Great video (as always) and, since Latte is my go to morning coffee, really helpful. I hadn’t realised about how the temperature affects the taste of the milk, but the best tip for me was about using a lower foam setting. I had been thinking the more foam the better but you’ve shown that less is more. Maybe now I can become a ‘latte artist’ instead of ending up with a large dollop of foam on top! Thanks.
Thank you for your comment. I am happy that the video was helpful. Latte is my go-to morning drink too, and I practice my latte art every morning. It adds some fun to the delicious drinks!
I assumed the same thing, I'm just getting into espresso, I haven't touched coffee for the first 55 years of my life, and a week ago I decided to join my wife in drinking the stuff
I love Red Rooster Coffee! I have been drinking it for years. I am in Northern Virginia though, so I have to order it by mail, but they do a good job with shipping. I usually get my new shipments just three days after they roast it! Have a great day!
hi, not sure if you still using breville machine, my got broken under warranty so they sent me new one. and i found out software got updated. now you can manually steam milk, just lift wand and it displays "manual" in circle, you just press start and it start frothing in lifted position. also there is option manually brew espresso now. just press and hold middle circle and in 1-2 seconds it change and displays "manual" in the circle ,then you press like you want to brew coffee and stop whenever you desire . you helped me with your tutorials so i thought i give you heads up if you not aware . cheers.
Hi, I’m really glad I found your videos. Finally somebody who explain things. I just bought a Barista Touch machine and I’m a bit confused about the settings. My coffee is not that creamy, it seems a bit too much as well. Is that because I leave to brew it till the end? Can you tell me your grind settings (time and coarse)? I’m using 15/10, but when I changed to 15/8 it was pretty much the same. I heard it should start to pour at 8 sec. Mine starts around 4-5 sec, but maybe these not that important factors.
I have a much easier time doing latte art at a foam level of 1, or maybe at 2. Give it a try! Pour the milk from higher up first, then quickly swirl the milk in the pitcher and pour again but much closer to the milk, and remember to push each circle up, then pour your next circle. Stop before getting to the very thick foam that is left over in the milk pitcher.
Hello, we noticed you mentioned using decaf beans. I like decaf but my husband likes regular. How do you switch between them, given the beans that gather underneath the hopper? Thanks!
Thank you for your comment. To switch out the beans, I close the hopper, move the hopper over the bag or container, then open the hopper again, and all the beans come out. Then I use a small tweezer with rubber tips (see link below) to get all of the beans left on the conical burrs; you can get almost all of them intact. Coffee is expensive, so I try to salvage as many beans as I can. Then I turn on the grinder to grind the left overs into the portafilter. At this point you may also want to just pull down the tamp fan for a quick wipe down to remove all the residue from the other coffee (you don't need the magnet tool; just reach in and pull down the silver tamp fan held magnetically). There is typically quite a bit of retention in the grinder chute and sitting on top of the tamp fan. If you have a puff tool, you can also use is to very quickly clean the inside of the tamp fan collar and grinder chute without removing anything, but it's a little messy. These may be available elsewhere for cheaper or faster, but this is what I bought: Tweezers ($5): rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575604033&toolid=10001&campid=5338710373&customid=youtube&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FTWEEZERS-BENT-CURVED-TIP-TWEEZERS-RUBBER-TIPS-PVC-COATED-JEWELLERY-HOBBY-CRAFTS%2F133357701080%3FssPageName%3DSTRK%253AMEBIDX%253AIT%26_trksid%3Dp2057872.m2749.l2649 Puff tool / blower ($15): rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575604033&toolid=10001&campid=5338710373&customid=youtube&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FGenuine-GIOTTOS-Super-Rocket-air-Blower-Large-AA1900-USA%2F180761491257%3FssPageName%3DSTRK%253AMEBIDX%253AIT%26_trksid%3Dp2057872.m2749.l2649
I have a separate Breville conical grinder for caffeinated beans. I keep the decaf in the machine so my wife can use it easier because the dose and tampering is auto. With the external grinder I have to control the dose into the basket and do the tamper myself.
I have been looking for a small scale like the one you use in the video. But bI have not been able to find one that seems small enough to work. Can you provide a suggestion or 2?
This is the small brewing scale I use in the video: amzn.to/3bmDGtN I just recently bought a (pricey) Acaia Lunar scale. I find that the low cost scale from Amazon is just as accurate (perhaps more since it provides an extra decimal) so I definitely recommend it. The biggest downside from the low cost scale is that you may need to replace it if you get too much liquid on it. Mine is still going strong but it has some permanent liquid stains on the screen.
What temperature of milk do I do and what level of froth? I do 150° and level 5 of froth and it will not sit on top of the espresso until the very last bits of the milk from the pitcher is poured out.
For latte art, level 1 is best for smoother designs. Temperature is really up to you based on preference, as long as you don't go above about 156 F. Only the foam will sit at the top of the espresso, and the foam will mostly towards the end of the pour.
The machine does not say how milk to put, but it is easy to gage how much milk to use with the Breville milk pitcher. For a latte, fill the milk until the bottom of the spout. For a cappuccino, you will also fill the milk to the bottom of the spout, but with this amount of milk, you can make two cappuccinos.
@@CoffeeWiser I just wish there was a machine that would pour the right amount of milk for each drink without being able to mess with the settings, aghh why is life so difficult!
@@Avocado818 There are machines like that. The nespresso machines do that, and I think the gaggia babila is a machine that grinds coffee fresh and does all the milk stuff at the push of a single button.
The froth wand can steam any milk. At home, we have steamed skim milk, 1%, 2%, whole milk, and all kinds of lactose free milk. I think I also steamed almond milk once. The most important part about the wand is to keep it clean. Thank you for watching!
I use the small scale that is under the cup to brew so that I get the ratio I want. I started with a dose of 20g of ground coffee and I was looking for 40g of espresso (1:2 ratio, which works well with many medium roasts). To get a nice balance shot, I adjust my grind to hit 40g in about 28 seconds, so I have my brew time on the machine set for 32 seconds, and I stop the shot manually when I hit 40g. Sometimes it's 27s, sometimes 29s or 30s. I don't want my machine to stop automatically at 28s and cut off my shot early. I think it's more important to get a good ratio, and if it's close enough to 28s, it will be decent.
@@CoffeeWiser hi coffee wiser, thx for explaining... 20g ground coffee = 40g coffee drink (1:2 ratio) for medium roast.... but what grind size have used? Can it set 28sec on the machine? The brew time is set to 32sec on the machine? And could it achieve 40g of espresso you're manipulating (manually) adjusting amount...
@@adrianthomas7427 My grind setting is usually between 20 and 22. But every machine is setup differently. Watch this video too: ua-cam.com/video/UE1kL1j_khU/v-deo.html and look at the conical burrs setup at 6:14
@@adrianthomas7427 To adjust your brew time, just add a new drink (at the end of your menu), then select latte (or anything else), then where it says "single," press it again, it will say "double," press it again, and you can customize your extraction time there.
Usually I grind between 19 and 22. I don't remember now if I actually used 16 for that drink. I will adjust my grind depending on the coffee beans I buy. I adjust the grind however far I need to get smooth and slow espresso flow.
Nice informative and yet simple video! Thank you! Subscribed the channel! I bought a Barista Touch, and I'm getting water temp of about 145-150F out of the grouphead, even with water temp adjusted to max. I've read a number of complaints about that. Does the Oracle Touch have an indicator of what the water temp is? Have you checked the water temp before and if yes, what temp are you getting? I read that the best brew temp is 200F. Thank you for the help.
Thank you for your comment. I do experience some inconsistencies with espresso shots, so temperature fluctuations could be the culprit. I will start checking every day to see what I get and I’ll post again or make a video about it. I brew all my medium roasts at 200F, and I am very happy with that. Darker roasts tend to do better around 195F, and lighter roasts at 203-205F, always guided by taste of course.
@@CoffeeWiser Thank you! I'm thinking about splurging and getting an Oracle or Oracle Touch instead. I think the heating element of the Barista Touch has issues as many others reported the same issue as well. The Barista Touch does not have a water temp reading. It is set to "ideal" and user can vary the temp by using a slider for up to + or - 4. I set mine to +4 (or max) and it didn't make the water much hotter.
It is certainly a nice machine but it isn’t perfect. My wife completely loves it because she can make her own drinks and get decent results with milk drinks, but she isn’t picky either. I taste every espresso I brew and there are definitely fluctuations. I think those come from variables you don’t control: dose variations (and lack of easy control to increase or decrease dose) and tamping. Also, the hopper doesn’t love oily beans, but neither do we. Brewing by time only I think is interesting... but if you brew with a scale, then you can get great results often. I would choose a manual machine if I could but this is the machine that works for the whole household, which makes it a winner.
This morning, my thermometer showed just under 190F in the cup as the water was pouring from the group head, and starting to cool progressively. Is it possible that the water temp dropped from 200F to 190F just from the water leaving the group head and into the cup?!
@@CoffeeWiser A drop of 10F doesn't seem bad at all going from group head to cup. I found a page in the Breville website that says you want the coffee to be between 160-180 in the cup at the time of drinking. Unfortunately, my Barista Touch is giving me 140-150 in the cup. Which makes me think that the water is not getting anywhere close to 200.
It’s true that you have to do some work, but I think the coffee quality is substantially better than most fully automatic machines. We have three fully automatic machines, and none come close to the Oracle Touch, even with the consistency issues the Oracle Touch has. Thank you for watching and thank you for your comment. Hopefully, soon we will have amazing and affordable fully automatic machines!
@@tomp8941 To make latte art, make sure that your froth is on "1" (the lowest setting), otherwise it will be too much foam for latte art. Start high to add milk into the espresso, then get real close to start making a design. If you practice every time you make a drink, you will get there! I don't blame you for drinking more coffee ; )
Great video (as always) and, since Latte is my go to morning coffee, really helpful. I hadn’t realised about how the temperature affects the taste of the milk, but the best tip for me was about using a lower foam setting. I had been thinking the more foam the better but you’ve shown that less is more. Maybe now I can become a ‘latte artist’ instead of ending up with a large dollop of foam on top! Thanks.
Thank you for your comment. I am happy that the video was helpful. Latte is my go-to morning drink too, and I practice my latte art every morning. It adds some fun to the delicious drinks!
Awesome video! What's the best coffee ground to get good crema?
I assumed the same thing, I'm just getting into espresso, I haven't touched coffee for the first 55 years of my life, and a week ago I decided to join my wife in drinking the stuff
When you pulled out the Red Rooster coffee! I didn't know you were from the area. It's so good.
I love Red Rooster Coffee! I have been drinking it for years. I am in Northern Virginia though, so I have to order it by mail, but they do a good job with shipping. I usually get my new shipments just three days after they roast it! Have a great day!
hi, not sure if you still using breville machine, my got broken under warranty so they sent me new one. and i found out software got updated. now you can manually steam milk, just lift wand and it displays "manual" in circle, you just press start and it start frothing in lifted position. also there is option manually brew espresso now. just press and hold middle circle and in 1-2 seconds it change and displays "manual" in the circle ,then you press like you want to brew coffee and stop whenever you desire . you helped me with your tutorials so i thought i give you heads up if you not aware . cheers.
Thanks !
What the name of the device you use to weigh your coffee? Amazing vid btw👍🏻
- Large basic kitchen scale: amzn.to/2VkmO1m
- Small brewing scale: amzn.to/3bmDGtN
Hi, I’m really glad I found your videos. Finally somebody who explain things. I just bought a Barista Touch machine and I’m a bit confused about the settings. My coffee is not that creamy, it seems a bit too much as well. Is that because I leave to brew it till the end?
Can you tell me your grind settings (time and coarse)? I’m using 15/10, but when I changed to 15/8 it was pretty much the same. I heard it should start to pour at 8 sec. Mine starts around 4-5 sec, but maybe these not that important factors.
Got mine last night and same, I can’t seem to get the settings right. Did you end up figuring it out?
Hi, when I frothed the milk, there’s always a lot of foam on top of the milk, is that because the froth of 4 is too high?
I have a much easier time doing latte art at a foam level of 1, or maybe at 2. Give it a try! Pour the milk from higher up first, then quickly swirl the milk in the pitcher and pour again but much closer to the milk, and remember to push each circle up, then pour your next circle. Stop before getting to the very thick foam that is left over in the milk pitcher.
Very nice
Thank you very much!
Hello, we noticed you mentioned using decaf beans. I like decaf but my husband likes regular. How do you switch between them, given the beans that gather underneath the hopper? Thanks!
Thank you for your comment. To switch out the beans, I close the hopper, move the hopper over the bag or container, then open the hopper again, and all the beans come out. Then I use a small tweezer with rubber tips (see link below) to get all of the beans left on the conical burrs; you can get almost all of them intact. Coffee is expensive, so I try to salvage as many beans as I can. Then I turn on the grinder to grind the left overs into the portafilter. At this point you may also want to just pull down the tamp fan for a quick wipe down to remove all the residue from the other coffee (you don't need the magnet tool; just reach in and pull down the silver tamp fan held magnetically). There is typically quite a bit of retention in the grinder chute and sitting on top of the tamp fan. If you have a puff tool, you can also use is to very quickly clean the inside of the tamp fan collar and grinder chute without removing anything, but it's a little messy.
These may be available elsewhere for cheaper or faster, but this is what I bought:
Tweezers ($5): rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575604033&toolid=10001&campid=5338710373&customid=youtube&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FTWEEZERS-BENT-CURVED-TIP-TWEEZERS-RUBBER-TIPS-PVC-COATED-JEWELLERY-HOBBY-CRAFTS%2F133357701080%3FssPageName%3DSTRK%253AMEBIDX%253AIT%26_trksid%3Dp2057872.m2749.l2649
Puff tool / blower ($15): rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575604033&toolid=10001&campid=5338710373&customid=youtube&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FGenuine-GIOTTOS-Super-Rocket-air-Blower-Large-AA1900-USA%2F180761491257%3FssPageName%3DSTRK%253AMEBIDX%253AIT%26_trksid%3Dp2057872.m2749.l2649
Thanks! That's really helpful. We're enjoying your videos to learn about our new machine!
I have a separate Breville conical grinder for caffeinated beans. I keep the decaf in the machine so my wife can use it easier because the dose and tampering is auto. With the external grinder I have to control the dose into the basket and do the tamper myself.
Youse, measure liquid in weight - and ounces at that. Solids like flour and sugar are measured in cups, area in football fields .....
Do you still have this machine? Any issues? Will you still buy it or wait for the newer model?
I have been looking for a small scale like the one you use in the video. But bI have not been able to find one that seems small enough to work. Can you provide a suggestion or 2?
This is the small brewing scale I use in the video: amzn.to/3bmDGtN
I just recently bought a (pricey) Acaia Lunar scale. I find that the low cost scale from Amazon is just as accurate (perhaps more since it provides an extra decimal) so I definitely recommend it. The biggest downside from the low cost scale is that you may need to replace it if you get too much liquid on it. Mine is still going strong but it has some permanent liquid stains on the screen.
Thanks for adding the link to the scale, just ordered mine
@@craigwalters1573 No problem! Thank you for watching! :)
What temperature of milk do I do and what level of froth? I do 150° and level 5 of froth and it will not sit on top of the espresso until the very last bits of the milk from the pitcher is poured out.
For latte art, level 1 is best for smoother designs. Temperature is really up to you based on preference, as long as you don't go above about 156 F. Only the foam will sit at the top of the espresso, and the foam will mostly towards the end of the pour.
@@heivakelley thank you so much!!
Does the breville tell you how much milk to put in the pitcher for every milk based drink, or do you just put however much you want?
The machine does not say how milk to put, but it is easy to gage how much milk to use with the Breville milk pitcher. For a latte, fill the milk until the bottom of the spout. For a cappuccino, you will also fill the milk to the bottom of the spout, but with this amount of milk, you can make two cappuccinos.
@@CoffeeWiser I just wish there was a machine that would pour the right amount of milk for each drink without being able to mess with the settings, aghh why is life so difficult!
@@Avocado818 There are machines like that. The nespresso machines do that, and I think the gaggia babila is a machine that grinds coffee fresh and does all the milk stuff at the push of a single button.
What’s the device you use to raise the cup before brew?,thks
That’s a scale
How do I know how much the size of the grind do I use for cappuccino???
You need to adjust the settings until you get nice flow. Take a look at this video: ua-cam.com/video/UE1kL1j_khU/v-deo.html
At least, I now know what type of milk to use for the milk frother. I'm glad I do not have to use 2% milk because it will make me feel sick.
The froth wand can steam any milk. At home, we have steamed skim milk, 1%, 2%, whole milk, and all kinds of lactose free milk. I think I also steamed almond milk once.
The most important part about the wand is to keep it clean. Thank you for watching!
Yo quiero una de esas 😭 pero, son muy caras 💸💸
Son buena maquinas, pero si... son muy caras!
I don’t give to shits for art I want a perfect latte thnk you for your vid
Why did you touch the screen to stop brew?
I use the small scale that is under the cup to brew so that I get the ratio I want. I started with a dose of 20g of ground coffee and I was looking for 40g of espresso (1:2 ratio, which works well with many medium roasts). To get a nice balance shot, I adjust my grind to hit 40g in about 28 seconds, so I have my brew time on the machine set for 32 seconds, and I stop the shot manually when I hit 40g. Sometimes it's 27s, sometimes 29s or 30s. I don't want my machine to stop automatically at 28s and cut off my shot early. I think it's more important to get a good ratio, and if it's close enough to 28s, it will be decent.
@@CoffeeWiser hi coffee wiser, thx for explaining... 20g ground coffee = 40g coffee drink (1:2 ratio) for medium roast.... but what grind size have used? Can it set 28sec on the machine? The brew time is set to 32sec on the machine? And could it achieve 40g of espresso you're manipulating (manually) adjusting amount...
@@adrianthomas7427 My grind setting is usually between 20 and 22. But every machine is setup differently. Watch this video too: ua-cam.com/video/UE1kL1j_khU/v-deo.html and look at the conical burrs setup at 6:14
@@adrianthomas7427 To adjust your brew time, just add a new drink (at the end of your menu), then select latte (or anything else), then where it says "single," press it again, it will say "double," press it again, and you can customize your extraction time there.
@@CoffeeWiser I understand now.... thank you soo much 👍👍💪
Dis u have the grind on 16 ???
Usually I grind between 19 and 22. I don't remember now if I actually used 16 for that drink. I will adjust my grind depending on the coffee beans I buy. I adjust the grind however far I need to get smooth and slow espresso flow.
Good enough art for me
Thank you! Have a wonderful day!
Nice informative and yet simple video! Thank you! Subscribed the channel! I bought a Barista Touch, and I'm getting water temp of about 145-150F out of the grouphead, even with water temp adjusted to max. I've read a number of complaints about that. Does the Oracle Touch have an indicator of what the water temp is? Have you checked the water temp before and if yes, what temp are you getting? I read that the best brew temp is 200F. Thank you for the help.
Thank you for your comment. I do experience some inconsistencies with espresso shots, so temperature fluctuations could be the culprit. I will start checking every day to see what I get and I’ll post again or make a video about it. I brew all my medium roasts at 200F, and I am very happy with that. Darker roasts tend to do better around 195F, and lighter roasts at 203-205F, always guided by taste of course.
@@CoffeeWiser Thank you! I'm thinking about splurging and getting an Oracle or Oracle Touch instead. I think the heating element of the Barista Touch has issues as many others reported the same issue as well. The Barista Touch does not have a water temp reading. It is set to "ideal" and user can vary the temp by using a slider for up to + or - 4. I set mine to +4 (or max) and it didn't make the water much hotter.
It is certainly a nice machine but it isn’t perfect. My wife completely loves it because she can make her own drinks and get decent results with milk drinks, but she isn’t picky either. I taste every espresso I brew and there are definitely fluctuations. I think those come from variables you don’t control: dose variations (and lack of easy control to increase or decrease dose) and tamping. Also, the hopper doesn’t love oily beans, but neither do we. Brewing by time only I think is interesting... but if you brew with a scale, then you can get great results often. I would choose a manual machine if I could but this is the machine that works for the whole household, which makes it a winner.
This morning, my thermometer showed just under 190F in the cup as the water was pouring from the group head, and starting to cool progressively. Is it possible that the water temp dropped from 200F to 190F just from the water leaving the group head and into the cup?!
@@CoffeeWiser A drop of 10F doesn't seem bad at all going from group head to cup. I found a page in the Breville website that says you want the coffee to be between 160-180 in the cup at the time of drinking. Unfortunately, my Barista Touch is giving me 140-150 in the cup. Which makes me think that the water is not getting anywhere close to 200.
Should be turn machine on, press the button it does it all for you. Great machine though.
It’s true that you have to do some work, but I think the coffee quality is substantially better than most fully automatic machines. We have three fully automatic machines, and none come close to the Oracle Touch, even with the consistency issues the Oracle Touch has. Thank you for watching and thank you for your comment. Hopefully, soon we will have amazing and affordable fully automatic machines!
@@CoffeeWiser
Only downside to the oracle touch is I drink more coffee 😂 still can’t do patterns with the froth though.
@@tomp8941 To make latte art, make sure that your froth is on "1" (the lowest setting), otherwise it will be too much foam for latte art. Start high to add milk into the espresso, then get real close to start making a design. If you practice every time you make a drink, you will get there! I don't blame you for drinking more coffee ; )
Hahaha…. That’s not a latte art😄😄. Now you discouraged me to buy my Oracle touch.