Guide
Dialling in a new bag
Every bag is a slightly different coffee, and every machine needs telling. This is the method that works on all of them, plus what the manufacturers themselves say about the machine you've got in the galley.
The short version
If you do nothing else on this page, do these five things. Three shots, about ten minutes, and the machine is right for the bag.
Weigh what goes in and what comes out
A shot is three numbers: the dry coffee in, the liquid out, and the time. Without scales you're guessing at two of them. A flat €15 set of scales is the single biggest upgrade to any coffee setup on board.
Pick a target and don't move it
Start where La Marzocco start: 18 g in, 36 g out, in 26-30 seconds. That's a 1:2 ratio. Keep the dose and the yield fixed, and change only the grind until the time lands.
Change the grind, not everything at once
Too fast means go finer. Too slow means go coarser. One adjustment per shot — change two things and you learn nothing about either.
Purge after every change
Old grounds sit in the chute and in the burrs. On a grinder that retains, your next shot is partly the previous setting. Run a few grams through and throw them away.
Taste it, then write it down
Sour and thin means under-extracted: go finer. Bitter and drying means over-extracted: go coarser. When it's sweet, write the setting on the bag — the next person to make a coffee will thank you.
The three numbers
Dose, yield, time. Everything else — grind, tamp, pressure, temperature — exists to move these three into place. Fix two and chase the third.
Why 1:2, and when to leave it
A 1:2 ratio is a starting point, not a rule. Once the time is landing where you want it, you can pull a shorter, sweeter shot (1:1.5) or a longer, lighter one (1:2.5). Change the ratio deliberately and one step at a time, after the grind is settled — not while you're still chasing it.
Which way to turn it
This is the bit everyone gets backwards under pressure. Finer grounds pack tighter, water fights harder to get through, and the shot slows down. Coarser is the opposite.
Don't trust a remembered direction
Which way to rotate is not consistent between machines, or even within a brand. De'Longhi's Dinamica manual says turn clockwise towards 7 for coarser; De'Longhi's own support site describes it the other way round. Follow the numbers and arrows printed on the machine in front of you, never a direction someone told you on a different boat.
What the taste is telling you
The timer gets you close. Your mouth finishes the job. Sour is not the same as bitter, and mixing them up sends you the wrong way.
Sour AND bitter at the same time?
That's not a grind problem. It's channelling — water finding a crack and racing through one part of the puck while crawling through the rest, so you get both faults in the same cup. Fix the puck, not the dial: distribute the grounds evenly, tamp level rather than hard, and stop knocking the portafilter after tamping.
Bean-to-cup machines
On most of these the adjuster lives down inside the bean hopper, and on most of them it must only be turned while the grinder is actually running — turning a stationary burr can break it. Jura put that in a CAUTION box; De'Longhi, Siemens and Nivona all say the same.
Your change won't show up straight away
There's a whole grinder full of coffee at the old setting between the dial and your cup. De'Longhi say the effect is only evident after at least two cups. Siemens say it takes effect from the second cup. Miele want a drink brewed between every single step. Change one step, brew twice, then judge — otherwise you'll chase the setting straight past where you wanted it.
What your machine actually does
Taken from the manufacturers' manuals. Where a manual doesn't state a figure, we've left it blank rather than repeat a number from a retailer's listing.
| Machine | Where the adjuster is | Scale | Adjust | Dose | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E8 Jura | Grinder adjustment switch, under a hinged cover on the top of the machine | Continuous, no numbered positions | Only while running | 8 strength levels (not grams) | Adjusting a stationary grinder can damage the switch — Jura says so in a CAUTION box. |
S8 Jura | Grinder adjustment switch, under a cover cap | — | Only while running | 10 strength levels (not grams) | Same damage warning as the E8. Note the strength scale differs from the E8 — don't carry settings across. |
Z10 Jura | No physical adjuster. Grind is set per drink in software (Product Recognising Grinder) | — | No physical dial | — | The only machine here where the stationary-burr rule doesn't apply. Troubleshooting advises going 1-2 levels coarser for specialty coffee. |
GIGA 6 Jura | Programming mode → Machine setting → Set consistency of grind | — | No physical dial | 10 strength levels, plus a left/right grinder blend in % | Two grinders, adjusted separately. It can blend two beans in one drink. |
Dinamica De'Longhi | Grinding adjustment dial inside the bean container, under the lid | 1 (finer) to 7 (coarser) | Only while running At least 2 cups before the change shows | 5 strength levels (not grams) | One click at a time — more than one and it can deliver a drop at a time. |
Eletta Explore De'Longhi | Grinding coarseness regulator in the hopper; the touchscreen also has a guided Adjust grinder routine | — | Only while running | — | The settings count quoted by retailers isn't in De'Longhi's own documentation, so we don't repeat it. |
Oracle Touch SES990 Sage / Breville | Grind size dial on the side of the machine — not on the touchscreen | 45 settings, 1 finest to 45 coarsest. The manual says start at 30 | Manual doesn't say | Auto grind, dose and tamp — no gram setting | An adjustable upper burr inside the hopper shifts the whole range if 1 is still too coarse. Breville's website says start at 20; the manual says 30 — follow the booklet that came with the machine. |
Barista Touch SES880 Sage / Breville | Grind size selector on the side of the machine | 1 finest to 30 coarsest | Manual doesn't say The manual's own words: a new coffee may take 2 or 3 tries | Grind duration in seconds, not grams | — |
Barista Express SES875 / BES870 Sage / Breville | Grind size selector on the side of the machine | 18 positions — FINE, 1 to 16, COARSE | Manual doesn't say | GRIND AMOUNT dial marked LESS/MORE; start at 3 o'clock. Double basket is about 16-19 g | Widely reported as 16 settings. The manual says 18: sixteen numbered, plus the two unnumbered stops. |
CM 7750 CoffeeSelect Miele | Slide control behind the service panel at the front | — | One step at a time Make one cup between every single step | 7.5-12.5 g per cup — a real gram setting, the best dose control here | One setting at a time, and the grind serves all three bean hoppers. Switching from caffeinated to decaf? Discard the first drink. |
CVA 7840 Miele | Slide control top left, behind the water container | — | One step at a time Brew a drink after each step so the beans actually get ground | 7.5-12.5 g per cup | More than one level at a time may damage the grinder. Burrs wear — go finer over the years. |
EQ.700 integral Siemens | Rotary selector inside the bean container | — | Only while running Takes effect from the second cup | Strength levels, not grams | Anticlockwise finer, clockwise coarser. Ceramic burrs. Never reach into the grinder. |
EQ.9 plus connect s500 Siemens | Rotary selector inside the bean container | — | Only while running Takes effect from the second cup | very mild / mild / normal / strong / very strong / doubleShot | — |
Barista TS Smart Melitta | Lever under a cover on the right of the machine — back is coarser, forward is finer | 5 levels | Manual doesn't say | 5 strength levels on a touch slider, adjustable mid-grind | Melitta's manual carries no running-grinder warning, so we don't invent one. Two hoppers with Auto Bean Select; 25-220 ml stepless. |
CafeRomatica NICR 10xx Nivona | Lever behind the service door on the right — left finer, right coarser | — | Only while running | Strength slider, plus three aroma profiles that vary brew pressure | Unnumbered lever; Nivona suggests keeping it mid-range. The aroma profiles are a genuine dial-in lever that doesn't touch the burrs. |
A600 / A800 Franke | Needs the grinder adjustment wrench, hopper off | A600: +2 very coarse, 0 normal, −2 very fine | Manual doesn't say | — | Engineer's job. Changing grind changes the dose, so the grinders must be recalibrated afterwards. |
1500 S+ WMF | Display menu, in steps of 0.25 | — | No physical dial Run the grinder between each adjustment | Programmed per recipe in grams, with water in ml | The menu is marked for trained personnel and service only. Crew shouldn't be sent in here. |
Coffee Soul Schaerer | Not user-accessible | — | Manual doesn't say | — | Grind can only be changed by a caretaker or technician, and needs recalibration after. On these, dial in by changing the recipe and the bean. |
Four of these aren't a crew job
On the Franke A600/A800 the grind needs a specific wrench and the grinders must be recalibrated afterwards, because changing the grind changes the dose. The WMF 1500 S+ menu is marked for trained personnel and service only. Schaerer say outright that only a caretaker or technician may change it. And the Jura Z10 has no mechanical adjuster at all — grind is a per-drink software setting. On these, dial in by changing the recipe, the dose and the bean, and leave the burrs to the engineer.
Machines with a portafilter
More work, more control. The good news for a galley with mixed kit: 58 mm is effectively universal across this fleet, so baskets and tampers move between machines.
Espresso machines
| Machine | Portafilter | Boiler | Temperature | What you can shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Linea Mini La Marzocco | 58 mm | Dual boiler | Dual PID, settable to the degree | Programmable pre-infusion |
GS3 La Marzocco | 58 mm | Dual boiler | Dual PID, to 0.1°F | MP version: true manual pressure profiling on the paddle |
Appartamento Rocket | 58 mm | Heat exchanger | No PID — managed by warm-up and flushing | E61 passive pre-infusion |
R58 Cinquantotto Rocket | 58 mm | Dual boiler | Two independent PIDs, both settable | Dual pre-infusion |
R NINE ONE Rocket | 58 mm | Dual boiler, saturated group | PID | Built-in flow control, five programmable profiles |
Synchronika ECM | 58 mm | Dual boiler | OLED PID, both boilers settable | Active and passive pre-infusion; flow control optional |
Classika PID ECM | 58 mm | Single boiler, dual use | PID, quoted 88-98°C | — |
Pro 600 Profitec | 58 mm | Dual boiler | PID on each boiler | Flow control on the flow-control version |
Pro 700 Profitec | 58 mm | Dual boiler, rotary pump | PID, both boilers settable | Brew and steam gauges |
Bianca V3 Lelit | 58 mm | Dual boiler | PID on both boilers | Flow-control paddle on the group |
Elizabeth Lelit | 58 mm | Dual boiler | Independent PID per boiler | Activatable pre-infusion |
Silvia M Rancilio | 58 mm | Single boiler | No PID as standard — thermostat, so temperature surf | — |
Silvia Pro X Rancilio | 58 mm | Dual boiler | Two independent PIDs | Adjustable low-pressure pre-infusion |
Oscar II Nuova Simonelli | 58 mm | Heat exchanger | No PID found in any source | Volumetric dosing |
Musica Nuova Simonelli | 58 mm | Heat exchanger | No PID found in any source | Up to three programmable doses |
Cube / Cube R Sanremo | — | Heat exchanger (sources disagree; some list dual boiler) | PID thermal management | Mechanical pre-infusion; app control |
Steel DUO PID Ascaso | 58 mm | Dual thermoblock | PID, one-degree adjustment | Programmable volumetrics and pre-infusion |
Dream PID Ascaso | 58 mm | Thermoblock | PID | Programmable pre-infusion; adjustable OPV |
Espresso Single Group Slayer | 58 mm | Separate brew and steam boilers | PID in 0.1° steps | Needle-valve pre-brew, usually set 1-2 g/s |
Eagle One Prima Victoria Arduino | 58 mm | NEO instant-heating system | PID, set from the app | Volumetric programs; brew pressure set in the app |
Grinders, and how much to purge
This is the difference that catches people out. Some grinders hold several grams of the last coffee inside them; others are empty after every dose. It decides whether your first shot on a new bag means anything at all.
| Grinder | Burrs | Adjustment | Retention | Purge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Zero Niche | 63 mm conical | Stepless | Low | About 0.5 g. Built to single-dose. |
DF64 DF / Turin / MiiCoffee | 64 mm flat | Stepless | Low | Single-dose by design. Under 0.1 g is the maker's own claim. |
Mignon Specialita Eureka | 55 mm flat | Stepless micrometric | Low | Under about 1 g when single dosing. |
Sette 270 Baratza | 40 mm conical | 30 macro × 9 micro = 270 settings | Low | Near-vertical grind path; often under 0.1 g. |
Atom 75 / Specialty 65 Eureka | 75 / 65 mm flat | Stepless micrometric | Low | Sources differ between 0.5 g and 2.3 g — purge for the higher figure. |
Super Jolly Mazzer | 64 mm flat | Stepless micrometric | Retains | Around 3-5 g sits in the chamber and chute. |
Mini Mazzer | 64 mm flat | Stepless micrometric | Retains | Same doser and hopper design as the Super Jolly; expect the same order. |
Vario / Vario W+ Baratza | 54 mm flat | 230 settings, macro lever plus micro | Retains | Not published. Purge as though it retains. |
C40 MK4 Comandante | 39 mm conical | Roughly 40 clicks per rotation | Low | Hand grinder. Tap the chamber out between coffees. |
Ode Gen 2 Fellow Filter grinder | 64 mm flat | 31 steps | Low | A filter grinder. It does not grind fine enough for espresso. |
Uniform Wilfa Filter grinder | 58 mm flat | 41 steps | Low | Built for filter. Espresso only occasionally, if at all. |
A Mazzer holds three to five grams in the chamber and chute, so open a new bag and your first shot is mostly yesterday's coffee — purge five to ten grams before you judge anything. A Niche Zero or a DF64 is near enough empty, so the first shot is real. Know which one you've got before you start blaming the bag.
Water, which matters more at sea
Espresso is about 90% water. On land you inherit whatever the mains give you; on board you're often drinking what the watermaker made, and that's a different problem. These are the Specialty Coffee Association's figures.
| Target | Acceptable range | |
|---|---|---|
| Total dissolved solids | 150 mg/L | 75-250 mg/L |
| Calcium hardness | 68 mg/L | 17-85 mg/L |
| Total alkalinity | 40 mg/L | at or near 40 mg/L |
| pH | 7.0 | 6.5-7.5 |
| Sodium | 10 mg/L | at or near 10 mg/L |
| Total chlorine | 0 mg/L | — |
SCAA Standard — Water for Brewing Specialty Coffee, revised 21 November 2009.
Watermaker or RO water is too clean
Reverse-osmosis water can come out under 10 ppm TDS — against a target of 150. There's nothing in it for the coffee to hold onto, so shots taste flat and hollow, and often sour no matter how fine you grind. Very pure water can also upset conductivity-type level probes. Remineralise it with a proper filter cartridge, and keep a TDS meter in the drawer — they're about the price of two bags of coffee and they end the argument.
Give the bag time
Freshly roasted coffee is full of CO₂, and CO₂ fights the water. Too fresh and the shot gushes and tastes sharp, no matter what you do with the grind. We roast to order, so your bag will often arrive younger than the supermarket's.
| Roast | Rest after roasting |
|---|---|
| Light | 10-14 days |
| Medium and medium-dark | 7-10 days |
| Dark | 5-7 days |
The other end matters too. As a bag ages it degasses, the shot speeds up, and the coffee tastes thinner. That's normal — nudge the grind finer as you work down the bag rather than deciding the coffee's gone off.
Milk
Most flat whites on most boats are ruined not by the coffee but by the milk being boiled. Lactose stops tasting sweet and starts tasting of scalded pan somewhere above 65 °C, and there's no coming back from it.
| Stop at | |
|---|---|
| Dairy | 55-65 °C (131-149 °F) |
| Oat, almond, soy | 55-60 °C — they split above that |
Cut the steam three to five degrees early: the jug carries on heating after you stop. If you can hold the jug against your palm for two seconds, you're about there.
One thing we won't do
You'll notice there are no starting grind numbers per machine here — no “set your Dinamica to 3 for this bag”. Burrs wear, machines differ unit to unit, and every bag is its own coffee. A number we made up would have you chasing a setting that was never right, wasting coffee to get back to where the method above puts you in three shots.
What we will do is tell you what we know about the specific coffee in your hands. Ask us — we roast it.