How To Brew: Espresso

Espresso

For a double shot espresso in most home machines and most coffees, try this recipe as a starting point:

18g fine ground coffee

36-40 ml of liquid espresso

27-30 seconds extraction time

1. Tare your scales with the portafilter (handle + basket)

2. Weigh 18g of ground coffee into the basket, you may need to adjust the grind at this point on later attempts if the shot runs too fast

3. With a flat hand, bump the sides of the portafilter to even out the coffee, then tamp with enough force to create a flat, even bed, rotate the tamper slightly before removing it. 

4.  Flush the ground head for 1-2 seconds, and tare your scales with your cup

5. Insert portafilter into the group head, and place scales with cup underneath

6. Start brewing at the same time, start your timer (you can use your phone or something similar)

7. When you’re 2 grams off your target weight, stop brewing and the timer. The shot should not run for less that 25 seconds, or more than 35 seconds. 

This recipe may vary depending on your grinder, espresso machine and the type of coffee you’re using, however, it’s a very consistent and strong starting point. 

HOT TIP

“Pebbles and Sand”

Think about water running through sand, then running through pebbles. It runs slow through sand, fast through pebbles. It’s a good thing to keep in mind when you’re grinding coffee for espresso.

If the coffee is extracting too fast, grind finer 

If the coffee is extracting too slow, grind coarse