Finding the Perfect Espresso Recipe

That elusive espresso recipe. Does it exist? Well, no. But also yes? There's no magic number but we can help you find the number(s, there may be multiple after all) that work for you. Join tech extraordinaire Julia for another deep dive into perfecting home espresso.
1:23 - Extraction
2:16 - Brew Ratio
3:43 - Time
5:31- Under Extraction
6:07 - Over Extraction
Our setup for this video:
Profitec Pro 700 Dual Boiler espresso machine: bit.ly/3C2tkOd
Eureka Oro Mignon XL espresso grinder: bit.ly/33TMBnK
For more knowledge on all things espresso, check out our blog: clivecoffee.co...
Your Guide To Perfect Home Espresso
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[@penultimatename6677]

All excellent points. I might add. It may be the grinder. No matter the recipe the grinder can hold back the flavors. A grinder that cannot produce a uniform cut, not very fluffy will likely produce a coffee with little body or flavor. My recommendation for newbies. Spend a month following a recipe but don't stress. Work on the distribution and tamping. Make a hundred beyond disgusting shots of coffee. Then slowly notice the tweaks. After a month then start to notice the differences and what is starting to work and what does not work. I knew I would make terrible shots. To the point when using a bottomless portafilter I thought I was taking a shower. I slowly discovered how to tamp in order to not create channels. Then the shots started to become remarkable.

[@clivecoffee]

This is great!! We totally agree.

[@CH-yp5by]

Great video but a simple rule with time is the roast profile makes a big difference! If its dark you do not need to extract it so much as its more porous than light roast so 25sec to 28 max and of course the temp needs to be lower like 90 degrees C.

[@acm...]

Fantastic video! So well explained. I've gotten into home espresso a month back and this video has given me a lot of information to help tweak my recipe to improve. Great job Julia and everyone at Clive coffee 👍👍👍

[@TTweten77]

One thing I have learned over the years is that most people without pro-sumer or professional equipment may suffer from un-even extraction, an agressively sour but also bitter shot. It leaves people scratching their heads when they grind finer, and then it ends up being worse and maybe pulling even faster. Sadly the solution to this problem is almost always spending the big bucks and getting better equipment or distribution tools. But, I have found that almost comically long pre-infusions (think 10-20 seconds) actually prevent channeling caused by cheap grinders and aggressive espresso appliance pumps..love the videos, I always learn new things and appreciate coffee more than I used to :)

[@clivecoffee]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@johannes4518]

Thanks for getting larger and smaller ratios the right way round! I’m always furious when educators get this wrong.

[@Presso99]

Absolutely great video, especially explaining the step by step approach. Bravo!!

[@clivecoffee]

Glad it was helpful!

[@hosseinshooli5452]

A super helpful tutorial on brewing ratios!! Thank you Julia!!

[@allanbailey5179]

Brilliant video👍🏻 especially for a frustrated newbie like myself, thank you so much.

[@clivecoffee]

So happy to hear!

[@babackd.6485]

Another Great video 😊. Thank you

[@abrisvegas]

Thank you!

[@clivecoffee]

Glad it's helpful!

[@ahmxtb]

The Harken Coffee guy (inventor Aesir filters) in Vancouver,BC pulls 2-minute shots. You should give him a visit sometime ;-)

[@natick4]

Assuredly water hardness affects extractions and flavor profile?

[@clivecoffee]

Of course.

[@Lucio88K89]

Hi you mention 25-30 seconds approximately t get the right balance, is that for all ratios?

[@clivecoffee]

25-30 seconds is a great starting point for any ratio and type of coffee but don't be afraid to go outside that time frame!

[@Dejan_23Unlimited]

Good video 👍🏼

[@clivecoffee]

Thanks!

[@rebekahclevenger3484]

So you choose the ratio based on preference and dial in to taste. What if ive done that, and get a sour shot at one time, and a bitter one 2 seconds different? Time to change the ratio?

[@clivecoffee]

Yep! it takes a lot of practice, tasting, and troubleshooting.

[@dannyve4982]

I'm waiting for my Gaggia Evo Pro in the mail. Currently using an old Breville 800ESXL (older model, which I believe now is called the Duo Temp Pro) which has a pressurized basket and I believe 15 bars of pressure meaning that my shots obviously take no time since the liquid comes out rather quickly. I've dialed my Breville Smart Grinder down to size of 6 as of now, and I'm pulling a 1:3 in about 20seconds. I'm wondering if this system causes my coffee to under extract as there is less water to coffee contact time. Looking forward to trying my new gear. Thank you for these great video's :) Cheers!

[@clivecoffee]

It most likely could be! We do not stock those those specific grinders or machines.

[@dannyve4982]

I meant 15 bars, not 25. Yikes. Cool thanks for the quick reply. Any good grinders you recommend?

[@clivecoffee]

Check this one out: clivecoffee.com/products/eureka-oro-mignon-single-dose-espresso-grinder?variant=39749971148888@@dannyve4982

[@williamkuang3053]

If I got the right taste on settings for a 1:2 ratio, do I simply adjust the extraction time for a 1:1 ratio? Or do I also need to fiddle with the grind size as well?

[@clivecoffee]

If you didn't adjust your grind size, the timing for a 1:1 would be different than the 1:2 - shorter brew times and likely, under-extracted. If you're going to pull a different shot type, you'll want to change your grind size. We have some videos coming up this month that will cover this in detail.

[@antoniopalmagomes272]

Thanks a lot for the video! I wonder doesn't time of extraction also greatly depends on the extraction pressure used? I would expect that for the exact same dose, comparing an 8 bar extraction with an 15 bar extraction, I'll get my yield faster with a 15bar. Am I wrong?

[@clivecoffee]

Yes, ideally, you're not pulling shots at 15 bar pressure. If you are, then there is something very wrong with your espresso machine.

[@nuovosalario]

If I wanna make 2 espressos simultaneously (double spout), how can I still respect those ratios? Let's say I dose 16 grams, the 1:1.5 ratio would be like 10 grams per espresso. Is that possible or should I make it longer in that case?

[@JamesRobinson01]

I would personally put both espresso glasses on one set of scales and weigh to total output to ratio (24g out for 16g in at a 1:1.5). Though in reality if you are making two milk drinks they might not both fit on the scales so you can just weigh one glass (12g then). Though swap what side you weigh a few times to see if you’re channeling to one spout too!

[@nuovosalario]

@@JamesRobinson01 24g total equals to 12g per espresso. Is that enough?

[@JamesRobinson01]

@@nuovosalario for a single shot yes, though if you're drinking short black you'll probably want to have a double and do this twice.

[@_JD3]

Make one at a time to control the shot

[@jimmyth92]

Which filter basket from IMS do you use for 20 gramm. Thank you and great Video.

[@clivecoffee]

The triple! clivecoffee.com/products/ims-precision-baskets?variant=39974199656536

[@zegna39]

Great video! Can I ask the brand(or name)of the glass espresso cup in this video? Thanks!

[@clivecoffee]

That is the notNeutral Vero glass - a favorite here at Clive! clivecoffee.com/products/notneutral-vero-cortado-glass

[@scottlemk9111]

I have a couple of them, and they are excellent. Pictures and even videos don’t quite do them justice until you hold one in your hands.

[@i.8885]

I find anything more than 25" will be much more bitter. Even at 26" it's more bitter than 25". So all I do is let the shot run exactly 25" and see how many grams I have. If it's less than I want then I grind coarser, if it's more then I grind finer

[@clivecoffee]

It may be easier to shoot for a specific output in grams within a certain timeframe. Time is a pretty easy variable to alter without altering your entire espresso recipe.

[@Sweetviews81]

Isn’t the ratio 1:2 Or 1:2.5 to extract a shot?

[@clivecoffee]

yes.

[@mountopia77]

Sounds like every other video.

[@qamarsohail7153]

「こんなにいいとは思えない」、

[@davidclark9086]

I started watching this but she threw out so many variables so I stopped watching.

[@clivecoffee]

You should try again! Making espresso takes practice.

[@EdBaumann]

Nothing about temperature

[@clivecoffee]

We have other content on that specifically on out website.

[@everythingsawesome]

Congratulations, you made a 7-minute video saying pretty much nothing and contradicting your video's title, weee.

[@The_Real_ZC]

Super useful contribution