All coffee guides · Troubleshooting
Dialling in means adjusting your recipe until the espresso tastes right to you. Start with a suitable dose and target yield, pull a shot, taste it and change one variable. Record each adjustment so you can compare the results.
Use the basket manufacturer’s dose and headspace guidance. Weigh the grounds each time. For a basket suited to 18 g, keep that dose steady while comparing grind and yield. A nominal double basket does not have one universal capacity.
A 1:2 dose-to-yield ratio is a common starting point: 18 g of coffee gives 36 g of espresso. Put a scale under the cup and stop near the target weight. Record time from pump start so comparisons use the same reference. Other recipes may use a different ratio or timing convention.
Around 25–35 seconds from pump start can be a useful reference for this starting recipe. It is not a quality rule. If the shot is unusually fast and tastes thin or sharp, try a small adjustment finer. If it nearly stalls, stop, release pressure as instructed and check dose before trying a coarser setting. Account for retained grounds according to your grinder’s guidance.
With otherwise reasonable flow, try a little more yield for a sour cup or a little less for an overly bitter cup. Compare at the same dose and grind. These are experiments, not diagnoses: roast style, preparation and water can also affect the taste. Keep temperature steady until the basic recipe is repeatable.
Do not force a good-tasting shot into a fixed time window. Change one variable and compare measured results. Keep preparation consistent and follow the machine’s warm-up routine. Do not apply a universal purge weight or adjust internal settings without the manufacturer’s instructions.
Write down coffee, grind setting, dose, yield, time and a short tasting note. Save settings that you can repeat. Use those notes as a starting point for the next bag, then adjust when the coffee calls for it.
Browse all 98 coffee guides or start a free espresso journal on Baristalog.