Hello everyone

My frustration brought me here because even after having watched dozens of tutorial videos about how to get a decent espresso out of the Sage Barista Espress (Breville), I cannot seem to make it happen...

I'm using the singe wall filter basket, 18 grams dose in, 36 grams dose out, and aiming for a 25-30sec.
I also put a single dose directly in the grinder so only the exact amount come out.
But no matter the different settings, from the moment I press the double cup button until the last drop, it always takes 20 sec. I cannot go slower, even when grinding coarser. The needle is always in the middle of the "espresso range"', but I do not know how accurate this is...

Any advice? I'm getting super frustrated

Which beans do you use and how fresh are they. They should be in a window between roughly 2-12 weeks after being roasted, to be able to be used for espresso. This is the biggest mistake with many beginners to use too old supermarket beans. Otherwise I am neither a fan of the espressomachine nor the grinder inside. They make it harder than it should be but you should be able to produce drinkable stuff with medium-dark to dark beans. Atleast a friend of mine can.

timdavhen wrote:I cannot go slower, even when grinding coarser.

In order to slow down your shot, you need to grind finer (lower number), not coarser (higher number). Try setting the grind dial to the finest possible setting (the word "Fine" one click past "1"). If your shot is still running too fast, you can grind even finer by adjusting the inner (top) burr. Refer to the section in the instructions titled "adjusting conical burrs".

Even with stale supermarket beans, you should be able to set your grinder fine enough to choke the machine (no espresso flows at all).

timdavhen wrote:I also put a single dose directly in the grinder so only the exact amount come out.

The built-in grinder can have a lot of retention. So make sure you are weighing the output of the grinder, not just the beans you are putting into it.

timdavhen wrote:from the moment I press the double cup button until the last drop, it always takes 20 sec

Are you pulling the shot manually or using the preset volumes? If you are using the preset volumes, the water flow may be cutting off prematurely.

Sorry, I wanted to say "finer".
The beans I am using were roasted the 24th of Feb.

I am indeed weighing the output of the grinder which is 18g so no problem there. The top burr is set to 5.
I was using the preset volume at first but it was giving 28-30g, so now I do it manually to reach a 1:2 ratio (as accurate as I can).

I can never hit 25-30 sec for a 36g dose out and a 18g dose in. Or the pressure gauge won't be in the espresso range, or it will run too fast or too slow...
Super frustrating...

Make sure you are not glossing over your puck prep process. After grinding into the basket, evenly distribute the grounds across the basket, then make sure you give a firm & even tamp. Do it the same every time for consistency. This will help reduce channeling as the cause of your fast extractions.

If your puck prep is good then, as said by the above reply, you need to grind finer until you get the flow rate you're looking for. If nothing you do make any difference then try different beans to see if you get the same results... maybe that is just how those beans behave? All of this can be very frustrating at the start and will feel like you will never get it to work, but trust that with time and persistence you will eventually figure it out. Good luck and try to enjoy the journey!

timdavhen wrote:Or the pressure gauge won't be in the espresso range

When I used to own a Barista Express, I found its pressure gauge to be very misleading. I suggest you ignore it, and dial in for best taste.

Keep in mind that guidelines like 18:36g in 25-30 seconds are good starting points for dialing in, but should never be considered the end goal. Once you are there, you need to experiment to find the best tasting ratio and grind size. You may find that the best tasting ratio is much different from 1:2, and the best tasting grind size gives you extraction times that are much longer or shorter than the guideline.

mycatsnameisbernie wrote: Keep in mind that guidelines like 18:36g in 25-30 seconds are good starting points for dialing in, but should never be considered the end goal. Once you are there, you need to experiment to find the best tasting ratio and grind size. You may find that the best tasting ratio is much different from 1:2, and the best tasting grind size gives you extraction times that are much longer or shorter than the guideline.

Oh I know that, but I cannot even get that at all.
I tried new beans today and started at grinding size 8, it was always too fast... I set the grind size at 1, and still it finisedd in 18 secs. Doesn't make any sense at all...

timdavhen wrote:it was always too fast... I set the grind size at 1, and still it finished in 18 secs.

Did you adjust the top/inner burr to grind finer?

Yes, it came at 6 and I adjusted it at 4.

Why did you stop at 4? Your problems appear to be caused by not grinding fine enough, and you have 3 more steps on the inner/top burr available that will allow you to grind finer. You can also set the main grind size adjustment wheel to the word "Fine", which is one step finer than "1".