Breville Barista Express Grind Settings Guide

These are starting points, not answers. Two bags labelled "medium roast" from different roasters can sit two or three steps apart, and the same bag will want a slightly finer setting as it ages past three or four weeks off roast.

The Express grinds with 40mm conical burrs. The grind size dial moves the burrs closer together (finer, lower numbers) or further apart (coarser, higher numbers) across 16 stepped settings. Stepped means each click is a fixed jump: you can't stop halfway between two numbers on the outer dial.

Finer grounds pack more tightly in the basket, so water takes longer to push through and pulls out more flavor. That's why grind size is the main way to control shot time and taste. Too coarse and the shot runs fast and tastes sour; too fine and it runs slow and tastes bitter. Our espresso extraction explainer covers why.

Inside the hopper sits a removable upper burr with its own numbered positions. Moving it shifts the whole range of the outer dial finer or coarser. Most owners never need to touch it, but it's the fix when the outer dial runs out of room.

The gauge on the front is the Express's best learning tool. During the shot, the needle should settle inside the shaded espresso range in the middle of the dial.

The gauge tells you about resistance, not flavor. Once the needle sits in range, taste the shot and adjust by one step at most. If you're new to reading shots by taste, our guides on sour espresso and bitter espresso walk through the diagnosis.

1. 1

   Fit the single-wall double basket and set the grind dial to your roast's starting number.

2. 2

   Grind into the portafilter and weigh the dose. Aim for about 18g; adjust the Grind Amount dial until you're close.

3. 3

   Level the grounds, then tamp firmly and evenly. Use the included trimming tool to check the puck height.

4. 4

   Pull a double shot into a cup on a scale and time it from the moment you press the button.

5. 5

   Stop at about 36g. Note the time and where the gauge needle sat.

6. 6

   Taste it. Sour and fast: one step finer. Bitter and slow: one step coarser.

7. 7

   Change only one thing per shot, and write down the setting that works for each bag.

Most bags settle in three to five shots. The espresso dial-in calculator can suggest the next adjustment from your dose, yield and time.

If your shots still run fast at the finest outer settings with fresh beans and a full dose, the grinder has run out of range. This is most common with light roasts or after the burrs have worn in. Before changing anything inside the grinder, rule out the easier causes:

• Old beans: coffee more than about five or six weeks off roast is harder to grind fine enough. Try a fresh bag first.
• Low dose: an under-filled basket runs fast regardless of grind. Weigh it.
• Dirty burrs: packed coffee oil and fines change the grind. Clean the burrs with the brush.
• Pressurized basket: the dual-wall basket behaves differently; switch to the single-wall basket.

If none of those fix it, move the upper burr one position finer. Empty and run the grinder until no beans remain, unplug the machine, remove the hopper, lift out the upper burr by its wire handle, set it one number lower, and refit everything. Then re-dial from your usual starting setting, because every outer-dial number now grinds finer than before.

• RDT: a single spray of water on the beans before grinding cuts static, so grounds land in the basket instead of on the counter.
• WDT: stirring the grounds with fine needles before tamping breaks up clumps and evens out extraction. Read what WDT is and how to use it.
• Weigh every shot: the grind amount timer drifts slightly with bean density, so a 0.1g scale is the single most useful upgrade.
• A better tamper: a properly sized 54mm tamper gives a more even puck than the included plastic one. See our tamping technique guide.
• Keep beans out of the hopper for long periods: load only a few days' worth so the beans stay fresher.

No. The numbers don't transfer between models, because each grinder uses a different scale with a different number of steps.

The method is the same on all three: start in the middle of the espresso range, pull, taste, and move one step at a time. If you're still choosing between models, compare them in our Barista Express Impress review and Barista Pro review.