Espresso Recipe

Preheat machine and equipment

Turn on the espresso machine and allow it to fully heat (usually 15–30 minutes). Insert portafilter and run a blank (hot) shot to heat the group head and portafilter. Preheat the shot glass/demitasse by rinsing with hot water and place it under the group head.

Weigh and grind

Weigh 18 g of coffee beans on the scale. Grind to a fine espresso grind — similar to powdered sugar but slightly gritty. Dose the ground coffee directly into the dry, clean portafilter basket.

Distribute and tamp

Level the puck by gently tapping or using a distribution technique to remove large voids. Apply even tamping pressure (about 15–20 kg / 30–40 lbf) with a flat tamper so the coffee surface is level and compact. Polish the tamp with a slight twist if desired. Wipe any grounds off the rim of the portafilter.

Brew

Lock the portafilter into the machine's group head. Start the extraction immediately after tamping to avoid channeling. Target brew ratio: 1:2 (18 g in → 36 g out) and extraction time: 25–30 seconds. Begin timing at the moment water first contacts the coffee. Stop extraction at around 36 ml (weigh the cup or watch flow; the shot should look honey-like and have a rich crema).

Evaluate and serve

Observe the shot: good espresso has a thick, caramel-colored crema, balanced flavor, and a syrupy body. Serve immediately in the preheated demitasse. If underextracted (sour, fast flow), adjust grind finer or increase dose/temperature. If overextracted (bitter, slow drips), grind coarser or shorten time.

Purge the group with a short burst of water, knock out the used puck into a knock box, rinse and dry the portafilter, and wipe the steam wand (if used). Backflush the machine per manufacturer recommendations at the end of service.