Go to the Article: The Elements of an Espresso Shot
This is so great, you guys are making an amazing job, not just here, the whole chefsteps content is excellent.
Thank you for all of this, really, this is one great reason why I am falling in love with gastronomy.
I am a coffee master from Starbucks (not sure if that says much), but I'm learning much more than they ever taught me.
After years, decades I can finally wrap my head around the "mystery" of espresso. Now I don't have to just get lucky to have great espresso...I can actually make it happen! I knew nothing!
what is the app on the phone?
Hey Mark, we've fixed this now. You should be able to find this recipe in the app now. Thanks!
I personally go along with James Hoffman's (and others) basis on a 1:1.55 espresso shot. I would definitely also call that an espresso rather than a ristretto? Is there a reason you say a ratio of 1-2 is a ristretto or is it just based on final weight of the shot?
what is the name of the app?
It's a program/app you're given when you buy a refractometer. I assume it's developed by either VST or Extract Mojo. I'm pretty sure it's only useful with the refractometer to hand though.
Wooo! Great success!
A ristretto is just a type of espresso shot; a short one. The Italians usually use larger brew ratios (1:3), so in their vernacular, a 1:1.55 would be a "short" shot, or a ristretto. Does that make sense?
Thank you, Jean, for those kind words! We really appreciate it!
perfectly, thanks Karen. I recently managed to borrow the VST kit and have been having a lot of fun with pour over brews. Will you be doing any further projects on these other methods of brewing?
Yes, we already have a whole bunch of content about "brewed coffee" (aka everything but espresso) filmed, but we're working on some other stuff first. As long as you're signed up for CS emails, you'll be the first to know! Meanwhile, let us know what you're working on in the forum—we'll be happy to help with any specific questions you may have. Thanks Ben!
Near the end, the article states that professional tasters prefer 10% - 13% "brew strength"/extraction %, but later we're told that baristas generally agree that 18% - 20% is best. What's the explanation for this disparity in preference?
I hope there will be soon somerhing about the pacojet and the sonic prep as well. So far for me chefsteps has overtaken the lead above modernist cuisine homepage.
For an european Starbucks coffee is drinkible but still far away from love :-)
The numbers are referring to two different measurements. Brew Strength is referring to the %TDS(Total Dissolved Solids) of the total beverage weight. While Extraction% is referring to the %TDS in the espresso beverage compared to the dry ground coffee weight in the portafilter. Brew Strength is commonly preferred in the 10% - 13% range while Extraction% is preferred to be in the 18% - 20% range. This can be explored further by reading Scott Rao's Espresso Extraction: Measurement and Mastery
Thanks for the answer, Scott. In that case, I think the following should be amended: "This allows them to determine exact extraction percentage (brew strength)", since it implies the two are equal. Going by what you are saying, brew strength really needs to be mentioned in the preceding sentence instead: "to determine the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in a shot of espresso---a quantitative measure of brew strength.", or words to that effect. I think this would then clarify the equation later:
"(%TDS x Brewed Coffee Weight)/Ground Coffee Weight = Extraction Percentage"
The %TDS here is the brew strength, right?
Over all of the classes, this is the only section that I've found lacking in clarity/precision. Everything else has been really well written.
Stephen, I think you make a good point! I can see how that is unclear. Thank you for your suggestion.
You know where to get the Herkimer, nikadog5!
I assume you are using a refractometer to measure TDS. I can't really rationalize spending several hundred dollars for a refractometer for home usage. There are TDS meters available for much less. Is there a reason you don't use a TDS meter?
I apologize for not first thanking you for the wonderful instructions for the budding home barista like me!! Many thanks!!!!!
Hey! I have been totally ignored. I asked a question about measuring TDS and have not received an answer. If you don't know say so! Is the major refractometer manufacturer a sponsor? I think That an answer is just simple courtesy.
Hi guys, I really enjoyed the espresso course. I've upped my game to include weighing to a brew recipe. What I am finding which I don't understand is that if I use a dose of 14g of coffee and run it for 25 seconds, I get the correct volume of coffee (i.e. 2 measured shot glasses to the line), but the measured weight of the liquid is 58grams (1:4+ brew ratio). What could I be doing wrong? Does this mean that I have much higher dissolved solids than is correct for example? Or should I be getting a fair bit less liquid? I was expecting 1:2 or possible 1:3 ratio at this volume. I am using a medium roast colombian bean.
PS I am using a Gaggia Classic with OPV conversion to 9Bar, Auber PID controller, Iberital MC2 grinder, 0.1g resolution scales (Pro Scale XC2000) my beans are fresh, I think my tamp is reasonably OK (though it feels like my RegBarber tamp is slightly too small for my Gaggia double basket because I see an amount of coffee grinds around the edge after tamp which means I need to knock them in and do like a mini re-tamp).
I'm not an expert, but to me it sounds like this might be a problem with your grind size. When you grind the beans, the resulting ground coffee should be at a fineness where if you press your thumb on top, the grounds stick to your fingerprint ridges, but not your entire thumb. Think the consistency of flour, almost. Hope that helps!
You should get a total of 28g out of it for a 2:1 Ratios Meaning each shot Glas will be holding 14G when you stop the brewing process (Or just use 1 Glas and have 28g in it)
Hello,
I have a couple questions relation to the "Espresso Recipe" of this class.
In my experience, different coffees have different densities. Therefore, 18 grams of light roast Ethiopian Sidamo will occupy less volume in the portafilter than 18 grams of dark roast Kenyian coffee. Lately, the coffees I like all seem to be of the denser kind and I've been using about 18 to 20 grams of grounds in a 15 grams VST basket. I use Scottie Callaghan's dosing tools to distribute the grounds evenly in the portafilter and level them out, and then I press them with an Espro calibrated tamper.
According to what you say here, I would be using too much coffee for the capacity of the basket I'm using. But how can I obtain an even density puck of coffee with a coffee that is more dense if there is not enough grounds to fill the portafilter and level it out evenly to start with?
Furthermore, how much space should there be between the top rim of the basket and the top of the pressed grounds to make sure that there is a good distribution of water throughout the puck? I'm using a Rancilio Sylvia with the accessories mentioned above.
By the way, I really enjoyed this espresso class and will be experimenting different things mentioned in it, once I solved this "quantity of grounds vs portafilter basket capacity" problem.
Two thumbs up to all the people who contributed to this excellent tutorial.
Best regards,
Patrick
hey mate, with espresso you dont want to be using volume as a measurement.
Everything should measured in weight (grams), so 14g dry coffee in and 28g espresso out in total.
The reason that you should not use those shot glasses with the line is that they measure volume (ml) and the volume will change depending on how fresh or old the coffee is. The fresher the coffee, the more crema it will produce, making more volume (ml). The older the coffee the less crema it will produce. Also dont think that more crema is better then less crema. This an old style of espresso thinking, with lighter roasted coffee, crema does not mean a whole lot.
So dont worry about how much the espresso fills the glass, just make sure that you are weighing the right amount.
1:1 = 14g in - 14g out
1:2 = 14g in - 28g out
1:3 = 14g in - 42g out
i would not suggest going any higher with the ration. 1:2 or 1:3 is your best option.
Hi! Above you mention that "You'll notice that, in order to get this range, you'll have to start with a 1:1 brew ratio"; however, you also say that "professional tasters prefer espresso to be in the 10% to 13% range for brew strength" and that "Generally, baristas are looking to optimize extraction percentage in order to get in the 19%–20% range". I believe the latter two statements are correct, but since (extraction yield)=TDS*(brew ratio), you would need roughly a 2:1 brew ratio to obtain this combination of TDS and extraction yield. I believe several people (e.g. Ben Kaminsky) have also done tests which determined that it's impossible to approach the 20% extraction yield range without at least a 2:1 brew ratio. Did you guys mean 2:1 instead of 1:1?
The VST is a pretty revolutionary tool in that it is comparable in terms or accuracy to ones worth tens of thousands in other industries. I wouldn't buy one for home unless you have a lot of spending money. If you're looking to improve further maybe some specialty coffee shops near you hold courses for a home barista.
wholeheartedly agree
Hi Richard - Reading your comment and going back and forth a fair bit, I actually noticed that the formula for Extraction Ratio goes with brewed mass over dry mass. So in reality, the formula is TDS%*(Inverse Brew Ratio). To be fair, your comment seems sound that 1:1 could not possibly achieve a 19-20% Extraction ratio. You would need a brew ratio in the ballpark of 1:1.6-1:1.9 depending on your TDS%.
i guess i'm a little late to the party but still. I just got myself an espresso machine for christmas here in germany and i wonder, is it possible that there are regional differences in the customary brew ratio? because if i brew an espresso to manufacturer specs using the default program i get about 50g of espresso out of about 8,5g of coffee. Which is more like 1:6 than 1:3 let alone 1:2. It's not a huge issue. I have a larger basket which should take about double the amount of ground coffee and i can manually stop the water, but i was just wondering if because the difference is so high. Maybe Germans can't take the real stuff?
I have read that brew ratios vary by country, for example you can look at http://home.lamarzoccousa.com/brew-ratios-around-world/ or http://www.jimseven.com/2015/08/31/the-state-of-espresso-in-2015/.
But, 1:6 seems high. Do you have a link to your manufacturer specs? My guess is that you are following the specs and getting too much volume out. I also got an espresso machine before Christmas and have been doing a huge number of shots learning how to try to control brew ratio, pressure, etc. One thing might be to try a finer grind.
Im a little confused about the brew ratio. If it want a 1:3 ratio its better with light roast. I understand that higher temps are better fir the most part, but how do I get my shot 25-35 seconds. Something has to give, so I increase my grind size so more water will pass though?
" (You'll notice that, in order to get this range, you'll have to start with a 1:1 brew ratio. Professional baristas often agree that 1:1 makes the best-tasting shot, but "proper" brew ratio is all about personal taste.) "
THIS IS WRONG .
if you do some mathematics on paper you'll notice that 1:1 ratio is wrong , it must be 1:2 ratio.
10% * 28 gr / 14 gr = 20 % => our ideal extraction percentage
Re: "You should dose +/- 1 gram from the rated weight of the basket in order to provide an appropriate level of space between the top of the ground coffee and the espresso machine grouphead (see diagram here, at the bottom of the page)", the diagram link, https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/espresso/#/espresso-defined, does not seem to link to a diagram.
if you want a 1:3 ratio you will need to adjust the grind size to get the amount of coffee you want out in 25-35 seconds, correct.
I'm a 'professional barista'. You're right, a 1:1 ratio is closer to a ristretto shot, than an espresso. Ristretto is a more concentrated shot, with less volume, extracting the 'best' part of the coffee. For a double ristretto you'd aim to extract 30ml in 15secs as a guide. When it comes to coffee, as much as there's a science behind it, there's no set formula to personal taste.
So, there is one thing I did not get.
I always go with the 1:2 Ratio and 18g in = 36g out in 25 seconds for a double shot. If I want to go for a single shot I would take my single basket and go for 9g in = 18g out. Do i extract the espresso also 25seconds? If so, there would be much more weight at the end, so i would make the grind a bit finer to get 18g in 25 seconds. But this way my single shot would taste different to my double shot in 2 separate cups - if this makes sense.
It would not take as long, due to their being less liquid to move through the coffee grounds. It should take about 15 seconds to get 18g out using the same measurements as the 18in=36g out. So for a single shot look for around 15 seconds.
Hello. I own a bakery and café, and I have been making coffee for a number of years now, as well as training with some of the top roasters and espresso machine specialists in North America. I would recommend the following:
1) Your extraction time for an 1:2 ratio should be between 18 to 25 seconds. When using a 1:1 ration, 13 to 17 seconds should be good. The longer the water "washes" the grounds, the more bitter the end result; I would stop the extraction as soon as you hit the 28 second mark.
2) The roasting level of your coffee affects all parts of the extraction. For instance, a very dark roast behaves better with a lower temperature and a ration of 1:1.95 or 1:1.9. Dark roasts have a tendency to have more bitterness, so less water at lower temperature is preferred.
3) A good coffee deserves the full extraction, as it should have the perfect balance between acidity and bitterness. Stopping a shot too early with render the coffee to acidic, running it too long will make it too bitter.
4) More important than anything else, you have to enjoy your coffee, so make it the way it works for you!
Happy brewing, Pascale
