How to Dial In Espresso

Every new bag of coffee behaves a little differently. A different roast level, a different origin, or even the same coffee a week older can shift how it extracts. Dialing in is the process of finding the settings that make this particular coffee taste its best.

Fix Your Dose First

Choose a dose and stop thinking about it. For most double baskets, 18 grams works. If your basket is rated for 15 or 20 grams, use that instead.

Keeping the dose fixed means you only have two things to adjust at the start: grind size and yield. Changing three things at once makes it impossible to tell what helped.

Pick a Starting Ratio

Next, decide how much espresso you want out. A 1:2 ratio, meaning 18 grams in and 36 grams out, is the standard starting point. If you’re unsure what that number means or why it matters, read up on espresso brew ratio before you go further.

Darker roasts often taste better at a shorter ratio like 1:1.5. Light roasts usually need longer, around 1:2.5, to taste sweet instead of sharp.

Use Grind Size to Hit Your Time

With dose and yield fixed, adjust grind size until the shot takes roughly 25 to 30 seconds. This is where a good burr grinder earns its money. You need small, repeatable steps between settings.

• Shot ran too fast: grind finer
• Shot ran too slow: grind coarser
• Shot time is fine: leave the grinder alone and start tasting

After each grind change, purge a few grams through the grinder so you aren’t brewing with leftover grounds from the old setting.

Taste, Then Adjust

Once the timing is in range, stop looking at the clock and taste. The numbers get you close, but your tongue makes the final call.

If the shot is sour, sharp, or salty, it’s under-extracted. Grind a little finer or pull a longer ratio. Our guide to sour espresso shots goes deeper into the causes.

If the shot is harsh, ashy, or leaves your mouth dry, it’s over-extracted. Grind coarser or pull a shorter ratio. Bitter espresso has its own set of usual suspects, including dirty equipment and water that’s too hot.

If it’s sweet but tastes weak, increase your dose by half a gram or tighten the ratio slightly.

Keep a Log

Write down four numbers for every shot: dose, yield, time, and grinder setting. Add a word or two about taste. It takes ten seconds and saves you from repeating failed experiments.

A typical log might look like this:

• 18.0 g in, 36.2 g out, 22 s, setting 12, sour
• 18.0 g in, 36.0 g out, 27 s, setting 10, better, slightly sharp
• 18.0 g in, 38.5 g out, 29 s, setting 10, sweet and balanced

Common Things That Throw You Off

Sometimes the problem isn’t your settings. Uneven espresso tamping causes channeling, which can make a shot taste sour and bitter at once. Stale coffee won’t dial in no matter what you do. Scale buildup can make your machine run cooler than it should, which is one more reason to descale your espresso machine on schedule.

Water also matters more than people think. Very soft water can make espresso taste flat, and very hard water damages machines over time.

How Long It Should Take

With practice, dialing in a new coffee takes three to five shots. When you’re new, expect to use more. That’s normal. Buy a bigger bag when you’re learning so you don’t run out halfway through the process.