How to Adjust Calibration in Coffee Grinders and Espresso Machines?

Consuming delicious coffee is among the basic elements that coffee lovers care about, and serving delicious coffee is important to baristas. Brewing and preparing delicious coffee correctly must be supported by work that requires professionalism. Baristas and business owners who know how to prepare good coffee also prefer to be knowledgeable about the minor problems that occur while making the right coffee. For a sustainable service approach, instant interventions are very supportive in maintaining efficiency. #Coffee grinders and espresso machines need calibration adjustments from time to time. #Calibration setting is a very important and must-do process to prepare standard coffee every time. When the calibration setting is done correctly, it is both easy and a very important step towards maintaining the standard for the business.

What is the calibration setting?

Calibration literally means "adjustment". Calibration adjustment in coffee equipment means adjusting the coffee grind suitable for your device, the #portafilter weight and the amount of #espresso obtained.

How to make calibration setting?

The steps to be followed for calibration adjustment are listed below.

First of all, whether the coffee grammage in the portafilter of your espresso machine is in the required amount is the first clue that will help you find the answer to the question of whether a calibration process is needed. Portafilters usually hold 14 grams or 18 grams of coffee. If you do not know how many grams of coffee your portafilter holds, the number of grams of coffee it holds is included in the user manual of your espresso machine, and you can easily access this information by consulting the authorized service.

Recommendation: In your daily routine, it will be important to weigh the coffee filled portafilter on a precision coffee scale at least once a day in order to make the calibration setting early.

If the coffee grammage is not correct after weighing the portafilter, you need to calibrate the grammage part of your coffee grinder. If the coffee weight is correct, you can move on to the second step, making espresso. When you insert the portafilter into the brewing part of your espresso machine, brewing should start within 3-5 seconds depending on the device and the espresso should flow uninterrupted. If it takes less than 3 seconds for the brewing to start, it means that the coffee grind is coarser than it should be, and if it takes more than 7 seconds, it means that the coffee grind is finer than it should be. To achieve the 3-5 seconds interval, you need to rearrange the mill grinding settings to fine or coarse and try the brewing method. If the 3-5 seconds interval is achieved, it can be understood that the #grinding degree is correct.

Espresso brewing time in a double-flow protafilter should be between 25-30 seconds and the amount of espresso obtained should be 50-60 ml. If the brewing time exceeds 30 seconds or 50-60 ml of espresso is obtained in less than 25 seconds, it means that the coffee grind is finer than it should be. In this case, care should be taken to capture the 25-30 second interval or the closest time by changing the coffee grinding setting by 2 degrees.

There are some side effects that prevent the calibration setting from being made completely, which will cause you to get the right coffee only by setting the time closest to the 25-30 seconds range. These side factors are;

- Mains pressure

-Capacity of water purification system

-The water purification system's hoses feeding the espresso machine are thinner or thicker than they should be.

-Espresso machine maintenance is not carried out regularly

-Quality status of the espresso machine

-The oil content, moisture content, roasting profile and expiration date of the coffee used.

-The coffee grinder's blade quality and low engine power can be listed as side factors that are effective in making the correct calibration setting.