All right, kids. You’ve got your espresso machine. You’ve got your coffee. You’re all set to make coffee-shop quality coffee drinks – especially espresso – right in your own kitchen. You pack your portafilter, flip the switch and get…. something that doesn’t even resemble espresso. What went wrong?
While you can’t expect to pull the perfect shot of espresso your first time out – some world-class baristas practice for years and are never quite satisfied with the results – understanding the elements of the espresso process can help you improve your shots, and eventually, get you to the point where you can consistently pull excellent shots of espresso.
Pulling The Perfect Espresso Shot
In a Nutshell
There are multiple elements to getting your espresso shot right, which is why many baristas – home and pro versions – develop a ritual that ensures they don’t miss any of the steps Each of these elements affects the others, and the closer to right you get each of them, the closer to perfect your espresso shot will be. Pulling the perfect espresso shot is an exercise in experimentation and constant adjustment to get everything working together and produce consistently excellent coffee.
Before you start, pull a blank shot – that is, run water through the portafilter into your cup without any coffee. Warming the group head, portafilter and holder will help keep the temperature right while you pull your shot.
Grind
The grind texture of your coffee is one of the most important aspects of pulling a good shot of espresso. Consider this: the flavor of your coffee is determined by the amount of coffee oils and chemicals extracted by the water as it flows through the ground coffee. The longer the water is in contact with the coffee, the more various flavors are developed. If the grind is too coarse, the water flows through too quickly and your coffee will be weak. If it is to fine, the water will take too long to flow through and will extract many of the bitter constituents of coffee, resulting in a cup that is sour and cooked.
The texture you want for espresso is close to granulated sugar, but every coffee has its own precise grind that works best. To make it even more complicated, the same coffee may need a finer or coarser grind if the weather is humid, or if the coffee is older.
Experiment to get the right flow rate for your coffee – about 20 to 30 seconds to pull a 2 oz. double shot of espresso.
Dose
Baristas refer to the amount of coffee grounds used for a shot as the “dose”, like a dose of medicine, and express the doses in grams of weight, which is a much more accurate measurement than volume. You can buy a small digitial pocket scale for less than $20, and it will make an amazing difference in your espresso quality.
The starting point for a double shot of espresso is 14 to 18 grams, adjusted for your espresso machine and your personal tastes.
Tamp
Tamping the coffee grounds levels and packs them so that you get uniform extraction. When water is forced through the coffee in the portafilter, it will seek out the paths of least resistance – where coffee is packed more loosely – if there are any. If your tamper is too small for the portafilter, for example, the coffee will be loose around the edges and water will flow through there without touching the bulk of the coffee in the center, and you’ll have a weak, under-extracted shot.
Use a tamper that’s the right size for the portafilter.
Hold your elbow at 90 degrees, put the portafilter on an even, flat surface, and apply 30 lbs. of pressure until the coffee looks smooth and polished. Finer coffee will need less pressure and coarser coffee will need more.
Pour
Place the portafilter into the espresso machine’s brew group and put your cup – preheated, of course – under the spout.
Start the pull based on your machine and your experience. Some espresso machines are very finicky and require you to get the temperature precisely right to get the best espresso shot. Others are very forgiving and hold the temperature well. Semi-automatic machines often signal that the boiler has reached the correct temperature with a light or something similar. When the machine is heated and ready, check your watch (so you can time the shot, which is critical) and start the pour.
If you’ve done a good job of dosing, grinding and tamping, the espresso should start out dark, then turn into a thin, golden brown stream of foam that just holds together. It should take between 20 and 30 seconds to pull a 2-ounce shot. If you’re not getting that volume in that amount of time, check your grind, dose and tamp, make adjustments and try again.
If the espresso comes out unevenly from the two spouts, your tamp is uneven. If the flow is too fast, your grind needs to be finer or the tamp firmer, or a combination of both. If the flow is too slow, go coarser on the grind to slow the water down.
The end result should be a rich, dark brew topped with a thick layer of fine, gold crema – the foamy end of the shot. When you taste the shots you’re pulling, you’ll thank yourself for taking the time to learn how to pull a proper shot of espresso.
Navin, after reading your comments, I am almost certain your problem lies with stale beans. Check that your beans are less than 3 weeks old. Order from reputable online roasters who sort of roast to order and get it to you in under a week, or approach a gourmet roaster if you happen to live near one.
Hello, i am stuck with a trouble. Even when i change the grind to fine or coarse, my espresso shot falls exactly at 10 secs. the only difference is that at a finer grind, it does not produce a shot with a crema and at a coarses grind, it produces a lovely crema top. Could this be the espresso machine calibration problem?
Oh my gosh. There may be a science behind espresso making with exactly 27 seconds and what not, but the true espresso is hte one you enjoy, not the on someone told you to brew in a certain time frame with certain coffee at a certain tempreture and a certain pressure. So relax, experiment and enjoy your coffee…
Well, after reading the article how could you even mention the name “Starbucks”? They brew the worst coffee I’ve ever had. When my husband goes there, I take my own cappuccino that I make at home with an automatic Seaco machine, filtered water and freshly ground imported Italian espresso beans…and in a china cup!!! Do you think I’m going to drink a beverage that tastes like burnt coffee and made by a high school student” Here’s the scope…been to Italy four times and never had a bad espresso/cappuccino…here in the USA I can’t find a good espresso/cappuccino unless I make it at home. Yes…you need to cover ALL bases when it comes to making a GREAT cup of espresso. The best beans, filered water and the machine…and of course the barista!
RepublicEspresso: Seems like you should have written this article. Well put. 5-7 seconds is ridiculous. I usually pull around 20-25 seconds with a nice creamy head. 30 seconds and it can start tasting a little burnt.
In my experience, a well executed shot comes out looking like a freshly poured pint of Guinness.
hey i agree, the sooner the espresso be ingulped the better the taste of it would be. Though 5-7 sec r to short, it should be 15 seconds for adding milk or for makingany other coffee with espresso
Hello, Calling all Bialetti users! maybe someone here can help me with my Espresso “. I use a Bialetti stovetop esspresso maker.But i cant seem to get the recipe right. Have you ever used one and if so can you help me configure it? I am desperate to make a decent shot of espresso at least.I have to admit typically I am a coffee only girl,but I do occasionally like a shot or a cappuccino.
27 seconds @ 9 BAR pressure with 195 degree water with the correct grind and tamp will give you what u are looking for. shot times are the same regardless of whether its a single or double shot(as it should be because shot time is cooking time) because the flow thru is regulated on your single shot portafilter by the smaller basket with less holes, which increases the pressure inside so you get infusion. when using a single shot portafilter it is your water volume thats halved, not your shot time. also: starbucks is a robotic mcdonalds and should only be used as an example of how not to make espresso with a real machine. from the point your shot starts, its cooking until you cool it. once its done coming out, IMMEDIATLY pour it in your milk, or even an unheated empty cup will do it. if you let it sit, it will burn (overcook) in the shot glass.
climate affects espresso by humidity affecting your grind.
Help! I just received a Starbucks Athena Barista Espresso Machine from my in-laws that has NO INSTRUCTIONS. I have never worked an espresso machine and need help – can anyone point me in the right direction of where I can either find instructions online or get my hands on a manual? Thanks!
for less than $20, and it will make an amazing difference in your espresso quality.
Iwan Gunawan says
What coffee machine was popular and resonable price
ezra limm says
Navin, after reading your comments, I am almost certain your problem lies with stale beans. Check that your beans are less than 3 weeks old. Order from reputable online roasters who sort of roast to order and get it to you in under a week, or approach a gourmet roaster if you happen to live near one.
Navin says
Machine is LaCimbali M29 Select. Not sure bout the grinder. Will find out today
pravspresso says
what kind of machine & grinder do you have.
If it’s a Krups, Delonghi, Breville that’s probably normal due to low end internals.
Navin says
Hello, i am stuck with a trouble. Even when i change the grind to fine or coarse, my espresso shot falls exactly at 10 secs. the only difference is that at a finer grind, it does not produce a shot with a crema and at a coarses grind, it produces a lovely crema top. Could this be the espresso machine calibration problem?
ME says
Oh my gosh. There may be a science behind espresso making with exactly 27 seconds and what not, but the true espresso is hte one you enjoy, not the on someone told you to brew in a certain time frame with certain coffee at a certain tempreture and a certain pressure. So relax, experiment and enjoy your coffee…
boop says
what? 5-7seconds? people should stick to the cardinal rule of 27 seconds for the perfect espresso.
Joanne says
Well, after reading the article how could you even mention the name “Starbucks”? They brew the worst coffee I’ve ever had. When my husband goes there, I take my own cappuccino that I make at home with an automatic Seaco machine, filtered water and freshly ground imported Italian espresso beans…and in a china cup!!! Do you think I’m going to drink a beverage that tastes like burnt coffee and made by a high school student” Here’s the scope…been to Italy four times and never had a bad espresso/cappuccino…here in the USA I can’t find a good espresso/cappuccino unless I make it at home. Yes…you need to cover ALL bases when it comes to making a GREAT cup of espresso. The best beans, filered water and the machine…and of course the barista!
jay says
RepublicEspresso: Seems like you should have written this article. Well put. 5-7 seconds is ridiculous. I usually pull around 20-25 seconds with a nice creamy head. 30 seconds and it can start tasting a little burnt.
In my experience, a well executed shot comes out looking like a freshly poured pint of Guinness.
amiteshs singh says
hey i agree, the sooner the espresso be ingulped the better the taste of it would be. Though 5-7 sec r to short, it should be 15 seconds for adding milk or for makingany other coffee with espresso
Chenoa says
Hello, Calling all Bialetti users!
maybe someone here can help me with my Espresso “. I use a Bialetti stovetop esspresso maker.But i cant seem to get the recipe right. Have you ever used one and if so can you help me configure it? I am desperate to make a decent shot of espresso at least.I have to admit typically I am a coffee only girl,but I do occasionally like a shot or a cappuccino.
mllebarista says
Starbucks shouldn’t even be anywhere close to considered in this debate, they don’t tamp or pull shots, their machine is their barista.
republicespresso says
excuse me while i whip this out:
27 seconds @ 9 BAR pressure with 195 degree water with the correct grind and tamp will give you what u are looking for. shot times are the same regardless of whether its a single or double shot(as it should be because shot time is cooking time) because the flow thru is regulated on your single shot portafilter by the smaller basket with less holes, which increases the pressure inside so you get infusion. when using a single shot portafilter it is your water volume thats halved, not your shot time.
also: starbucks is a robotic mcdonalds and should only be used as an example of how not to make espresso with a real machine.
from the point your shot starts, its cooking until you cool it. once its done coming out, IMMEDIATLY pour it in your milk, or even an unheated empty cup will do it. if you let it sit, it will burn (overcook) in the shot glass.
climate affects espresso by humidity affecting your grind.
and yes this article needs to be rewritten
megsk8r says
Help! I just received a Starbucks Athena Barista Espresso Machine from my in-laws that has NO INSTRUCTIONS. I have never worked an espresso machine and need help – can anyone point me in the right direction of where I can either find instructions online or get my hands on a manual? Thanks!
navraj says
does the climate affect the taste of espresso