Espresso: Single / Double Recipe

Warm and flush machine

Turn on the espresso machine and allow it to reach stable operating pressure and temperature (usually 15–30 minutes for home machines). Run ~50 ml of water through the grouphead to flush stale water and stabilize temperature. Wipe group, portafilter and basket dry with a clean cloth.

Select portafilter basket

Choose a single or double basket based on desired shot: single use ~9 g puck (not covered here) or double use ~18 g puck (this recipe uses 18 g for a double shot; for a single shot reduce dose to ~9 g and adjust grind & yield proportionally).

Preheat cup and portafilter

Place your shot glass or small cup under the grouphead and run a short shot of water into it to warm the vessel and the grouphead area. Empty the cup and place it back under the spout.

Weigh and grind

Weigh 18 g of coffee beans for a double shot (or 9 g for a single). Grind on a fine espresso setting so the ground coffee feels like fine sand and produces a resistance similar to toothpaste when tamped. Adjust grind finer if extraction is too fast (<18 seconds to reach yield) or coarser if too slow (>30 seconds).

Distribute grounds

Put the ground coffee into the dry, clean double basket. Use a distribution technique (tap the sides, use a distribution tool, or level with a finger) to remove high and low spots and create an even bed.

Tamp

Use a tamper to apply firm, level pressure (approx. 15–30 lbs / 7–13 kg of force). Ensure the surface is flat and the puck is sealed against the basket wall to avoid channeling. Polish with a slight twist if desired to create a smooth surface.

Wipe the rim and lock in portafilter

Clean any loose grounds from the portafilter rim. Insert the portafilter into the grouphead and lock it firmly in place.

Start the shot and time

Start your timer the moment you activate the pump. Aim for a brew yield of ~40 ml from 18 g in 25–30 seconds (adjust to taste). For a single, aim for ~20 ml from 9 g in the same time range. If the machine has pre-infusion, use a short pre-infusion (2–8 seconds) to saturate the puck before full pressure.

Watch the flow

The espresso should start as a thin, steady stream after about 5–8 seconds and appear syrupy and caramel-colored. If flow is too fast and watery, tighten the grind finer; if too slow and dark with little flow, make the grind coarser or reduce dose slightly.

Stop at target yield

Stop the shot when you reach ~40 ml for a double (or ~20 ml for a single) or when taste indicates ideal extraction (balanced sweetness, acidity, body, minimal bitterness). Record time and yield for future adjustments.

Clean after extraction

Knock out the puck, rinse and wipe the portafilter. Purge a short burst of water through the grouphead to clear any residual grounds, and wipe the steam wand/portafilter area with the clean cloth.

Serve

Serve the espresso immediately in the warmed cup. A well-extracted double should present a 3–5 mm crema on top and a sweet, balanced flavor. For a single shot, use the smaller cup and enjoy similarly.

Troubleshooting and tuning

If the shot is sour and fast: grind finer, increase dose, or raise water temperature slightly. If bitter and slow: grind coarser, decrease dose, shorten extraction time. Adjust one variable at a time (grind, dose, yield, temperature) and record changes.