A Beginners Guide to Dialing in Espresso

Three Main Variables:

• Dose: The amount of ground coffee you put in the portafilter. The higher your dose, the more resistance you’re building up in the portafilter.  

• Grind Size: How coarsely or finely your coffee is ground. The coarser your coffee is ground, the faster your shot will run. Imagine water flowing through rocks vs. sand.   

• Brew Time: How long water is in contact with your espresso. This, along with the variables listed above, will determine how extracted your coffee is. 

Standard Recipe:

Starting with a standard espresso recipe can be a great jumping off point when dialing in. We find it's most helpful to use a scale for measuring input (the amount of dry grounds going in) and output (the amount of espresso coming out) in grams as these things can be hard to eyeball. A standard recipe that we enjoy is: 18 grams in,  36 grams out in 28 seconds. 

Things To Remember: 

• Dialing in is a skill that takes practice! Over time, this process will get easier as you begin to identify what variables need to be adjusted and develop your preferences and palate.
• Every coffee is different and will often want to be brewed slightly differently for best results. So, while it's great to have a Standard Recipe, don't be afraid to adjust and be flexible! 

Troubleshooting 

• Shot pulling too fast? 
  • Try upping your dose or making your grind finer. 

• Shot pulling too slow? 
  • Try lowering your dose or making your grind coarser.

• No crema?
  • Your shot may have channeled. Channeling is when water finds a path of low resistance and flows through it, avoiding nearby grounds. 
  • Was your coffee ground fresh? 
  • Try making your grind finer.