Learned a lot from this subreddit and YouTube. I hope I picked the right equipment. My budget was $500 so I picked the Bambino as well as the Encore ESP. Picked up a distributor, tamper, funnel, and WDT off amazon.
I’ve done a couple of shots which I don’t think turned out all that well. Time to experiment.
What’s the formula? 18 grams of beans to 18 grams of powder. Pull shot of how many grams in 30 seconds? Adjust grind setting as needed.
by MAC10goBRRRT
8 Comments
Nice looking setup! With some practice, it will treat you well!
Couple thoughts on the shot
* There is no “formula” but there are some starting points!
* The 1:2 in 30 seconds is the ‘Golden Ratio” and is what you should aim for, but at the end of the day, always trust what tastes good to you. Look at the AF guide and [this one](https://espressosetupbuilder.com/how-to-pull-shot-of-espresso) to help get you on your way!
* I personally have found I could never fit 18g in my breville products. Try 16g and see if that fits better in the portafilter.
* Note that the Encore ESP has some retention – weight how much ground coffee comes out – don’t just trust that 16 whole bean in = 16 ground out.
* If you’re going for 1:2, look for 32g ish out. But once again – 30-38 (or more!) is viable based on extraction!
I have the same setup! It’s been working well for me so far. Make sure you are using an unpressurized basket, mine came with the pressurized one pre installed.
Where did you get that lid for the Baratza ESP?
I have exactly the same setup!
How much does the hopper helps stoping retention on the grinder?
Great to see an actual entry level setup! I hope you’d enjoy the whole thing!
In addition to my other comment, I struggled with 18g and automatic shots in my bambino plus and I’m having much better success with 17g shots and manual programming.
Nice 👍
If you didn’t buy all those accessories already I would say just put whatever in the pressurized basket and press the 2 cup button. But since you did already I highly recommend you spend a few more bucks on a bottomless portafilter.
With the bottomless and stock single wall double basket try 16g in, 9 grind setting, and just press the double shot button. If dark roast go to 11. If light roast… don’t use this machine. Just some rough numbers for you to try.
Optional: dark roast aim for 32g out, medium 40-50g out. You can press the button again to stop it early.