4 ways to automate dialling in espresso

#1 - Simple log

Who it's for: Single-site cafes where the barista dials in the machine themselves and wants the day's setting recorded.

What it is: Dialling in espresso is adjusting the grind, dose and yield until the shot pours right. This version captures the dial-in as one box: the beans, the dose in (grams of coffee), the yield out (grams of espresso), the shot time, and the taste and adjustment. The five sit together so each dial-in reads as one record.

Available on: Basic.

In practice: A cafe opens, the barista pulls a test shot: 18g in, 36g out, 31 seconds, tastes a touch bitter. They grind a little coarser, pull again, log 18g in, 36g out, 28 seconds, tastes balanced. The setting is recorded, so the next barista isn't starting from scratch.

Why it works: The five inputs live in one box, so a setting is never logged without the numbers that produced it. A record of what worked yesterday is the fastest way to dial in again today.

Steps included:

• 1 grouped log (one box per dial-in) holding: beans (text), dose in (number), yield out (number), shot time (number), taste and adjustment (text)

When to upgrade:

1. You have baristas who don't all know the target ratio
2. You want a photo record of the shot and settings
3. You run more than one bar and want every site to the same standard

#2 - With guidance

Who it's for: Cafes with a rota of baristas who don't all know the target ratio and how to adjust.

What it is: The simple log with a guidance note in the box: aim for a ratio of about 1:2 (for example 18g in, 36g out) in 25 to 30 seconds. If the shot runs fast and tastes sour, grind finer; if it runs slow and tastes bitter, grind coarser. Re-dial whenever the beans, grind, or weather change.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. The target ratio and time are on screen at the machine
2. New baristas know which way to adjust the grind, not just that something's off
3. Every bar dials in to the same target

Why it works: The guidance sits in the box with the readings, so a barista reads the target as they dial in. It turns a skill that lives in one person's hands into one anyone can follow.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note in the box (target ratio, time, and how to adjust)
• 1 grouped log (beans, dose in, yield out, shot time, taste and adjustment)

When to upgrade: When you want a photo of the shot (Espresso #3) or a sign-off that the bar is set for service (Espresso #4).

#3 - With photo evidence

Who it's for: Cafes that want a visual record of the shot and the settings, for training or consistency across shifts.

What it is: The guided log plus a photo of the shot and the scales in the box. A photo of a balanced shot pouring, with the yield on the scales, captures what the numbers alone don't, and gives the next barista a target to match.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. A photo of the shot and the scales, captured at the time
2. A visual reference the next barista can match
3. A record that shows the shot was actually pulled and checked, not guessed

Why it works: Espresso is as much taste and look as numbers. A photo of the pour and the scales next to the readings is the closest thing to handing the next shift the exact shot.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note in the box (target ratio, time, and how to adjust)
• 1 grouped log (beans, dose in, yield out, shot time, taste and adjustment)
• 1 photo in the box (the shot and the scales)

When to upgrade: When you run several bars and want a named sign-off that each is set for service (Espresso #4).

#4 - With photo and sign-off

Who it's for: Multi-site coffee groups that want every bar dialled in to one standard before service, with a record of who set it.

What it is: The photo log plus a sign-off confirming the bar is dialled in and set for service. For a group, that sign-off makes each site accountable for opening with a properly dialled-in machine.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. A sign-off that the bar is set for service
2. A named record of who dialled it in
3. A complete record (settings, photo, sign-off) a head barista can review across sites

Why it works: A sign-off turns the dial-in into a confirmed open, not just a private test. The head of coffee can see every bar opened with a dialled-in shot without visiting.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note in the box (target ratio, time, and how to adjust)
• 1 grouped log (beans, dose in, yield out, shot time, taste and adjustment)
• 1 photo in the box (the shot and the scales)
• 1 sign-off (dialled in and set for service)

When to upgrade: When you want Poppi to track grind changes across the week, or pull every bar's dial-ins into one report. Those versions are coming in the next post update.

How to pick the right version

You don't need to know our product to choose. Just answer three questions about how your bar runs.

Is it always you dialling in, or do other baristas do it too?

If you dial in yourself and know the target, a plain log is enough. The moment a rota of baristas does it, the target needs to be on the screen. If only you dial in, #1 is fine. If others do, start at #2.

Do you want a visual record, or are numbers enough?

The numbers tell you the setting. A photo gives the next barista a shot to match. If numbers are enough, stop at #2. If you want consistency across shifts, #3 adds a photo.

Do you need a sign-off?

In one cafe, the log speaks for itself. Across sites, a head of coffee wants to know each bar was set for service. If no sign-off is needed, #3 is enough. If you run more than one site, #4 adds it.

Related workflows

• Daily bar cleaning checklist - keeping the machine and bar clean alongside the dial-in
• Bar opening checklist - the wider open the dial-in is part of
• Dishwasher cleaning checklist - clean glassware for the coffee you serve

Conclusion

A dialled-in espresso is the difference between a coffee worth charging for and a wasted shot. Recording the dial-in means the setting that worked is there for the next barista and the next morning. The versions above move from a simple log to a signed photo record.

Five more versions are coming in the next refresh that bring AI into the dial-in. Poppi can track grind changes across the week and pull every bar's settings into one report. Those need more review time and will land separately.

→ Build your own espresso dial-in log on Pilla. The Basic plan unlocks the simple log today.