Barista Express Impress · Quick Manual

Everything you actually do, in the order you do it. For chasing the perfect shot, see the Impress Dial-In guide — this is the one-page reference for the whole machine.

Startup

1. Fill the tank with filtered water; fill the hopper with beans.
2. Press POWER. The ThermoJet heats in ~3 seconds — buttons stop

flashing when it's ready.

1. First shot of the day: run a blank shot (portafilter locked, no coffee)

to warm the group head and cup.

The controls

• Grind amount dial (left) — how much coffee grinds per dose. Set this once

for your basket, then leave it.

• Grind size dial (top) — how fine, 25 settings. Lower number = finer =

slower shot. This is the one you adjust to dial in.

• Filter size button — tells the machine single vs. double basket.
• 1-CUP / 2-CUP buttons — start/stop a shot. They run a preset volume, or

tap again to stop manually.

• Steam dial (right) — turn to STEAM for milk, HOT WATER for

americanos/tea, STANDBY in the middle.

Pull a shot

1. Grind — lock the empty portafilter into the cradle, press to grind your

dose into the basket.

1. Impress — pull the Impress lever down; it tamps with consistent force

and a polishing twist. Check the dose indicator: below the line → more grind amount, over → less.

1. Brew — lock the portafilter into the group head, cup underneath, press

1-CUP or 2-CUP.

1. Target: ~18g in → 36g out → 25–30 sec. Off? See the dial-in guide.

Steam milk

1. Turn the steam dial to STEAM to purge, then off.
2. Fill a cold jug 1/3 full. Tip: cold milk + cold jug = more time.
3. Tip nozzle just under the surface until it hisses (stretch), then sink it

deeper and swirl to make a whirlpool (texture) to ~60°C / jug too hot to hold for 3 sec.

1. Turn steam off, remove jug, purge the wand and wipe immediately

before milk dries on.

Clean up (every use)

• Knock out the puck, rinse the basket.
• Purge the steam wand and wipe it down.
• Wipe the group head; run water through if grounds cling.

Maintenance (periodic)

• Empty the drip tray when the red "Empty Me!" float pokes up.
• Backflush with the grey blind disc + cleaning tablet when the machine

prompts (Flush cycle).

• Descale when the descale light shows — use descaler, empty tank.
• Clean the grinder burrs every few weeks; brush out fines.

Quick fixes

• Shot gushes fast, thin — grind too coarse → grind size lower (finer).
• Shot drips, over 30s — grind too fine → grind size higher (coarser).
• Puck under the dose line — not enough coffee → grind amount up.
• Milk won't froth — wand tip too deep or milk warm → raise tip to the

surface, start with cold milk in a cold jug.

• No / weak steam — wand blocked → purge, then clear the tip hole with the pin.
• Water tastes off — time to descale → run the descale cycle.

Remember

• Dial once, then only touch grind size.
• Purge a throwaway dose after changing grind size — the chute holds old grounds.
• Wipe the steam wand every single time.
• New beans → re-dial from a touch coarser and work in.