Espresso - Dose, Yield, Time

I think making great espresso at home needs to be a bit of a hobby. It can be an absolute nightmare to get a shot pouring consistently, But here are some tips on how to measure and control a few key variables. Once you understand dose, yield, and time, you’ll be able to consistently pull shots that taste sweet, balanced, and delicious.

The Three Core Measurements

Dose

The weight of dry coffee you put into your portafilter (measured in grams). Example: 18g of ground coffee in your basket.

Yield

The weight of liquid espresso that ends up in your cup. Example: 36g of liquid coffee out. Place your cup on the scales and tare them before brewing.

Time

The total time it takes for your shot to brew, from when you hit the pump until the shot stops. Measured with a stopwatch or the timer on your scales.

Step 1: Lock in Your Dose

Choose a dose that works well with your basket size (commonly 18g). Keep this constant while you adjust other variables.

Step 2: Start with a 1:2 Ratio

A good starting point is 1 part coffee in, 2 parts liquid out: Example: 18g dose → 36g yield. Aim for as quick an espresso brew time you can get without the shot channeling (spiting) around 15s-20s seconds

Step 3: Use Grind Size to Fine-Tune

From here, taste and adjust your grind finer and finer. There should be a sweet spot where the espresso starts tasting good and then tastes bad again, so dial it back.

  • If the shot is sour, sharp, or thin → grind finer (increasing extraction).

• If the shot is bitter, hollow, or overly dry → grind coarser (reducing extraction).

Step 4: Taste & Adjust Yield

From here, taste and adjust your ratio:

  • Shorter yield (1:1.5–1:1.8) → more body, intensity, sometimes bitter
  • Standard yield (1:2) → balance of sweetness, acidity, and body
  • Longer yield (up to 1:3) → lighter, brighter, more clarity

Pro tip: Dialling in espresso in a cafe every morning could get me pretty estresso'd so I started to make and espresso and dilute it with cold filtered water to taste. Almost like an iced long black without any ice.

This drops the temperature of the espresso to be more drinkable, but also diluted the strength so you can taste Sour/Bitter without drinking as much espresso first think in the morning!