Home Espresso Help

1. Check the markings on the basket. If your double basket says 16–18 g, pick one dose within that range, such as 17 g.
2. Put the empty, dry portafilter on your scales and zero them. Add ground coffee until the scales show 17 g, or the dose you chose.
3. Use that weight for each test shot. Without scales, use the same number of level scoops each time and check the fill against your basket’s guide.

1. With a single-wall double basket and your own grinder, start with the basket’s recommended dose. An 18 g basket is a good match for Northside’s starting recipe of 18 g of coffee and 36 g of espresso in the cup.
2. Spread the grounds evenly and tamp level. Zero your scales with the cup in place and time the shot from pressing brew. Stop at your chosen espresso weight.
3. Stir and taste. Around 25–32 seconds is a useful starting point for this recipe. If the cup tastes good, keep the setting. When you change the grind, keep both weights steady.

See Northside’s espresso recipe

1. Stir the shot and let it cool for a moment. If the sharpness overwhelms the sweetness, note how quickly it reached your usual cup weight.
2. If it ran fast and you grind your own coffee for a single-wall basket, try one small step finer. Keep the dose and the amount in the cup the same.
3. If the flow was even and close to your usual time, leave the grind alone. Instead, let a little more espresso into the cup. Taste it beside the first shot.

1. Taste the espresso before adding milk. If it took much longer than usual to reach the same weight, check that you used your usual dose.
2. For a slow shot with a single-wall basket and adjustable grinder, try one small step coarser. Brew to the same cup weight and compare.
3. If the shot flowed evenly at its usual speed, keep the grind and stop the next pour a little earlier. Taste for a sweeter finish.

1. Taste the espresso on its own. If it only tastes weak after you add milk, try the same shot with a little less milk.
2. If the espresso itself is thin, keep the dose and grind the same. Stop the next shot a little earlier so there is less liquid in the cup.
3. If it also rushed through and tasted sharp, use the quiz’s fast-pour route for your basket and coffee.

1. Watch the next pour. When water finds an easy path through the coffee, some grounds can give up too little flavour and others too much.
2. With a portafilter, start with a clean, dry basket. Spread the grounds evenly to the edges, tamp level, then lock the handle in gently.
3. Repeat with the same dose, grind and cup weight. Once two shots pour similarly, taste again and decide which flavour you want to change.

1. Check which basket your machine recommends for ready-ground coffee. Many home machines supply a pressurised basket, also called a dual-wall basket.
2. Use the recommended fill and keep it consistent. If the cup feels thin, keep the same basket and dose and try stopping the pour a little earlier.
3. If it repeatedly gushes or barely drips, tell your roaster which machine and basket you use, and how the shot poured. This helps them choose a grind for your next bag.

1. Brew a plain espresso using the short programme or the serving size marked on the capsule. Use the same cup and taste before adding milk.
2. On a bean-to-cup machine, if the espresso is thin, try one higher aroma or coffee-strength setting if your model offers it. Keep the drink volume the same.
3. On a capsule machine, compare two coffees at the same recommended serving size. For a milk drink, try a little less milk first.