Is a 20 bar Casabrews machine better than a 15 bar one?

No. Both figures describe pump maximums, and both machines brew at roughly 9 bar at the coffee. The number is marketing.

Why is my Casabrews shot running too fast?

The grind is too coarse for the basket, or the basket is under-dosed. Grind finer one step at a time.

Does it come with a pressurized basket?

Usually. A dual-wall basket has a single small hole in a second base plate; a single-wall has many holes. Pressurized baskets are far less sensitive to grind.

With a proper descaling solution every one to three months by water hardness — not vinegar, which has no corrosion inhibitors and is very hard to rinse out.

How to Use a Casabrews Espresso Machine

Updated July 28, 2026

Prime the pump on first use, heat the machine fully, dose into the supplied basket, lock the portafilter in and brew for roughly 25 to 30 seconds. Casabrews machines advertise high bar figures — that is pump pressure, not brewing pressure, and it changes nothing about how you use the machine.

About that bar number

Casabrews and similar budget brands market prominently on 15 or 20 bar. That figure describes the pump's maximum output, not the pressure at the coffee. Espresso extracts at roughly 9 bar and an over-pressure valve regulates the pump down to about that.

So do not expect a 20 bar machine to behave differently from a 15 bar one, and do not treat the number as a quality indicator. It is the most misleading specification in the category.

Setting up and brewing

1. Rinse and fill the tank, then run a full tank through the group and steam wand with no coffee to prime the pump and flush the machine.

2. Let it reach temperature — the ready light comes on before the group is genuinely hot, so allow a few extra minutes.

3. Dose into the basket supplied. Check whether yours is pressurized (dual-wall, with a single small hole underneath) or single-wall, because it changes how much grind precision matters.

4. Tamp level, lock in firmly, and brew to roughly double the dose in 25 to 30 seconds.

5. Adjust grind, not time, if the shot is fast or slow.

Milk and upkeep

Purge the steam wand before and after use and wipe it immediately — dried milk blocks the tip within a day.

Descale every one to three months depending on water hardness, using a proper descaling solution rather than vinegar.

If shots slow down over months at an unchanged grind setting, that is scale rather than technique.

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Frequently asked

Is a 20 bar Casabrews machine better than a 15 bar one?: No. Both figures describe pump maximums, and both machines brew at roughly 9 bar at the coffee. The number is marketing.
Why is my Casabrews shot running too fast?: The grind is too coarse for the basket, or the basket is under-dosed. Grind finer one step at a time.
Does it come with a pressurized basket?: Usually. A dual-wall basket has a single small hole in a second base plate; a single-wall has many holes. Pressurized baskets are far less sensitive to grind.
How do I descale it?: With a proper descaling solution every one to three months by water hardness — not vinegar, which has no corrosion inhibitors and is very hard to rinse out.