April 09, 2026

Sage Espresso Machine Brew Guide: Kerinci, Indonesia

We’re always exploring new coffees and new ways to bring out their best flavours. Our latest single origin, Kerinci, Indonesia is a particularly exciting one — full of tropical fruit character, floral aromatics and a smooth milk chocolate body.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to brew on a Sage espresso machine, including grind, dose and extraction tips to help you get the best results at home with Kerinci, Indonesia.

Here we've used a Sage Barista Express machine, but the same principles apply across most Sage home espresso machines.

Espresso Recipe

For this brew, we’re aiming for a balanced espresso extraction:

• Dose: 19g ground coffee of Kerinci, Indonesia
• Yield: 37g espresso
• Extraction time: ~33 seconds
• Brew ratio: roughly 1:2

These parameters are a great starting point, but keep in mind that espresso recipes are always a guide - not a hard and fast rule. Every coffee machine, grinder and kitchen environment behaves slightly differently. If your shot runs a second or two longer or shorter, or your yield is a gram off, that’s completely fine.

The most important thing is to taste your espresso and adjust to find the sweet spot for your setup.

Step 1: Prepare Your Portafilter

Start by making sure your portafilter and basket are clean and dry before grinding your coffee.

This helps ensure a consistent extraction and avoids leftover grounds affecting flavour.

Step 2: Grind and Dose the Coffee

For this espresso recipe, grind fresh coffee and aim for:

19g of ground coffee in the basket.

If you’re using a Sage machine with a built-in grinder, such as the Barista Express, grind directly into the portafilter.

Many Sage machines include a tamping pressure gauge that indicates whether your dose is too low or too high. Ideally, the needle should sit just above the centre marker, which usually corresponds to roughly 19g of coffee.

Once you’ve reached the correct dose, tamp the coffee evenly and lock the portafilter into the machine.

Step 3: Dial in the Shot Yield

Next, programme the shot to reach your target yield.

On most Sage espresso machines you can set this by holding the one-cup and two-cup buttons together until they begin flashing.

Then:

1. Start the shot.
2. Watch the espresso weight on your scale.
3. When you reach around 1g before your target yield, press the button again to stop the shot.

The machine will finish the extraction at roughly 37g of espresso.

If dialled in correctly, the shot should take around 33–35 seconds from start to finish.

Espresso Flavour Notes

When brewed as espresso, Kerinci, Indonesia delivers a complex and vibrant cup.

Expect notes of:

• Tropical fruit
• Floral lavender
• Milk chocolate body
• Wine-gummy sweetness

The result is a rich, balanced espresso with plenty of sweetness and a smooth finish.

While it’s fantastic as espresso, this coffee also works beautifully as a filter brew if you prefer a lighter style.

Tips for Dialling In Your Espresso

If your espresso doesn’t quite taste right, try adjusting one variable at a time:

• Shot running too fast? Grind slightly finer.
• Shot running too slow? Grind slightly coarser.
• Too bitter? Reduce extraction time or yield.
• Too sour? Increase extraction slightly.

Small adjustments can make a big difference to flavour.