FIRST ESPRESSO GUIDE
Make your first great espresso with Kubo
Now that your Kubo is ready, it’s time to prepare your first espresso.
This guide will walk you through the complete first workflow:
- Preparing your recipe
- Setting up the scale
- Preparing the coffee
- Brewing your first shot
Don’t worry about perfection yet — espresso always requires a few small adjustments, especially grind size.
The goal of this first shot is to establish a solid starting point.
Estimated time: 5–8 minutes
Starter recipe
Recommended starting point
Use this recipe as your baseline. It works well with most medium roast coffees.
This profile already includes:
- Temperature control
- Preinfusion
- Pressure profiling
We only need to configure automatic stop by weight.
Recommended recipe
This follows a classic 1:2 brew ratio, which works well with most medium roast coffees.
Prepare Your Recipe
Configure automatic stop by weight
How to configure it
1 Open the Coffee screen in the
Kafmasino app
2 Press the Brush icon to edit the recipe from the current recipe selection
3 On the Quick Calculator sets
- Dose → 18g
- Yield → 36g
4 Enable Stop at Weight
5 Click on Edit profile
Once saved, the recipe will automatically sync to your Kubo.
Your machine is now ready for brewing.
Prepare Your Equipment
Select the recommended basket
For this guide, use the standard double basket included with Kubo.
This basket is optimized for:
- 18g coffee dose
- 36g espresso yield
- classic espresso recipes
Using the correct basket helps improve extraction consistency.
Workflow
Step-by-step espresso preparation
Follow this simple workflow for your first shot:
1. Grind your coffee
Grind your coffee to an espresso grind size.
The texture should feel similar to fine sugar, not powder and not coarse.
Tip: If unsure, start slightly finer rather than too coarse.
2. Add coffee to the basket
Add 18 grams of ground coffee into the basket.
Try to distribute the coffee as evenly as possible before tamping to help achieve a more consistent extraction.
3. Distribute the coffee
Gently shake or tap the portafilter to level the coffee bed.
If you use a distribution tool, this is the moment to use it.
Even distribution helps prevent channeling and improves extraction consistency.
4. Tamp
Using the included tamper:
Press down firmly and evenly.
Important points:
Keep the tamper level
Apply consistent pressure
Don’t overtamp — consistency matters more than force
5. Insert the portafilter
Insert the portafilter into the grouphead and rotate until fully locked.
Make sure it feels secure before brewing.
6 Prepare automatic shot stopping
The Kafmasino Scale should already be connected from the previous setup process.
If the scale is not connected:
1 Turn on the Kafmasino Scale
2 Make sure the scale is set to grams (g)
3 Place the scale inside the drip tray cutout
4 Check the scale status icon on the main Coffee screen
Once connected, Kubo will automatically track espresso weight and stop the shot at the target value.
6. Place your cup and start the shot
Place your cup on the scale.
Start the shot from the machine or app.
Kubo will automatically stop the shot when the target weight is reached.
Now enjoy your first espresso.
Understanding Your Extraction
Reading your shot in real time
One of the most powerful parts of Kubo is the ability to visualize your espresso extraction live while brewing.
During the shot, the app displays:
Remember:
Taste always matters more than visuals, but these are good initial indicators.
pressure
- flow
- temperature
- espresso weight
- weight rate
This allows you to understand not only how the coffee tastes, but also why it tastes that way.
Kubo compares:
- the target recipe values
- the real machine values during extraction
This makes dialing espresso much easier and more intuitive.
Understanding The Extraction Graph
Recipe vs Real Extraction
During brewing, the app displays two types of lines:
Recipe lines
Semi-transparent background lines showing the target values from the recipe.
Real extraction lines
Solid lines showing the live values measured by the machine during the shot.
The closer the real extraction follows the recipe, the more consistent the shot usually becomes.
Step 1 — Preinfusion
Flow stabilization
During preinfusion, Kubo controls flow gently to saturate the coffee bed evenly.
On the graph:
- the light blue line represents the target recipe flow
- the dark blue line represents the real flow measured during extraction
During this stage, the real flow line should stay relatively close to the recipe flow line.
This usually indicates:
- proper puck preparation
- good saturation
- stable extraction start
Step 2 — Pressure Extraction
Building stable pressure
After preinfusion, Kubo transitions into the main pressure extraction stage.
During this step:
- the machine will try to maintain 9 bars of pressure
- the graph will display both the target pressure and the real measured pressure
A stable extraction usually means the real pressure line stays close to the target pressure line.
Understanding Common Behaviors
If pressure does not reach 9 bars
Use taste as your main guide when improving your espresso:
If pressure rises too high
Most Common
- grind too coarse
- channeling
- uneven puck preparation
Typical symptoms:
- fast flowing espresso
- weak body
- watery extraction
Solution:
→ Grind finer and improve puck preparation.
Most Common
- grind too fine
Typical symptoms:
- very slow extraction
- dripping instead of flowing
- bitter or harsh taste
Solution:
→ Grind slightly coarser.
Understanding Weight Rate
Flow vs espresso output
During brewing, the app displays two types of lines:
The orange Weight Rate line represents how quickly espresso is entering the cup.
During the main extraction stage, the orange line should stay relatively close to the flow curve.
This usually indicates:
- stable extraction
- proper resistance
- balanced flow through the coffee puck
Large differences between flow and weight rate can indicate:
- channeling
- uneven extraction
- unstable puck resistance
Remember: Taste Always Comes First
The extraction graph is a powerful tool for understanding espresso, but taste is always the final reference.
The goal is not perfect graphs.
The goal is:
- balanced flavor
- sweetness
- pleasant acidity
- good texture
The graphs simply help you understand how to get there more consistently.
Quick Adjustment Guide
If your shot is too fast
Symptoms:
- low pressure
- fast flow
- watery espresso
- sour taste
Most common cause:
- Grind too coarse.
Solution:
→ Grind finer and try again.
If your shot is too slow
Symptoms:
- pressure too high
- very slow flow
- dripping extraction
- bitter taste
Most common cause:
- Grind too fine.
Solution:
→ Grind slightly coarser and try again.
Important Rule
Always adjust grind size first
Grind size has the biggest impact on espresso quality and extraction behavior.
Avoid changing multiple variables at the same time:
- change one thing
- test again
- then continue adjusting if needed
This makes dialing faster, easier, and much more predictable.
You're ready for the next step
Now that you understand how to read your extraction and make basic adjustments, the next step is learning how to properly dial your coffee for the best possible results.