The reference shot: 1:2 in 25 to 30 seconds. The starting point for dialling in any coffee.
Sweet zone
Yield
36 g
↕ drag to adjust · 24–54 g
✓ in the sweet zone outside the sweet zone (32–40)
Coffee 18g
Ratio 1:2
Temperature 93°C
Roast Medium – Dark
Grind Fine
Before you start3
- Flush the groupRun the group for 3 to 5 seconds with the portafilter unlocked. It stabilises temperature and rinses residue from the previous shot.
- Dose and distributeGrind straight into the dry basket, break the clumps with WDT and level the surface before tamping.
- TampTamp level with firm, steady pressure. Being level matters more than force — past ~15 kg nothing changes.
Steps · 3
01 Pre-infusion 0:06
02 First half — 18 g 0:18
03 Close the shot — 36 g 0:28
Glossary5
- Portafilter
- The handle with a perforated basket where ground coffee is dosed and compacted before locking into the espresso machine group. Basket size (15 g, 18 g, 20 g) is what sets the dose of a recipe.
- Tamping
- Compressing the coffee in the basket with a metal disc to form an even puck. Level matters, force does not: past ~15 kg extra pressure changes nothing in the extraction.
- WDT
- Weiss Distribution Technique: stirring the grounds in the basket with fine needles before tamping to break up clumps. It is the most effective defence against channeling in espresso.
- Crema
- Golden foam that forms on top of pressure-brewed coffee (espresso, moka pot). Comes from fresh-coffee gases emulsified with oils. Stale coffee won't produce crema.
- Channeling
- When water finds a preferred path through the coffee bed and skips the rest. Causes underextraction and weak/sour taste. A level bed and gentle pours prevent it.
