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For the first point (disclaimer, I've not had much experience switching between double and single baskets, so take this with a pinch of salt), yes, if you reduce the dose of coffee for a single, you'll need to make the grind much finer for an equal extraction. Though re-reading your post, are you keeping the dose the same between the single and double baskets? Baskets will generally come with a recommended dose, I'd recommend sticking with the double which will likely be somewhere in the region of 16-18g.
For the second point, it'll take practice, but the main points are:
- Start with the steam tip a cm or so under the surface of the milk, near the edge of the jug and pointing down and at a tangent to the surface of the jug. This picture is a pretty good example:
That'll ensure the milk is constantly mixing which should help prevent a cap of froth developing.
Once the milk starts spinning, bring the tip to the surface until you hear that shh shh shh noise. Careful not to bring it up too high above the surface otherwise you'll just launch milk everywhere.
Depending on how much milk you're steaming and how much foam you want, leave it there for anywhere between 3-6 seconds (rough estimate, you'll find what works for you) to create the foam.
Sink the tip back under the surface of the milk to continue heating it without adding foam. Keep this going until the milk gets to the desired temp (a good starting point is to wait until the jug is too hot to hold, then iterate from there to find the right temp for your preference)
- Start with the steam tip a cm or so under the surface of the milk, near the edge of the jug and pointing down and at a tangent to the surface of the jug. This picture is a pretty good example:
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mmccarthy
Been spoilt and got given a Sage Barista Express for my birthday, but struggling to get to grips with a couple of things. Firstly, is it normal to require completely different grind and dose settings when changing between a single and double portafilter basket? If I dial it in for single it then completely under extracts for the double if I leave the settings the same. Secondly, I’ve been following guidelines for milk texturing but always seem to end up with a cap of over-foamed milk that then pours first, so latte-art (although not important for taste) is not an option. Any guidance / insider knowledge on the machine would be mich appreciated.