Single Espresso Recipe

Warm up

Turn on the espresso machine and allow it to fully warm up. This typically takes 15–30 minutes depending on the machine. Run water through the group head and into a cup to ensure stable temperature; discard this water.

Grind

Weigh 7 g of whole coffee beans. Grind to a fine espresso setting — similar to table salt but slightly finer. Adjust grind so that extraction time will fall into the target range below.

Dose and distribute

Place the appropriate single basket in the portafilter. Pour the 7 g of ground coffee into the basket. Use finger or a distribution tool to level the grounds so they are evenly distributed.

Tamp

Use a tamper to press the grounds evenly and firmly with about 15–20 kg of pressure, producing a flat, level puck. Wipe any loose grounds from the portafilter rim to ensure a good seal.

Pre-infusion and extraction

Lock the portafilter into the group head. Place the espresso cup on the scale and tare. Start the timer and begin extraction. Target yield: 25–30 ml of espresso in 20–30 seconds for a typical single ristretto/short single (since we used 7 g, aim for ~25–30 ml). If your machine has pre-infusion, allow 2–4 seconds of gentle pre-infusion before full pressure. Stop the shot when the yield and time target are reached.

Evaluate and adjust

Inspect the crema and taste the shot. If extraction is too fast (<18–20 s) and tastes sour, make the grind finer. If extraction is too slow (>30 s) and tastes bitter, make the grind coarser. Adjust dose or tamp consistency as needed and repeat.

Serve

Serve the espresso immediately in a pre-warmed cup. Single espresso is best enjoyed within 30–60 seconds of extraction for optimal aroma and crema.

After brewing, purge a short burst of water through the group head to clear coffee residue. Backflush the machine as recommended by the manufacturer at regular intervals. Empty and rinse the portafilter and basket.