Reddit mentions of MindfulKing | 53mm Espresso Leveler Tool, 3 Flange Distributor, Use for 54mm Breville, Spaziale, Pavoni Portafilters, Coffee Leveler Tool (Black)

alternative:

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https://www.amazon.com/Espresso-Coffee-Distributor-Leveler-Black/dp/B07S4Q179B

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edit:

an even cheaper one

It sounds like you're entirely starting new, so I can give you some pointers I hope will be helpful. I also run a Breville Infuser, but I have a Ceado E6P.

• Maintenance and cleanliness. (More of general kitchen tip, but applies doubly here)
  
  When was the last time the grinder was cleaned? When was the last time the machine was descaled and back flushed? Consider this to be like brushing your teeth: you do it regularly so you don't get cavities and dental disease. You do not want to wait until things get funky. I clean my stuff about once a month. I also descale once a month because I have hard water; but I used to live somewhere where I only needed to descale once every 6 months.
  
  On cleaning your grinder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVVsTAUzVzM
  
  Grindz tablets: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014J7FUY
  
  Descale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq1TiwoJbWA
  
  Our machines do not have a descale mode, but that doesn't matter, you can follow the steps anyway. Also, just buy citric acid, you don't need Breville's stuff. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GNBHPAS/ I always backflush after I descale, so I stop following this guide at roughly the 2 minute mark.
  
  Backflush: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1N8HLoW6ew
  
  Cafiza: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004L8RTEM/
  
  
• Beans:
  
  You need fresh beans. There's no two ways around this. You can play with this if you like. Old beans are monumentally difficult to dial in, and often it's impossible. I find beans last nearly a month after the roast date, but there's a noticeable drop off after the second week. There's a lot of room for experimenting here, I recommend you do. Also note, that some beans cannot be dialed in. I don't understand the roasting and processing factors, but there is a lot of variation here.
  
  
• About the Infuser:
  
  Our machine can be programmed such that it will dispense a fairly precise volume of water with the press of a single button. My 1 cup button is programmed to purge the group head, and my 2 cup button is programmed for a regular pull. I want you to know that this a really a good approximation, but Breville has a "smart" feature where it will try to "save" the shot if it thinks the pressure is too high. This has ruined a few cups for me, so I only have this programmed for those bad mornings, but otherwise I don't use it.
  
  Edit: I'm an idiot. If your pressure gauge is "bouncing" or fluctuating during a shot, most likely your pump is going bad. You can try to service it or replace it, I bought one of these off amazon and it is working: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NMNA138/. I got this because it arrived the same day. This is the actual pump: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077ZRP3GD.
  
  I only use the 2 shot single walled basket, and I have also modified my portafilter to be bottomless. I generally find a good shot is just after the second screw in the pressure gauge, but that gauge is not very helpful.
  
  
• 
  
  I bought a few toys to help me out. These are not necessary, and in fact some people will tell you that you don't need them at all. Those people are probably right, but I like my toys anyway.
  
  A funnel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N693YSS/ A cut yogurt cup can work. It doesn't need to be fancy, I just wanted something fancy.
  
  A pick: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003E48EWA/ A toothpick or anything pointy can totally suffice. Again, just wanted to be fancy.
  
  A leveling tool. I have a 51mm because that's what I could find cheaply at the time, but it looks like 53mm are also available now. 51mm: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BTN1S2C/ 53mm: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S4Q179B/
  
  A tamp: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUXN53U/ This tamp has a spring inside it. I only bought this because I had a nasty habit of over tamping.
  
  I found this video that I like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMldWhQVMQA I would not tap the filter after the distribution (where he's stirring the grounds), and I tamp gently. I don't twist or turn the tamp.
  
  
• 
  
  Dialing in is a trial and error type deal. In general, you want ~16 grams in the portafilter, and want to pull ~32 grams of espresso in ~30 seconds. These aren't hard and fast rules, and there's a lot of wiggle room here.
  
  Find a coin like a nickel or penny and clean it. After you've tamped your portafilter, place the coin directly on top of the grounds, then lock the portafilter in the machine. Remove the portafilter and then carefully remove the coin from the grounds. (Do not pull a shot with the coin in there)
  
  Is there an indentation in the grounds? If so, then you have overfilled the portafilter. If not, you might be good, or the portafilter might be underfilled. A scale will really help here.
  
  To pull a shot, I have my portafilter locked in, and place my mug on top of my scale underneath the portafilter. I will hold down the 2 shot button (doesn't matter, you can hold down the 1 shot button), and keep it depressed for roughly 10 seconds. This is the preinfusion stage. Low pressure water is being introduced to the grounds. I chose 10 seconds because this is when I first start to see espresso appear at the bottom of my basket. You can experiment here. I then release the button to allow the full extraction. I press the button again at ~30 grams to stop the extraction.
  
  I want to emphasize that these are rough guidelines. You may find something entirely different that works. I apologize if I came off as rude or condescending, I'm a bit of a turd by nature. Please ask if you have any questions.