Dose · yield · shot time
Espresso ratio calculator
Weigh the coffee in and the espresso out. Enter your dose for the yield to aim for, then use the dial-in table to adjust.
Your shot
- Ristretto 1:1.527 gin the cup, by weight
- Normale 1:236 gin the cup, by weight
- Lungo 1:354 gin the cup; a common starting point
- Shot time20–30 sthe heritage SCAA definition
A 18 g dose sits in the heritage definition’s range for a double (14–18 g).
Ratios, shot time and dialling in
An espresso ratio compares the drink’s weight with the dry coffee’s: 18 g in and 36 g out is 1:2. The SCA’s 25 Magazine describes ristretto at about 1:1.5 and a normale at 1:2, and a 2017 survey of 275 baristas by the Barista Guild and the SCA found an average of 1:2, with answers from 1:1.5 to 1:2.5. The lungo’s 1:3 is a common starting point rather than a published figure. Weigh the yield in the cup with a scale under it; the heritage SCAA definition of espresso adds a brew time of 20–30 seconds, water at 195–205 °F (90.5–96.1 °C) and 7–9 g of coffee for a single or 14–18 g for a double.
When a shot tastes wrong, change one thing at a time, pull another and taste again. These are rules of thumb that baristas use, not a standard; laboratory studies of filter coffee show that taste depends on both strength and extraction, so trust your palate over the table.
| The shot | Try first | Or |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, sharp or thin | Grind a little finer, so the water takes longer and extracts more. | Pull a longer ratio (more yield from the same dose). |
| Bitter, harsh or drying | Grind a little coarser, so the shot runs faster. | Pull a shorter ratio (stop the shot sooner). |
| Too fast (under 20 s) | Grind finer. | Check the dose fills your basket as intended, and tamp level and evenly. |
| Too slow (over 30 s) | Grind coarser. | Use a little less coffee if the basket is overfilled. |
Sources
- The beverage ratio (drink weight over dry coffee weight), with an 18 g dose giving 36 g at ratio 2 and ristretto at about 1.5: Water and Coffee Acidity, Marco Wellinger, SCA 25 Magazine, issue 9.
- The heritage SCAA definition of espresso (25–35 ml from 7–9 g, or 14–18 g for a double; water at 195–205 °F, 9–10 atmospheres; 20–30 seconds) and the 2017 Barista Guild / SCA survey of 275 baristas (average ratio 1:2, range 1:1.5 to 1:2.5): Defining the Ever-Changing Espresso, David Fasman, SCA 25 Magazine, issue 3.
- Taste depending on both brew strength and extraction (in drip coffee): Frost SC, Ristenpart WD, Guinard J-X. Effects of brew strength, brew yield, and roast on the sensory quality of drip brewed coffee. Journal of Food Science 85(8):2530–2543 (2020).
- The lungo’s 1:3 and the dial-in table are common barista practice, not figures from these sources.
Questions
Should I measure espresso by weight or volume?
By weight if you can. Crema makes volume hard to read, and most baristas in the SCA’s survey weighed their shots. A small scale under the cup shows when to stop.
What is the difference between ristretto, normale and lungo?
The same dose pulled to different yields. A ristretto stops early, at about one and a half times the dose; a normale is about double the dose; a lungo runs longer, often about three times the dose, for a larger and lighter shot.
What dose should I use?
Use the amount your basket is made for. The heritage SCAA definition gives 7–9 g for a single and 14–18 g for a double, and most baristas in the SCA’s survey dosed 18–20 g.