Sage Barista coffee machine - tips?!

I found the grinder struggled with supermarket, dark roast type beans - Lavazza I think was the one I had. I could never get a decent pressure out of it using those beans.

Changed to various coffees from Rave and never looked back.

I found the grinder struggled with supermarket, dark roast type beans – Lavazza I think was the one I had. I could never get a decent pressure out of it using those beans.

Came here to say this. Hasbean do a great blend called "Our House", which is pretty idiot-proof on my Sage machine. I throw 19g of beans in with the grinder set to 10, and it takes just under 30 seconds to pull a double shot.

If you want free delivery then use my referral code:

https://i.refs.cc/27X9zzXW

Hmm, something odd if you can't get a decent coffee out of a machine like that straight out of the box. Even with cheapo coffee beans I can make a good coffee with my Sage burr grinder and Sage Pro Temp Duo.

– Are you leaving enough time for the machine to get up to heat?
– How long is a single espresso taking to pour?
– Is it producing a nice 'crema'?
– Are you sure you are using all the correct settings and dosages?

Grind finer. Don't use the pressurised basket. Pull some hot water through first to warn everything up.

Swap it for my Gaggia Classic

I struggled a little with my sage bambino for a few weeks but was worth it. I found that the key was using the correct amount of coffee and to make sure you have the right basket in. I use a double wall single shot basket for a normal mug. (Smallest one it came with). This means you can use a reasonably fine grind like lavazza. But I dont have a grinder yet. When I get one it'll change again. 

I was talking to a coffee machine technician the other day at the works cafe and he was saying that it takes a lot of trial amd error to set up. 

Keep on going because you'll find what you prefer and then after that, coffee shop coffee just isn't quite as good as it is at home.

Thanks all.

I'll keep persevering with it. At present, the "puck" of coffee comes out a little too wet, and it struggles to get to pressure.

The under pressure and sour taste to coffee would seem to indicate that it is not ground fine enough, but i keep decreasing it, and not making a great deal of difference.

I am no coffee expert, so could be wrong, but I felt like the built in grinder on the Sage Barista Express didn't have a great range. You couldn't go fine enough to get good pressure on a dark supermarket roast. Weirdly, it worked well with lighter roasts or speciality stuff.

I actually ended up selling up a standalone Eureka grinder and Gaggia Classic setup - no such issues anymore.

The grinder on our Sage is at its limit, set to 1, for espresso. Beans make a huge difference too, decent supplier, recently roasted. I use a single skin, double basket. Took me a few tries to get good coffee but easy after a bit of trial and error.

I am no coffee expert, so could be wrong, but I felt like the built in grinder on the Sage Barista Express didn’t have a great range.

The grinder on our Sage is at its limit, set to 1

As well as the external setting, you can adjust the Sage grinder internally to give more range.

That would have been handy about 3 years ago hahahah

Pretty much everything is adjustable on the barista - and whatever can be adjusted, there's a video for it online!
A few random thoughts:
- a mate measures out precisely 8g/ 16g of coffee beans for every shot, pours them into the hopper and then grinds them. Do that, and you'll know whether your single/ double grind is grinding enough/ too much/ too little beans.
- Once you know you've got the right amount of coffee, you can adjust the granularity of the grind - with the right amount and right grind of beans, the tamper should just go to the silver line in the portafilter. I find it can vary from one bag of beans to the next bag of (identical brand) beans tbh.
- Assuming you've got the right grind/ amount, the portafilter should be really snug when you slot it into the head, so as to hold the pressure.
-...and a double shot should take maybe 20s or so, which should be plenty of time to get to pressure?
- You can also adjust the temperature if you need it hotter - there are videos online of how to do that

What coffee are you using? It will make a huge difference

Are you using the single wall or double wall filters? I've the bambino (and the separate Sage grinder) which only came with the double wall. I found it much easier to get a decent cup after buying a set of the single wall filters.

I've used a couple of different local fresh coffees from shops, neither less than a few weeks since roasted, so not old stuff. Gets expensive after blowing through a few £10 bags of coffee trying to get it right

It seems to be one of those things where you can go down a rabbit warren of different videos and accessories

A bit more information would help diagnose the issue?, is it pouring fast/slow from the porta filter, is it watery with no crema?.

Have you pre ground your Norf Norfolk water?

I had to adjust the grinder underneath the hopper, there is another ring you can twist to adjust how finely it grinds, independent of the dial on the side, obviously, if you make this grind finer by adjusting it then grind no4 on the side will also become finer.

I couldn't get up to pressure on supermarket beans and even good quality local roasted ones i was on grind size 3 to get pressure until I adjusted it on the inside. Now I grind supermarket coffee on 3/4 and good beans on 6/7

Once you get that dialled it's a case of too much pressure? put less in the basket, too low pressure? put more in the basket.
Some people weigh their beans out and all that stuff but I couldn't be bothered with that, aslong as its somewhere between 11 and 1 on the guage it's good enough for me.

Also when tamping, use the palm of your hand and press hard enough that the tamp hurts your palm and that's how you know it's tamped down hard enough.

Got a sage oracle. It was never good really especially for the money. In fact had 3 due to issues.

It's well know these Sage products are not that good, particularly the in built grinders.

Get yourself a separate grinder.

Single doser. Your problems will go away.

Have got the barista pro and have managed to get pretty consistent coffee out of it. I bought some scales as I don't fill the hopper up - sometimes have caff, sometimes have decaff, and sometimes half and half, so just measure out what i need each time and set the grinder to the max time setting. That way you'll have removed one of the variables, and can just change the grind setting. Plus I sometimes found that when I just filled the hopper full, I was getting slightly different volumes even for the same grind time.

I’m currently grinding Grumpy Mule in my Barrista Pro..
Adjustment from Kirkland Colombian beans was significant but I do like the Grumpy beans….
Internal burr adjustment as well as external grind adjustment needed and it’s a bloody faff if you regularly swap beans, but once dialled in with a bean you like, the Sage is impressive….
My pal has a gaggia,,, does it all internally and is equally as impressive…
Mine makes a bloody mess but coffevgood….
I’ve had it a few years and only just changed the filter (clean Aberdeenshire water)

A bit more information would help diagnose the issue?, is it pouring fast/slow from the porta filter, is it watery with no crema?.

Tends to poor quite fast, puck of coffee is wet, and coffee tastes a little sour

Are you putting enough force in when tamping?

At present, the “puck” of coffee comes out a little too wet, and it struggles to get to pressure.

That to me sounds like the grind is far too fine and therefore the water cannot pass though.

We have an Oracle. Lets say the grind is a scale of 1 fine  to 35 coarse. Most beans are 20 (+ or - 5)

Occasionally some beans when ground at 20, no coffee will come out, and the puck will be very wet. I would then adjust all the way up to about 32.

I would try on the most coarse setting you have and the finest to see if you get any difference. Try beans from somewhere live Rave coffee. They havent been sat in a bag for months and the coffee itself tastes so much nicer

Of course it could mean the machine is borked. Our first Sage Oracle was knackered when received and the grind didnt change at all whatever you did. It went staright back and the replacement has been fine for about 5 years now

Who's to say your machine isnt knackered?

Tends to poor quite fast

Grind not fine enough

Puck of coffee is wet

Grind not fine enough

Coffee tastes a little sour

Water too hot

Tends to poor quite fast, puck of coffee is wet, and coffee tastes a little sour

On my sage duo temp using sage pro grinder my double basket/shot pour takes around 24 seconds to 28 seconds depending on beans used so grind finer/courser tamp harder. I understand the grinder in your barista is not the same as my grinder so settings will not be transferable.

Rave coffee Signature blend is setting 15 on my sage pro grinder for a 17.6 second grind to fill a double basket, tamped hard for a 24 second pour for thick crema

Rave coffee Chatswood blend is setting 18 on my sage pro grinder for a 14.8 second grind to fill a double basket, tamped hard for a 26 second pour for thick crema, Chatswood blend needs a slightly courser grind and longer pour

My pucks come out of the basket almost bone dry and solid in the hand, I could throw it across the kitchen, if there is any water then adjust the grind and tamp harder

pour takes around 24 seconds

That's interesting - on my Duo Temp, if I have too long a pour, it cuts out (I'd say at about 15 seconds but I'd have to time it).

Interesting - on the Oracle grind doesnt effect the brew time. ( I think thats because its on its own setting)

When changing coffee beans we always measure the first output and I as a rule of thumb between 50/60ml of coffee is about right

I've got a sage duo temp.
If the puck is wet and coffee brewing v quick then try tamping the coffee down more and making sure you're filling it high enough. If that doesn't help try a finer grind.

If the puck is wet but not getting much coffee through you are using too much coffee or too finely ground (but probably too fine) as the machine gets bogged down and pressure not high enough to force it's way through.

As others have said, Make sure using single wall filters for fresh ground

A wet puck doesn't tell you anything, it's not a clear mark that you're doing something wrong. If you're shot is flowing too quickly then you need to grind finer or dose more. The in built grinder should be able to go fine enough with decent freshly roasted beans. Tamping harder shouldn't really make much difference, my only other thought is whether you're puck preparation is good enough? Perhaps you're just experiencing a lot of channeling.

interesting tips !
here's another one; once the coffee is ground into the portafilter, I usually tap-tap the portafilter to get the coffee to "settle" tamp, tap-tap, then final hard tamp with lots of force.
my puck is also relatively wet on discharge but always solid on disposal into the grounds box.
I usually get 25-28 second pours once grind setting is dialled in.
my current grind time for a full filter is 10.5 seconds, not a lot of waste.

Have you tried a WDT tool?

Defo makes a difference in prep.

A wet puck doesn’t tell you anything, it’s not a clear mark that you’re doing something wrong. If you’re shot is flowing too quickly then you need to grind finer or dose more. The in built grinder should be able to go fine enough with decent freshly roasted beans. Tamping harder shouldn’t really make much difference, my only other thought is whether you’re puck preparation is good enough? Perhaps you’re just experiencing a lot of channeling.

Have I  got a vivid imagination? that reads like a modern day Claire Rayner answer to a couple having no luck trying to conceive

I will add if your puck is dry and hard but then soft and wet keep trying with practice you will get there

While not identical, I've got a Sage Barista Pro which is pretty similar to your machine. I use Surrey Hills Pitch Hill coffee beans (local supplier) but it sounds like you're doing the right thing with beans anyway.

In terms of settings, I use grind size 6 for 12 seconds for a double shot. However I bought the dosing funnel to make it easier and lose less of the grind overboard. Reasonably firm tamp and coffee starts to drip through around 7-8 seconds in, usually done by about 22secs. Puck isn't too wet, coffee is good with a nice crema.

As others have suggested, much of this sounds like it's about getting the grind size and tamp right and then you should be good to go.

**Me again...

Right i decided to get technical and weighed exactly 18g of new beans (Rave coffee signature blend), got 18g of coffee out in to portafilter and it took 28-30 seconds to finish extracting coffee into cup, all seems right.

But got 52g of coffee, not the desired 36g? The Double dose program button is set at factory setting, is it a case of re-programming to shorten time it sends water through, or adjusting grind again?

Pressure is good, towards top end of acceptable on dial?

My bambino stopped making the water hot a few weeks after the warranty ended. They will come out and fix it...For approximately the same price that I paid for it. Back to stove top for me, millions of Italians can't be wrong. 

I know on the Bambino you can hold the single/double shot button and it manually overrides the fixed volume so you can choose. However if you're still getting a bit too much coffee out then it suggests you still need to grind a touch finer.

Thanks both...

Already had 3 double espressos grinding slightly finer each time, beginning to lose feeling in my face! But will be a lot quicker on turbo trainer in a bit...

My bambino stopped making the water hot a few weeks after the warranty ended. They will come out and fix it…For approximately the same price that I paid for it. Back to stove top for me, millions of Italians can’t be wrong.

Defo on the warranty - my Oracle did the same, I pushed quietly for them to honor the warranty expiration and they did.

Poor quality products that look good in the kitchen.

I know on the Bambino you can hold the single/double shot button and it manually overrides the fixed volume so you can choose

Do this! Once you're ready to go (with everything measured/weighed so you know what you're dealing with), push and hold the double shot button for  7 - 8 seconds (this keeps the machine pushing through the puck at ~5bar), then release it and should go up to the full 9bar. Press the button again to end the shot once you're at the required amount, which should be around 25-30seconds for a double.

(This is how I use my Bambino Plus after grinding with a Smart Control Pro grinder and I'm verging on getting a nice espresso out of it now 🙂 )

What are your settings for Grumpy Mule? I quite like their coffee and have the same machine, which I've yet to fully master.

mines a few years old. I keep it clean, use the "FLUSH" and "DESCALE" functions regularly and it's doing well...
however, I reckon if/when it dies I will buy the same Gaggia as my mate, all in one, no mess, perfect brews time after time.
SAGE is not GAGGIA

Curios - which gaggia is that?

I know on the Bambino you can hold the single/double shot button and it manually overrides the fixed volume so you can choose

Do this! Once you’re ready to go (with everything measured/weighed so you know what you’re dealing with), push and hold the double shot button for  7 – 8 seconds (this keeps the machine pushing through the puck at ~5bar), then release it and should go up to the full 9bar. Press the button again to end the shot once you’re at the required amount, which should be around 25-30seconds for a double.

For some of the machines you can customise the shots in the menu so they do this automatically rather than having to press-hold-release-press each time. 

SAGE is not GAGGIA

Thank god for that, my gaggia machines spent more time being repaired than being used

My Gaggia Classic (100% manual) is 23 years old and still makes great coffee. I use a Sage Smart Grinder Pro, despite all the snark on the Gaggia forums and locally roasted Monsoon Estates beans.

A couple of things puzzle me on this thread - the suggestion that dark roasts require a finer grind, whereas the opposite is usually considered the case, and the comments about pressure. I guess the inclusion of a pressure gauge gives the impression that it must matter, but really the most important parameter is time. If you are using a non-pressurised double basket then about 14-16g of coffee should take about 25s and if your beans are fresh there should be a decent crema . You might prefer a slightly longer or shorter brew time but that's just taste. For any particular bag of beans the only variable you can really play with is grind size - tamping pressure makes surprisingly little difference, not that that stopped me spending £80 on a tamper. 

Can you not also play with the ground amount though? I have a sage barista express and I do vary the grid size, depending on what beans I get. I’ve also adjusted the internal Burr adjustment.

however, I also find that the pour duration is affected by the grind amount. There is a grind amount adjuster on the front and I find this does influence the outcome

PS, I am aware that some people only put 18 g of coffee or so into the hopper each time, but this does seem like extra faff to me on a process that is already time-consuming

Can you not also play with the ground amount though?

Yeah, sorry, you can, it's just something I very seldom do.  Not sure how many parts are common between The Smart Grinder Pro and the built in grinders on some of the Sage machines, but I've settled on a grind time that with pretty much all the beans I use fills the double basket on the Gaggia. By 'fills', I mean it's an amount of coffee that enables me to 'just' turn the portafilter to its stop.