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Noel R. answered on 15 Jan 2015

Hi Sean, maybe I can help a bit. I bought the same machine at the end of December and have run about 80-100 cups through, using fresh Legado beans. I've discussed settings with two other owners and we're getting good, consistent results.

As far as the grinding goes, I've settled on 14 for a fairly fine grind, and the grind amount dial at about 1 o'clock. I've got the single-wall dual filter installed and use the single-click method to start grinding. Once it finishes grinding, I try to keep all the ground in by carefully levelling it. I've experimented with tamping pressure and while I don't know what 15-20kg of pressure really feels like, I feel like I press quite hard and really compress the coffee. Again, when I put the portafilter into position, I crank it pretty far right which I assume adds a bit more compression.

The end result of this is a needle in the lower-to-middle region of the espresso range - a position which I've found generates a good amount of crema. I haven't managed to get the needle past half-way yet, so I expect I could still grind finer/more. Occasionally when splitting to 2 cups, the crema can feel a little "thin", but it's really more about the cups having a large surface area of coffee and the crema being distributed over it all.

Really hope this is useful - I'd be interested to know your setup?

Shane D. answered on 15 Jan 2015

Hi Sean, I've used the Breville machine a few times and can definitely get a good crema. Do you have the machine with the built in grinder? Using freshly roasted and freshly ground beans is the first step to a good crema. You may already have this part sorted.