Confused about adjusting the temperature on your Breville Infuser?
It’s an impressive home espresso machine (as I discovered when I reviewed the Infuser), but you may want to tweak the temperature a little to get the optimal brew.
I’ve put together a quick guide that will get you on your way to brewing perfect espresso – just the way you like it.
By the end of this article, you’ll know how to change the Infuser’s default temperature settings, and why you might want to experiment with them.
(Want to learn more about home coffee brewing? Take a look through my guide for other brewing methods, buying guides and more.)
Adjusting The Temperature On Your Breville Infuser
On the front of your Breville Infuser you’ll find four big round buttons that represent the bulk of the machine’s controls.
Here are the steps you need to follow in order to change the brewing temperature:
- Power Button – Press this to power the machine down completely.
- Single Shot Button – Press and hold this down. While holding it down, hit the Power button again. Don’t take your finger off Single Shot until the Infuser is back online!
- This places the machine into something called Advanced Settings Mode
- While you’re in this mode, the little Clean Me light to the left of the gauge will light up. You don’t need to clean the Infuser! This just means the machine is operating at the default 200 degrees temperature.
For the next stage it gets a little more confusing so I’ve broken this out into a completely separate section.
While you’re in Advanced Settings Mode, you can cycle through the different temperatures by referencing the other elements of the control panel.
You cycle through these different temperatures by tapping the two shot circular button.
As you press it, the machine will move between different temperature settings. Here’s what each element of the control panel represents when it’s illuminated:
- Hot Water Steam – When this is lit up, the machine is set to brew at 202 degrees.
- Single Shot Button – This means the Infuser is going to brew at 204 degrees.
- Power Button – This indicates the Infuser is brewing at 196 degrees.
- Program Button – Choose this and the Infuser will brew at 198 degrees.
- Clean Me – Cycling through to this option will put the Infuser back to its default setting of 200 degrees.
Once you’ve settled on the temperature you want, wait for the Breville Infuser to emit two clear beeps.
This confirms the setting has been selected, and it will be used when you commence your next brew.
If you ever want to change back, just power the machine off again, enter Advanced Settings Mode, and adjust the temperature to your new preferred setting.
Nice and easy!
In the next section I’m going to go into a little more depth about why you might want to adjust the brewing temperature on your Infuser.
Why Adjust The Temperature Of Your Infuser?
There’s generally broad agreement that coffee is best brewed at a temperature between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
The SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) sets what it calls its Golden Cup Standard temperature at this level.
As a result, it’s pretty much become the de facto guidance for both budding baristas at home, and the pros as well.
There’s not a lot of room for maneuver here, but what difference do those finer adjustments make?
195 Degrees Is The Absolute Minimum
At this heat, caffeine is released from the bean, which in turn produces acidity. From here you get the bitter taste that’s unique to coffee.
If you brew coffee at a lower temperature than this, you simply won’t unlock the good stuff that makes for a killer cup of coffee.
These cooler temperatures just aren’t powerful enough to work their magic on the beans.
You get what’s known as under-extraction and you may notice a distinctly sour taste to your brew.
Will A Higher Temperature Make A Stronger Brew?
To a certain degree – specifically 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you operate your Infuser at this temperature, you’ll unlock more of the beans’ flavor and intensity potential.
It makes sense, then, that if you want to give your brew a much bigger oomph, dial up the heat on your Breville Infuser.
To tame your espresso shots somewhat, adjust the Infuser’s temperature setting downwards.
What Happens If You Exceed 205 Degrees?
The Breville Infuser’s built-in temperature settings are capped at a hard 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
Were it to reach higher temperatures than that, you’d end up with an unpleasantly bitter drink.
The extra heat absolutely demolishes the flavor of the drink. In effect, you’re unlocking the potential, and then smashing it to pieces. This is known as over-extraction.
It just doesn’t work, whatever coffee bean brand you’re working with. Coffee just isn’t built to flourish at these temperatures.
Wrapping Up
Now you know how to adjust the temperature on your Breville Infuser, why you might want to experiment with the settings, and why the limits are set how they are!
If you’re just getting started with the machine and are finding the brew too weak or too strong, tweak the temperature accordingly.
I’d recommend working up or down the temperature scale in single-step increments, until you find just the right balance.
Read More
Want to learn more about the Breville Infuser and the world of espresso brewing?
I’ve picked out five popular articles that I think you’ll enjoy:
Breville Infuser Review – Find out what I thought of Breville’s immensely popular Infuser espresso machine in my comprehensive review. It’s got its pros, it’s got its cons, but it certainly has an army of passionate fans!
Brewing Coffee At Home – As a self-confessed coffee fanatic I’ve written a huge amount of coffee content for Viva Flavor. Head over here if you want to browse through my entire collection of coffee brewing guides and reviews.
The Best Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine – If you’re looking to upgrade from your Breville Infuser, or just want to see what other options are on the market, I’ve reviewed five of the best semi-automatic machines. You’ll also find a useful buying guide for conducting your own research.
How To Brew Vietnamese Coffee – I was lucky enough to do some traveling in my younger years, and it was love at first sight when I came across Vietnam’s unique take on coffee brewing. It’s not easy on the waistline, but it is divine on your tastebuds!
Gaggia Classic Review – Gaggia’s one of the biggest and most trusted brands in the world of home (and commercial) coffee brewing. The Classic’s been around for decades now in one form or another, and the latest model is a significant improvement over the previous edition.
Mark’s a lifelong food fanatic and spent ten years working as an entertainment journalist. He now combines his love of food, drink and writing as the founder and editor of Viva Flavor. Read more