Posted on 10 13 2011 @ 8:55 PM

Although grinders are automatic and do the majority of the work for you, that is not to say you should ignore the look and taste of your espresso, which are heavily influenced by your grinder.

Every time you use your grinder for espresso, you should dial in. This means you need to make sure the grinder is set for the correct coarseness or fineness. The first shot you pull should be a tester…meaning time the shot and judge your espresso’s appearance and taste. If the shot is running too slow, hardly dripping out of the portafilter, adjust the grind finer. There is a turn disc on the grinder with arrows pointing in opposite directions of fine or course. It usually only takes a couple of notches over to do the trick. Next, purge any grounds leftover in the holding chamber in order to start with a clean slate. Keep repeating this process until the espresso is up to your standards, adjusting for either courser or finer grinds. Once you are dialed in, especially if you are the predominant user on the machine, you will not have to continuously dial in every shot as it should be set from the last use. Things like the freshness of the coffee or the type of coffee beans would be reasons to check and make sure all the specs are in line for your shot.

Britt Peterson