Espresso Brew Guide

Espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed rapidly with the help of more than 100 pounds of pressure. It is not for the faint of heart as brewing it well demands that several parameters be controlled precisely, and that you adjust your preparation in response to how each unique coffee behaves. For that reason, this guide is not a fixed “recipe,” but rather a practical framework for learning how to dial in espresso. Dialing in means making systematic adjustments until you arrive at a balanced cup with sweetness, clarity, and pleasant acidity.

Before diving in, here are a few helpful terms:

• Dry dose: the weight of coffee in the portafilter.
• Beverage weight: the final weight of the liquid espresso.
• Brew ratio: the relationship between dose and beverage weight (e.g., 18 g → 36 g = 1:2).
• Dial-in: adjusting grind and parameters to reach balanced extraction.

As a starting point, for most blends and darker roast coffees we recommend a 1:2 ratio, as shown below. For lighter roast coffees—where a more delicate, aromatic cup is desirable—we suggest beginning with a 1:2.5 ratio.

How to dial-in espresso

Vous aurez besoin :

grain Fresh coffee opacity Filtered water coffee_maker Espresso machine blender Espresso grinder scale Scale vertical_align_bottom Tamper timer Timer

Équipement optionnel :

filter_alt Shot funnel scatter_plot Distribution tool visibility Bottomless Portafilter
Espresso Brew Guide

Paramètres

  • percent Ratio: 2:1
  • grain Dry dose: 18 g
  • coffee Yield: 36 g
  • schedule Total time: 28–30 s (max 25–35 s)

Étapes

  • Place the clean, empty portafilter on the scale and tare it. Add ground coffee until you reach the desired dose (18 g). Optionally: groom the dose with a distribution tool.

  • Tamp the coffee down firmly and evenly.

  • Attach the portafilter to the group head and begin the extraction. If your machine does not have a screen, start a timer. When you reach the desired yield (36 g), stop the shot — and the timer if necessary.

  • Check the timer. If you are within the desired range, move on to the next step.
    If the shot ran too fast, grind finer.
    If the shot took too long, grind coarser.
    After making any adjustments, repeat the process from step 1.

  • When you have a shot that falls within the desired time range, transfer it to an espresso cup and taste it. Alternatively, add steamed milk to your cup or glass for a delicious beverage.

Advanced tip: adjusting the dose

When your grind size is already close to ideal but the balance in the cup is still difficult to achieve, adjusting the dose may be the better approach. A slightly higher dose increases resistance and produces a slower extraction, often resulting in more body and sweetness. A slightly lower dose allows for a faster flow and can improve clarity or reduce bitterness. Use dose adjustments as a fine-tuning tool after your grind size has been dialed in.