# Dial in espresso on my home machine

A step-by-step routine to set grind, dose, and timing on your home setup, plus fixes for sour, bitter, or watery shots.

- Topic: Personal Life & Wellbeing
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/dial-in-espresso-on-my-home-machine

## Prompt

```text
Help me dial in espresso at home and build a consistent routine.

**Machine:** [MODEL or type - e.g. "single-boiler with pressurized basket", "heat exchanger"]
**Portafilter and basket size:** [e.g. "51 mm, double basket"]
**Grinder:** [MODEL or type - e.g. "flat burr, stepped", "blade"]
**Tools I have:** [scale, tamper, distribution tool, milk pitcher, WDT needle, etc.]
**Beans:** [roast level, roast date if known]
**Drinks I make:** [e.g. "straight espresso", "flat whites", "iced lattes"]
**What my shots taste like now:** [sour / bitter / thin / gushing / choking / inconsistent]

Give me:
1. A starting recipe for my basket: dose, target yield (brew ratio), and target shot time, with the reasoning.
2. My workflow from beans to cup, in order: weighing, grinding, distribution, tamping, rinsing the group, pulling, and timing. Note which of my tools fits each step and which steps I can skip.
3. A dial-in method: change one variable at a time, what to adjust first, and how big each change should be.
4. A taste troubleshooting table: Symptom | Likely cause | What to change.
5. If I make milk drinks: how to steam and texture milk for those drinks, with common mistakes.
6. A short cleaning and maintenance routine (daily, weekly, monthly), including backflushing only if my machine supports it.
7. A one-page cheat sheet I can keep next to the machine.

If my grinder or basket limits what I can achieve (e.g. a blade grinder or pressurized basket), say so plainly and suggest the cheapest upgrade with the biggest impact. Follow my machine's manual for descaling and anything involving pressure or electrics.
```

## What to fill in

- e.g. "51 mm, double basket"
- MODEL or type - e.g. "flat burr, stepped", "blade"
- roast level, roast date if known
- e.g. "straight espresso", "flat whites", "iced lattes"
- sour / bitter / thin / gushing / choking / inconsistent

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.