine. This is the prefect video for them. Great job!

[@obrothernotagain4668]

I'm consistently impressed by your's and James Hoffman's ability to taste nuanced issues with your coffee preparations. I've been making espresso forever and would never know what an espresso that was extracted a few seconds too long would taste like. Do you have suggestions for developing that ability to dial in a shot by taste? Do you have to purposely mess up a bunch of shots to understand where the sweet spot exists?

[@morgandrinkscoffee]

In my opinion, kind of! You have to have tasted ‘bad’ espresso to know what you like. I’d recommend trying espresso as much as possible, especially at different cafes, to get a handle on what you like and don’t like. Then, at home, see if you can find some recipes that you enjoy. It unfortunately is a lot of trial and error based on your own developed preferences.

[@Shottty101]

There's also something you can do called a salami shot where you get like 4-5 cups ready and swap out every 6-7 or so seconds. That sort of lets you gauge the flavor profiles of what first comes out (super acidic and helps identify under extracted), what's in the middle (generally more balanced), at the normal stopping point (which tends to be milder), and finally letting it run too long to get to over extracted (bitter and hollow tasting). I may not have the flavor notes fully correct there, but the point is if the coffee is under it will have strong notes from the first section (i.e. when the shot pulls too quickly/ground too coarse) and if it's long (i.e. shot pulls over a long time/is ground too fine) then it will have notes from the last section.

[@nomadsolos]

I have pretty much standardized my machine to the point that I use a 5 second pre infusion on the beans and begin by looking for 9 bar pressure - but really am looking more for a blond looking pull. Pulling a shot that looks creamy for me generally gives me the taste profile I am looking for.

[@3ede467]

Nice new kitchen, Morgan! 😊 I am using towels/cloths made from bamboo fiber instead of microfiber for about a year now to reduce the amount of micro plastic that I produce and I am pretty happy so far. They tend to get a bit more soaky but I can live with it.

[@nerd26373]

Thanks for this video. You have a tendency of sharing your insights in a way that we can all follow through.

[@mallory_6266]

I just got an espresso machine for Christmas!! Thanks for the helpful tips! 🥰

[@azul4904]

loving the new setup! it’s just as cozy as the one before☺️ your channel is pure anxiety relief 🙌

[@AquaBlueBliss]

I could listen to you talk to me about anything all day lol. Thank you for being such a good teacher!

[@kerriemorgan1101]

Hi Morgan, thank you for such a comprehensive demonstration, we haven’t got an espresso maker yet but we’re working on it. I’ve saved your video for when we do 😊 Love love love all your videos! Thanks again ☕️💜

[@CesarSandoval024]

I put all coffee on a 1 grind setting. It usually makes the shot flow fast. With the flair pro2 you can feel the resistance on the lever. So depending on the pressure I grind accordingly.

[@illcomeupwithanamelatter3632]

Coincidentally, I had just been watching a James Hoffmanns playlist on dialing in espresso when youtube recommended this. I'd been wondering when I'd see a new Morgan drinks coffee video 😂

[@adamaukerman2808]

I greatly appreciate your videos! They have been extremely helpful since I got my machine last month.

[@samanthaboutte3677]

I landed on your channel a few years ago and ma not going anywhere anytime soon!! ILOVE YOU and love your wisdom💖🥰 Thank you for teaching!!

[@DavidDarnes]

Fave part was you sharing your thoughts as you dialled in a new espresso, would be great to see more of that!

[@lisaw7633]

Mind blown. Can you recommend a coffee maker for someone going from instant coffees to beans. Embarrassed to say I'm confused. Love your content and style

[@Ddiakova]

Absolutely amazing video!! Thank you so much for doing this. I'm on the market for buying an espresso machine sometime soon, so this really was simple, educational and clear. Exactly what I needed!

[@dianehill6126]

I absolutely love your precision!

[@ChrisJolly3053]

GREAT VIDEO... Not that I expected anything less but thank you so much for this thorough explanation. Been watching you for a long time and just was thinking about getting an espresso machine so this helped a lot.

[@lindseykraemer]

I love you and I'm from OR and moved up to Canada and was so happy to find you my hole family still live in OR I'm from Silverton, Mt angel area we farm there too thank you for what you do for the love of coffee as I'm so love it

[@AwkwardBirb]

This is the video I needed when I got my espresso machine!! Even though its a year later, I still learned a lot from it.

[@sadrashahbazian6106]

Great skils , high knowledge, lots of details and a really nice person Highly appreciated ❤️ thank you

[@jent8426]

Shout out for loving towels. I’m with you on the trifold method. 👍🏻

[@pink-pixie9603]

We love morgan. She helps us for our coffee problems.

[@justanthy]

I literally just got my espresso machine this week! Thanks so much for this! 🤓☕

[@konpadelic]

Really great video and info. I know you are just getting into the new space, the corner, angle where the espresso machine is not the best, not optimal. Look at it at playback, i’m sure you’lll agree

[@Over_cooked_egg_noodle]

It's been a hot minute since I've watched one of your full videos.. I forgot how much I loved them.. also last time I was here was summertime I missed your signature turtleneck

[@JakeArsenault]

In a word of shorter and shorter videos, so glad you have a detailed video for those that a new ✨

[@SiloXJones]

A really good idea for a video in the vein is to evaluate what parameters affect which aspect of coffee (eg. temp affecting bitterness, grind size affecting pull/extraction speed) that way there's some idea of what could be adjusted to suit individual tastes. This way if someone finds their shot a little on the bitter side or flat, there's a bit of an idea as to what could be changed. An aside: I'm SURE James has done a thing on this, and it would be really cool to kind of see a collab between y'all, even if that were just over a video call, exploring this aspect.

[@andreaorofalo]

Video quality is just top notch!

[@peanut791000]

@morgandrinkscoffee I’m so grateful for this video and all your patience as you share your knowledge. I’m researching the espresso making community and was feeling sooo overwhelmed to the point I was going to give up on the idea of an in home espresso machine …then I saw this video and I’m feeling more confident! Thank you 😊

[@MistressCrescent]

Thank you for your recommendation for cleaning product. I recently got some Cafiza and took it to work. We had an old thermal carafe with years of buildup. A quick soak and it was amazing clean and shiny on the inside. My next task is going to be the scaling the machine when I have time, most people in the hospital don’t understand how do use a commercial coffee machine. Gag.

[@felixalvarez7296]

Amazing video. Thanks for sharing your experience and advice.

[@pdevito]

New kitchen is gorgeous!

[@willywanker5164]

Morgan, you're a lifesaver! What a great overview video, thank you! :D

[@mr.rainbowlovescoffee]

Amazing, thank you very much for your help and your hard work on this video 🥂💜 Mr.🌈

[@jeroenkeijsper1080]

Kicked out my machine yesterday and gone back to the ol’ skool Bialetti stainless. Sure, took me a lot of coffee to get it on ‘taste’ but I love it! No more machines for now for me 😅

[@tucker8594]

I'm a big fan of paper towels for all things coffee. I use a lot of them, so my Costco membership definitely comes in handy!

[@diniiantares]

"If you can't commit murder with it, it's not a good tamp" - Wrongly parraphrased Morgan

[@dwightj.7895]

Thanks for your time much appreciated/ great video..

[@Greif98]

Loved this video. (And the music choice was on point)

[@madalynlipsey6900]

I love your kitchen!

[@clarinetJWD]

That kitchen is absolutely gorgeous.

[@rebeccamoss6581]

Such a helpful video! It would be really nice to see how you descale and back-flush the Rancilio. I haven’t seen anyone come out with a video that step-by-step shows that process for the Silvia Pro.

[@coffeesali]

I greatly appreciate your videos!🌼

[@mathierequena]

That was amazing ! Thank you

[@charmsssssss]

Thank you for talking about the TOWELS! My gosh I wish you wouldn’t stop talking about them since there’s hardly anyone on YT that talks about them like what kind and all. Thank you!

[@andrewzach1921]

Thanks for the Video Morgan.

[@lesiahook6461]

Excellent video Morgan.I realize there are many videos about purchasing different types of espresso machines but would you please add to the mix? I would love to hear your thoughts on the differing makes and models. Thanks so much

[@_SR375_]

RINZA LIQUID and food-safe citric acid powder also work wonders, as well as a small ultrasonic clear that gets all the bits out of the shower head, it might be worth covering some of the generics of the shower head cleaning for the e61 brew group...

[@LevisLabOfficial]

I literally got mine in the mail today and got it set up an hour or so ago! Thanks so much for this video! Will come in handy.

[@morgandrinkscoffee]

So excited for you! Hope you have lots of tasty espresso in your future :)

[@philurbaniak1811]

👍👍thank you Morgan this is all really useful!

[@nomadsolos]

Wow Morgan ! Great video. You gave me an idea that I have not considered in dialing in . That would be changing the dose , Generally speaking I usually do not change the dose. I actually adjust the grind size. I also use a Niche Zero Grinder, so I do not have to worry so much about wasting beans, or even weighing the extraction. Why? Because the grinder retains no grounds - what goes in comes out. I usually have a set recipe that I will vary according to the beans I am pulling shots from. ( I will add that I mostly drink single origin rather than a blended coffee so that plays into my approach) - I will try your suggestion on changing the dose next time I am trying to dial in a high altitude bean like a Bolivian coffee.

[@richardhaselwood9478]

Great stuff. I've most of these things, bar the knock box for my espresso/flat white setup. However, I've found that a cheap jug ($5 from Kmart) is vastly better than the pricy one that I bought with my machine.....

[@VerhoevenSimon]

Thank you for the informative video, and best of wishes for 2023. One small request: for the rabbit hole it would be nice to see the videos labeled.

[@martinmyung4710]

I don't have an espresso machine, yet I still enjoyed watching this video! Thank you.

[@mastercjofficial]

So much towel talk 🤣I love the passion Morgan! That's me but with new syrups and sauces lol

[@Zakitaky]

Very helpful ❤❤thank you

[@eclecticraeen]

loved this morgan and i missed your video notifications :)

[@angrynerdrock]

New Morgan video as soon as I open youtube? Its a good day 👊🏻

[@mrpanicfire]

Great explanation! that little brushy tool is called a grouphead brush :) About coffee, your caveat about freshness is true, however in 99% of the cases the roast date isn't on the package (at least in Europe) when it's from the supermarket, but the best by date is there, which depending on the brand can be 1 to 2 years after roasting, usually 1 year, so that can be used to calculate roast date. How do you dial-in pre-ground coffee? I mean dose and contact time can do something, but it seems like you will waste a LOT of coffee.

[@stanleysadventres]

Ooh! A bar towel opinion video would be fun!

[@julleebean]

I know I have experience as a barista, but I just knoooow I'll learn a lot from this.

[@rockoutloud2me]

I glad I saw this! I'd been wondering why my creama was so thick, and despite my beans technically being a little older I have them in a container that might be a little too well sealed. I wonder if leaving the container open for like an hour would help get out those gasses without comprising the taste.

[@hannahmatetzschk9537]

Thank you!

[@adriand6883]

Great overview! 👏🏻 I've been making espresso for little over half a year, and I've been learning a lot in that time from getting lots of different perspectives. I'm curious to know more about why you dial in by changing dose. This is different from what I've heard from most other places that start by changing grind size and then potentially change the dose.

[@morgandrinkscoffee]

For sure! There are a lot of ways you can start adjusting, also lots of great advice out there. I think I could have been a little bit more specific about this. If you’re in a pretty close range to what you want your parameters to be, I think making small adjustments to your dose can be a very good fix. It is a trick that can help reduce large amounts of coffee waste too while you work towards feeling comfortable with making grind adjustments. Very much a “starting out” method, you should always aim towards feeling comfortable adjusting grind size as well. However, in my experience, that takes purely time and practice.

[@burnedfrys1556]

Love your video’s, keep it up!☕️☕️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@zahirmulla6715]

Just the video I needed

[@Flameoart]

When in the future i get to the point of buying an espresso machine, i know where to come back to, thank you 🥰

[@ArsinoeAhle]

This is the best video of all time

[@danielleclark4043]

Super helpful! Could you do a video on how to know if you successfully pulled a shot? I have the step-by-step process down, but it still feels a little like I'm flying blind until I take a sip!

[@nrthrn_dcy]

"And this is what I'd do with my $1,500.00 Espresso machine... IF I HAD ONE!!"

[@PhilGeissler]

Wow, this was awesome!

[@smwillia]

Nice! You have one of James Hoffman's "Weird Coffee Person" mugs!

[@larascheeren9755]

I love your TikToks so when I saw your face behind this tutorial I was PUMPED.

[@madi_bue]

do i own an espresso machine? no do i ever plan on getting one? no do i even drink coffee on a regular basis? no did i watch this entire video regardless? absolutely lmao

[@Platanopowe]

dam, i love your videos, your set, your voice thanks for all the info and keep going😊

[@arash7378]

Great video. Thanks

[@videirasunderclub4418]

first time watching this chanal, first impressions: love the slide

[@Elivaztv]

AWESOME CONTENT!

[@clairekraft4892]

Perfect timing, i just upgraded my espresso machine.

[@gull5604]

I needed, thank u

[@jayhu2296]

hair is on point as always 🙌

[@blazelightshine2311]

Well this is really interesting! (as someone who is not a coffee fan) I will make notes! Probably for writing purposes. Love your videos and style though!

[@meganharper6566]

Hi Morgan! I've been enjoying your shorts so very much and am happy to come across your channel. I'm just wondering if you would ever consider recommending products - maybe linking to an Amazon store? Not only would it help someone like me who suffers from paralysis-by-over-analysis but it would also be an additional income stream for you, too. Win-win imo! 😉 Anyway, I enjoy your content immensely. Cheers!