Get started with Sage espresso.
Your first shot on a Sage machine: what to switch on, what to weigh, and when. Filtru guides the shot, and with a Bluetooth scale it measures it live.
Available for iPhone and iPad.
A quick word about Sage.
Sage is the UK and European name for the espresso machines made by Breville, the Australian appliance company. Same machines, different badge: the Barista Express you see in a British kitchen is sold as a Breville in the US and Australia. If you are reading reviews or guides from across the pond, just swap the brand name and the model names line up almost exactly.
Sage has probably done more than anyone to put proper espresso on home worktops. Their range runs from the tiny Bambino up to the semi-commercial Dual Boiler, and most of it is built around two ideas: fast heat-up (their ThermoJet system claims optimum extraction temperature in 3 seconds) and lots of guidance built into the machine, from pressure gauges to full touchscreens that walk you through a shot.
The house style is 15 bar Italian pump, low pressure pre-infusion, then 9 bar extraction, with an 18g dose in a 54mm portafilter on most models and 22g in a 58mm on the top-end machines. Many models include the grinder too, so one box gets you the whole workflow.
Popular Sage home machines
- Bambino — ThermoJet heating system, 54mm portafilter. Tiny footprint, heats in 3 seconds, and takes a proper 18g dose; a lovely low-commitment way into real espresso.
- Barista Express — Thermocoil with PID temperature control, 54mm portafilter. The classic all-in-one with a built-in conical burr grinder and 16 grind settings; grinder, machine and steam wand in one box.
- Barista Pro — ThermoJet heating system, 54mm portafilter. Like the Express but with 3 second heat-up and a finer grinder with 30 settings using Baratza precision burrs.
- Barista Touch — ThermoJet heating system, 54mm portafilter. Adds a touchscreen with automatic milk texturing and up to 8 saved personalised coffees.
- Oracle Jet — ThermoJet heating system, 58mm portafilter. Auto grind, dose and tamp with a 58mm portafilter and a 22g dose; the machine handles the fiddly parts while you keep the manual feel.
- Dual Boiler — dual boiler, 58mm portafilter. Two stainless steel boilers with PID control and a heated group head, so you can pull a shot and steam milk at the same time.
What you need.
- Your Sage machine
- Cup or a mug
- Kitchen scale
- Coffee tamper
Any kitchen scale gets you going. A supported Bluetooth scale takes it further: Filtru reads the weight live under your cup, so dose and yield are measured as they happen, not eyeballed after.
Grind setting for espresso: extra fine.
Your first shot, step by step.
Most current Sage machines use the ThermoJet system, which Sage says reaches optimum extraction temperature in 3 seconds, so the switch-on-and-wait step is nearly instant. The Barista Express (thermocoil) and the Dual Boiler take longer, and the Dual Boiler in particular rewards a proper warm-up so the group head and portafilter are fully hot.
- Switch on the machine Let the boiler inside heat up the water while you grind the coffee.
- Weigh out the coffee and grind it 1tbsp ~ 12g. Make sure you adjust the grinder first to get the right grind size.
- Remove the portafilter and rinse the machine A short water cycle should remove any residual grounds from before.
- Place the coffee in the portafilter Make sure the coffee is evenly distributed
- Tamp the coffee with little pressure Make sure the tamper sits evenly in the portafilter
- Attach the portafilter
- Place the scale and the cup The scale will help Filtru record the espresso shot.
- Turn on the scale, ensuring it reads `0g` Some scales will require to switch to "Grams" mode. Filtru-supported scales will need to be tare'd manually.
Before your first shot, run a blank cycle of hot water through the empty portafilter and into your cup. It rinses the group head, warms the metal and your cup, and on the fast-heating ThermoJet models it is the closest thing to a traditional warm-up the machine needs.
Dial it in with a scale in the loop.
The fastest way to better shots on your Sage is measuring them.
Pair a supported Bluetooth scale with Filtru and every shot gets recorded as it pours: live weight, real yield, shot time, and a graph you can compare against yesterday's. When the numbers are honest, dialling in stops being guesswork. Adjust one thing, pull again, and watch the extraction even out.
No scale yet? Filtru still guides the shot, times it, and keeps your log of dose, yield, and taste, so you always know what to change next.
The answer is YES
Pulling shots on a Sage? These all have the same answer:
- Can I use Filtru with my Sage machine? Yes
- Can Filtru time my espresso shots? Yes
- Can I log dose, yield, and taste for every shot? Yes
- Can I see live shot weight with a Bluetooth scale? Yes
- Will Filtru help me dial in my grinder? Yes
- Is Filtru free to download? Yes
Getting started on another machine?
Espresso basics · Breville · De'Longhi · Gaggia · La Marzocco · Lelit · Rancilio
Sage is a trademark of its respective owner; Filtru isn't affiliated with or endorsed by it. Machine details come from public manufacturer information as of July 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell me and I'll fix it.
