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Pulse pre-infusion
A technique where the pump is switched on and off in bursts at the start of the shot, using the machine's existing plumbing to simulate soft pre-infusion.
Category: Pumps & Pressure
A pre-infusion technique where the pump pulses on and off briefly during the early shot, before settling into continuous operation. Common on Breville Dual Boiler and several other home-prosumer machines.
Why it matters — Pulse pre-infusion saturates the puck in stages, giving each pulse time to spread before the next one. The result is a more uniform pre-infusion than continuous pump operation at low pressure.
Good to know
- Different machines pulse differently — some count on the user to program duration; others use fixed patterns.
- Less common in commercial machines (which use line pressure pre-infusion or pressure profiling) but effective for home use.