I thought the Breville Bambino Plus was overrated... until I reviewed it. I tested the iconic Bambino Plus back in April and immediately was obsessed. So obsessed, in fact, that I have since ditched my De'Longhi and got the Bambino Plus.
Breville is often considered one of the best (if not the best) home espresso machine manufacturer. The brand makes a range of other machines: the Breville Barista Express, Breville Barista Touch, Breville Dual Boiler... you name it, the machine likely exists. The Barista Express is the most affordable high-end Breville option.
But what do all these machines have in common? They all suffer from the same malady as the Bambino Plus: imperfect default shot volume. But don't worry, I'm going to teach you exactly how to reconfigure your Breville machine — in seconds — to get the perfect espresso every time.
What's the problem?
So, out of the box, Breville espresso machines are programmed to run a set amount of water for single and double shots. On the Bambino Plus, the single shot default volume is 30ml, and the double shot default volume is 60 ml.
Breville recommends an 8-11g dose for a single shot and a 16g-19g dose for a dual shot.
Ideally, you want your espresso at a 1:2 ratio. So, for every one part of coffee, you're putting two parts water through it. For 5g of coffee, you'd want a 10ml espresso. Now, let's do a bit of math (sarcastic 'yay' inbound).
If the single shot volume is 30ml, I should be dosing 15g of coffee. Then, if the double shot volume is 60ml, I should be dosing... 30g coffee?
Hmm. That doesn't sound right.
If I'm drinking a 60ml shot with only 16g of coffee, that's not an espresso. That's basically a lungo to the max. This will result in a mild yet bitter flavor, and won't taste great in a latte or flat white.
Take a look at these two photos to demonstrate exactly what I mean. Both shots used the same beans, same grind, both dosed 18g.
The first picture is default shot volume (which ended up pulling 55.5g of espresso); the second is my customized shot volume (which ended up pulling 37.1g of espresso).
In my opinion, the second shot looks much better. The honey-colored crema is thicker and fluffier, and the body of the shot looks stronger. The second shot tasted more delicious, with tarter, juicier flavors, without any of the stale bitterness of the first shot.
(After taking a sip, I gave the first shot to my boyfriend. He is less of a I-can-taste-the-grapefruit-notes-in-this-espresso coffee drinker and more of a hot-bean-juice-energize-me-now kind of coffee drinker, so he didn't mind.)
Personally, I would never drink the first shot of coffee. But I am picky. If, like me, you want artisan-level barista-pro coffee, then you'll probably rather drink the second shot too.
Alright, how do I fix it?
Thankfully, it's really easy! All you'll need to do is configure your Breville espresso machine to pull double the water to the amount of coffee you usually use. Do you go for the traditional 18g double shot dose? Then set up your machine to pull 36g of water.
Tend to go for a 12g single shot? Then dose your machine to pull 24g of water.
It might take a few attempts to get it perfect, and I'd recommend getting one of the best coffee scales to know the exact amount of coffee.
(When I say 'shot button', I mean the button on the front of the machine with a cup or two cup icon. If you're changing the single shot volume, press the single shot button. If you're changing the double shot volume, press the double shot button.)
Here's exactly how you do it on the Bambino Plus: press and hold the single and double shot buttons for 2 seconds, or until they flash.
Press the shot button to start extraction. When your coffee reaches the desired volume, press the shot button again to stop extraction.
On the Barista Express, you do it the exact same way, but you press the 'program' button instead of the shot buttons.
If you've got a different Breville machine, consult the user manual. Some fancier machines (like the Oracle Jet) have a dedicated 'Menu' button for settings like this.
Of course, your personal tastes might not be for a 1:2 traditional espresso. Maybe the particular beans you're using taste better in a ristretto (1:1). You can easily recalibrate the machine to your particular preference. There's no limit to how many times you can change the volume.
Also, you can just do it the old fashioned way and simply press the shot button again to stop extraction.
Once you've got your shot dose calibrated to exactly how you like, I'm sure your espresso will be delicious enough to rival your favorite barista at the cafe down the road.
Let me know in the comments if you try this!
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