How to Brew: Espresso

by Antonia Morrison

Dialling in espresso at home is all about finding the perfect balance between grind size, dose, and brew time to get a delicious shot. Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to help you dial in your espresso for a great tasting coffee:

You will need:

  • Noni’s Coffee Beans 
  • Espresso Coffee Machine 
  • Tamp
  • Grinder
  • Scales 
  • TImer
  • Cloth

Make sure your coffee machine is pre-warmed before you begin, always wipe out the portafilter basket so it is dry and free from any used coffee grounds.

Flush the group head to ensure this is free from any used coffee grounds. 

1. Understand the Basics

  • Grind Size: Espresso requires a fine grind, like table salt, but small adjustments will make a big difference.
  • Dose: This is the amount of coffee you put in the portafilter, usually between 16-20 grams for a double shot.
  • Brew Time: The shot should pull between 28-32 seconds from when the pump starts.

2. Start with a Baseline

  • Grind your coffee beans to a fine consistency.
  • Measure out your dose of coffee, (18 grams for a standard double shot)
  • Tamp the coffee evenly in the portafilter.
  • Gently lock in the portafilter and start brewing.(Avoid any knocks that will disrupt the coffee)
 Aim: 1:2 ratio = For 18g of coffee grounds you are looking for double out (36 grams) of liquid espresso - and you want to achieve this in about 28-32 seconds, you will get a few drips after the shot has run which will affect the finished weight.

3. Evaluate the Shot

  • Too fast (under 28 seconds, watery, sour taste): The grind is too coarse or there’s too little coffee.
  • Too slow (over 32 seconds, bitter, over-extracted): The grind is too fine or you’ve used too much coffee.

4. Make Adjustments

  • If the shot is too fast:
    • Make the grind slightly finer.
    • Check that your tamp is even and firm.
    • You can also increase the dose slightly (by 0.5g–1g).
  • If the shot is too slow:
    • Make the grind slightly coarser.
    • Check that your tamp isn’t too hard.
    • Try reducing the dose slightly (by 0.5g–1g).
 Tip: Adjust only one variable at a time (grind, dose, or time) so you can  accurately gauge the effect of the change.

5. Taste the Shot

  • Sour (under- extracted): Grind finer or use a slightly higher dose.
  • Bitter (over- extracted): Grind coarser or reduce the dose.

Tasting will help you figure out whether you need to go finer or coarser. Experiment until you find the flavour that works for you.

6. Dialling in Multiple Coffees

Different beans (like dark roast vs. light roast) will require different settings. Light roasts often need a finer grind and longer extraction, while dark roasts may extract quicker with a coarser grind. Keep a notebook with your settings for each type of coffee to make it easier the next time.

7. Fine-tuning

Once you're close to the target time and flavour, fine-tune the adjustments by small increments. A slight change in grind size can have a noticeable effect on flavour, so move slowly and observe the differences.

8. Regular Maintenance

Clean your grinder regularly to ensure consistent grind size and avoid stale coffee grounds from affecting flavour. A clean machine will also keep the shot quality consistent. Each time you change a grind setting it's important to run the grinder for a few seconds to purge any remaining coffee from the previous grind setting.

9. Patience and Practice

Dialling in espresso takes practice and small tweaks. Don’t rush through it—each coffee is different, and you’ll become better at making the necessary adjustments as you gain experience

 

  

Quick Troubleshooting Summary:

  • Shot too fast (less than 25 seconds): Finer grind or increase dose.
  • Shot too slow (more than 30 seconds): Coarser grind or reduce dose.
  • Tastes sour: Finer grind or longer extraction.
  • Tastes bitter: Coarser grind or shorter extraction.

    By following this guide, you’ll be on your way to consistently brewing better espresso at home!

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