Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Coffee
Equipment & extras
Method
Preparation
Fill and heat
Fill the espresso machine reservoir with filtered water (about 500 ml) and turn the machine on. Allow the machine and group head to fully warm — typically 15–30 minutes for a stable temperature.
Preheat cup
Preheat your serving cup by rinsing it with hot water from the machine or pouring a small amount of hot water into it and discarding. This helps maintain extraction temperature and crema.
Grinding & Dosing
Weigh 18 g of Colombian whole-bean coffee. Grind to an espresso-fine setting using a burr grinder. The grind should be fine but not powdery — similar to table salt or slightly finer depending on your machine and basket.
Purge a small amount of water through the group head to remove residual coffee and stabilize temperature. Wipe the portafilter dry.
Distribute the ground coffee evenly into the portafilter basket to avoid channeling.
Tamp the grounds evenly with consistent pressure (around 15–20 kg of force) to create a level puck.
Extraction
Lock the portafilter into the group head. Place the shot glass on the scale and tare to zero.
Start the extraction and the timer simultaneously. Aim for a 1:2.2 beverage ratio by weight: with an 18 g dose, target about 40–45 g (ml) of espresso in 25–30 seconds. For an Americano slightly shorter or longer shots are acceptable depending on taste (aim 25–30 seconds as a baseline). Stop extraction when you reach 40 ml of espresso or when 25–30 seconds have elapsed.
Remove the shot glass with the espresso.
Assembling the Americano
Pour 120 ml of hot water (about 85–95°C) into the preheated serving cup. For a hotter, stronger Americano, use less water (100–110 ml) or for a milder cup use up to 150 ml. Adjust to taste.
Gently pour the freshly extracted 40 ml espresso over the hot water. Pouring the espresso over the water preserves crema and integrates flavors smoothly. Alternatively, pour the espresso into the empty cup and top with hot water if you prefer less crema.
Stir gently once if desired to combine. Taste and adjust next time by altering dose, extraction time, or hot-water volume to suit preference.
Finish & Cleanup
Purge the group head, knock out the used puck, and rinse the portafilter. Wipe down the steam wand and clean equipment for next use.