Espresso feels complicated because there are too many knobs to turn at once. People try to adjust everything — grind, dose, yield, temperature, tamp pressure, preinfusion — then wonder why the result is chaos.
A calmer way to do it is to pick an order and stick to it.
Here’s the simple principle:
Change the biggest, most predictable variable first — and only change one thing at a time.
In practice, that usually means this dial-in order:
- Ratio (yield)
- Grind size
- Temperature (only if needed)
Yes, you’ll see people do it differently. But if you’re brewing at home and you want consistent results quickly, this order keeps you out of the rabbit hole.
Step 0: fix your “constants” (so your changes mean something)
Before you touch the flavour, lock in a few basics:
- Dose: keep it the same for the whole bag (e.g. 18g). Only change dose if you physically can’t fit the coffee, or your basket clearly prefers a different fill.
- Workflow: same prep each time (distribution, tamp, same basket).
- Shot time target: don’t chase a single number, but use it as a guardrail (e.g. 25–35 seconds from pump on).
If your puck prep is wildly inconsistent, dial-in becomes guesswork. You don’t need competition-level technique — you just need “repeatable enough”.
1) Ratio first: decide what you’re making
Ratio is simply how much espresso you produce from a given dose.
- If you dose 18g and you stop the shot at 36g, that’s roughly a 1:2 ratio.
- If you stop at 45g, that’s 1:2.5.
Ratio changes the shape of the drink:
- Shorter ratio (e.g. 1:1.6–1:2) tends to feel heavier, more intense, more chocolate/nut, but can show sharpness if the coffee is bright.
- Longer ratio (e.g. 1:2.2–1:2.8) tends to open up sweetness and clarity, but can get thin if you push too far.
A practical starting point
- For most modern espresso roasts: start at 1:2.2.
- For darker, more traditional espresso: start at 1:2.
- For decaf: often 1:2.2 works nicely (decaf can show dryness if you keep it too short).
If the shot tastes “wrong” but not obviously under/over extracted, ratio is often the quickest fix.
2) Grind second: make it land in a sensible time window
Once ratio is chosen, grind is the lever that gets you into a workable extraction.
Your target isn’t a magic number. It’s this:
The shot should run in a time window where flavour changes are smooth and controllable.
If your espresso is running too fast (say, 18g in → 40g out in 18 seconds), you’re usually under-extracting. Grind finer.
If it’s too slow (same yield but in 45–55 seconds), you’re often over-extracting or choking the puck. Grind coarser.
How to read the cup (not just the clock)
Taste tells you what to do next:
- Sour, sharp, “green” acidity; thin body → likely under-extracted → grind a bit finer.
- Dry, harsh, woody bitterness; hollow finish → likely over-extracted → grind a bit coarser.
- Both sour and bitter at once → often channeling or uneven prep → improve distribution, check basket dose, then try a slightly coarser grind.
Small, measured changes win. On many grinders, the right adjustment is annoyingly tiny.
3) Temperature last: use it as a seasoning tool
Temperature is powerful, but it’s also a pain to control on some home machines — and it can mask the real issue.
Use temperature when you’re nearly there but the balance is off:
- Coffee tastes bright but not sweet enough → raise brew temp a touch.
- Coffee tastes harsh/dry → lower brew temp a touch.
If your machine doesn’t give easy temp control, don’t stress. You can do a lot with ratio + grind.
A dial-in loop you can actually repeat (in 3–4 shots)
Here’s a loop that doesn’t waste half a bag:
- Pick dose (keep it constant).
- Pick a ratio (start 1:2.2).
- Pull a shot. Note time + taste.
- Adjust grind to bring time into ~25–35 seconds.
- Once time is in range, adjust ratio slightly to shape flavour.
- Want more sweetness/clarity? Go a bit longer.
- Want more weight/chocolate? Go a bit shorter.
- Only then, consider temperature.
Write it down once you find a good setting: dose, yield, time, and a one-line taste note. Future-you will thank you.
Two common traps (and how to avoid them)
Trap 1: “Fixing” a sour shot by running it longer without changing anything else
If a shot is under-extracted because it ran too fast, simply letting it run longer can make it sour and bitter. Better move: grind finer so extraction improves across the puck.
Trap 2: Chasing crema
Crema is not a quality metric. It’s a texture and a visual. Some excellent coffees produce less. Focus on taste and balance.
If you want a shortcut: tell us your setup
Dial-in is always a partnership between the coffee and your equipment. If you tell us:
- grinder model
- basket size
- what drink you make most (straight espresso vs milk)
…we can suggest a starting recipe that gets you close fast.
Espresso coffees: https://salfordroasters.co.uk/collections/espresso
Decaf / low-caff: https://salfordroasters.co.uk/collections/decaffinated
Subscriptions: https://salfordroasters.co.uk/pages/subscriptions