The first thing the whole of espresso revolves around is consistency. Once you nail the recipe, the small adjustments are what make a great cup.
YOU’LL NEED
- Espresso machine with portafilter and removable basket (16–21 g)
- Espresso grinder — conical or flat burr with fine adjustment (electric or manual)
- Scale with 0.1 g precision
- Tamper that matches the basket diameter (or slightly larger; e.g. 58 mm basket, 58.5 mm tamper)
- Cup
STANDARD RECIPE
RATIO 1:2
DOSE 18 g of coffee, 36 g of espresso in the cup
GRIND Fine, dialed in for your machine
TEMPERATURE 93°C (boiler)
EXTRACTION TIME 25–32 seconds
METHOD
Weigh 18 g of coffee on the scale, grind directly into the portafilter. Even out the dose with your finger or a distribution tool — there should be no holes or piles in the basket. Tamp evenly with around 15 kg of pressure, straight down, with no wobble. Lock the portafilter into the group.
Place the cup on the scale, tare to zero, start the shot and the timer at the same time. The first drops should appear around 8–12 seconds. The shot should flow as a thin, smooth, golden-brown stream — not too fast (under-extraction, sour) and not too slow (over-extraction, bitter).
Stop the shot when the scale shows 36 g (or your target output). Stir briefly with a small spoon and drink within a minute — espresso loses its peak quickly.
If the shot is too sour or runs too fast → grind finer or increase the dose. If it’s too bitter or runs too slow → grind coarser or reduce the dose. Always change one variable at a time and keep notes.