Dialing in with Cropster Cafe

This article will explain how to Dial-in using Cropster Cafe.


What is Dialing in?


Dialing in is the process by which you adjust the parameters until you have found the ideal ones for your coffee, equipment, and brewing method.

Cropster Cafe allows you to dial in your coffees across multiple recipes and brewing methods.

Each Recipe can be dialed in across locations, through the process of marking a brew as a Reference.

By following these steps you can find the Dial-In section:

  1. Log in to the online platform C-sar.
  2. Navigate to Cafe on the main menu bar.
  3. Click on Barista Onsights
  4. Scroll down to the Dial-In section
  5. Here, coffees are dialed in and logged per brewing method: espresso, batch brew, and manual filter brews.
    Dialing in espresso can be done with connected equipment, or manually.
    Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 08.52.25

Dialing in espresso with connected equipment


For espresso machines connected to Cropster Cafe, brew data will be logged automatically and stored under the machine's dial-in card:

Linked Recipes, incoming Brews, and Tasks assigned to the equipment are also shown here.

Linking Recipes


To sort the incoming brews to the correct Recipes, you can link your espresso machine's buttons (for La Marzocco connectable machines) or Groupheads (for BrewBeacon connected machines).

💡 Upon dialing in, do a quick check to ensure that this is correctly set up.

Cropster Cafe then tracks each of your Brews under the right recipe - hands-free.

Multiple buttons/Groupheads can be assigned to the same Recipe.


By following the steps below you can link Recipes:
  1. Log in to the online platform C-sar.
  2. Navigate to Cafe on the main menu bar.
  3. You will be directed to the Telemetry Insights page
  4. Choose the desired machine by clicking on the dropdown menu to select the Focus view.
    Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 09.00.20
  5. Navigate to the Linked Recipes section on the right side of the page and click Change linking. 
    Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 09.01.56
  6. Scroll down to the Recipe tab. 
    Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 09.03.25
  7. You can link existing Recipes by clicking on the Link Recipe button. 
    💡You can select to include Recipes from other locations as well.
  8. A new window will pop up:
    Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 09.05.39
  9. Link buttons/Grouphead to this Recipe, or add the Recipe with all buttons/Groupheads unlinked.
    💡 Link a button/Grouphead to the Recipe by clicking on the gray buttons to enable them (turn green). Unlink a button by clicking on the green buttons to disable them (turn gray).
  10. Click the Link Recipe button. 

For La Marzocco machines connected through the La Marzocco Pro App, Recipes can be linked to buttons.

For BrewBeacon connected machines, Recipes can be linked to Groupheads.

By keeping the settings unchanged, every brew made using the espresso machine's linked buttons/Groupheads will automatically be categorized under the linked Recipes.

Linking a button/Grouphead to a Recipe when it has already been linked with another Recipe, will automatically unlink it from the prior Recipe and link it to the new one.

Any Brews done by pressing this button/Grouphead will be captured under the new linked Recipe.


Enriching or editing Brews


Cropster Cafe  allows you to add or edit any parameter of the Brew, for example, to enrich the data with TDS and Ext % readings, sensory descriptors, yield, etc.
💡 You can also update the Recipe, Equipment, or the Roast.

By following the steps below you can enrich or edit your Brews

  1. Complete steps 1-5 written above. 
  2. Scroll down and select the Brews tab.
  3. Click on the EditIcon (1)-png-2Edit button. 
    💡
    If you edit a parameter, the Brew will be re-evaluated. If you change the Recipe, the Brew will be re-evaluated against the new Recipe's current ranges. 
  4. You can edit any information about the Brew here. 
    Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 09.30.49
  5. Click on the dropdown next to Save as. Select if you wish to save the Brew as Reference or as a Test
  6. Click on Save to finalize the changes.

💡 If your company uses Cropster Roast and you know the ID tag of the roast, you can link it. This will connect the brews with the particular roast batch. It can be updated per Brew, no need to create a separate Recipe. You can also fill in your identifier for the roast.

Evaluating automatic Brews as Reference or Test


Once you have verified that your linked Recipes are accurate, the next crucial step in the Dial-in process is to assess your Brews and designate your perfect one as the new Reference.

By following the steps below you can access the Brews tab where you can evaluate the incoming Brews and mark them as Reference or Test

  1. Complete steps 1-5 written above. 
  2. Scroll down and select the Brews tab.
    Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 09.15.31
  3. Click on the EditIcon (1)-png-2Edit button. 
    💡
    If you edit a parameter, the Brew will be re-evaluated. If you change the Recipe, the Brew will be re-evaluated against the new Recipe's current ranges. 
  4. You can edit any information about the Brew here. 
  5. Click on the dropdown next to Save as. Select if you wish to save the Brew as Reference or as a Test
    Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 09.18.51
    • Reference: Logging your Brew as a Reference will update the Recipe's brew parameters for this machine. We will then copy its input parameters to subsequent Brews captured under the same Recipe (until the Reference is updated). It will become the new brewing standard for this Recipe for this machine. 
    • Test:  Logging your Brew as a Test will not update the Recipe. It will log the Brew as a regular Brew with a clear indication that this Brew didn't meet your standards and wasn't handed to a customer.
      💡 This is useful when Dialing in, or during the initial creation of a Recipe.
      For example, when dialing in espresso, if a Brew does not meet your brewing standards, evaluate it as a Test. Once you have logged your ideal Brew, update the Recipe by evaluating the Brew as a Reference.
  6. Click Save to finalize the changes 

For machines that connected via the La Marzocco Pro App:
Any of the buttons that are under 10 seconds is sent to Cropster as a flush and, therefore won't appear on the Brews Table.

Dialing in manually 


By following the steps below you can Dial-in manually

  1. Log in to the online platform C-sar.
  2. Navigate to Cafe on the main menu bar.
  3. Click on Barista Onsights
  4. Scroll down to the Dial-In section
  5. For logging Espresso, Manual and Batch Brews manually, Brew data can be logged under and stored under the Espresso (manual), Manual Brew, and Batch Brew Dial-in cards.
    Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 09.40.23
  6. You can dial in across multiple Recipes (of the same Brewing method) in one go. 💡 For example, if you make a Brew of each filter coffee you have on offer, you can log a New brew for each Recipe, and then evaluate them once ready.

Logging your Brews

  1. Complete steps 1-4 written above.
  2. Select from the Espresso (manual) Batch Brew or Manual Brew Dial-in cards
  3. You will be directed to the Dialing in manually page
    Screenshot 2024-08-06 at 09.47.27
  4. Enter the following details:
    * is indicating mandatory fields
    • *Recipe
    • Station
      💡Once you choose the Station, the Equipment field will automatically populate.
    • Equipment
    • Roast
    • Roast date
    • Grind setting
    • Brew water pulses
    • Pre-brewing on
    • Pre-brewing pause
    • Pre-brewing total
    • Temperature
    • Water pH
    • TDS
    • Extraction
    • Score
    • Brew comment 
      💡 The parameters vary based on the type of Dial-in card that is selected.
  1. Click on Log Brew to add. 

If you are looking for more parameters to add, you need to navigate to gear-png-2 > Cafe settings on the top right side of the page. You can customize which parameters you wish to track here. 
📚 Learn more about how to customize the Brew logging parameters. 


Related content


Congratulations! You are now ready to use the Dial-in feature in Cropster Cafe!

Your opinion matters. If you have further questions, feedback, or concerns, please feel free to reach out by submitting a support ticket directly from support.cropster.com