The three numbers
- Dose: grams of dry coffee in the basket.
- Yield: grams of liquid espresso in the cup.
- Time: seconds from pump start to pump stop.
The starting recipe
For most modern light-medium roasts (including our Cerrado and house blend), start here:
- Dose: 18g (into an 18g VST basket — yes, the basket matters)
- Yield: 36g
- Time: 28 seconds
That's a 1:2 ratio at 28 seconds. Roughly the industry default. If your machine pulled in that window and the shot tastes balanced, you're done. Stop reading.
What to do if it's sour
Sour = under-extracted. Two options:
- Grind finer (preferred — increases extraction without changing ratio).
- Pull longer to 1:2.5 (36g → 45g yield). Increases extraction at the cost of dilution.
What to do if it's bitter
Bitter = over-extracted. Two options:
- Grind coarser.
- Pull shorter to 1:1.5 (36g → 27g yield).
What to do if it tastes "weak" but not sour
You're pulling under-extracted ristretto territory. Grind finer AND pull longer. Don't change both grind and time on the same shot — change one, taste, then the other.
Espresso variables compound. A 1g change in dose plus a 4-click change in grind plus a 3-second change in time is three variables you can't reason about. Change one thing per shot.
When to worry about the other stuff
Pressure profiling, pre-infusion, flow rate? Once you can consistently pull a 28-second 1:2 shot that tastes balanced on three different beans, then start experimenting. Until then, they add noise.
What about milk drinks? Same shot, same recipe — milk doesn't forgive a bad shot, it just hides a mediocre one.