Espresso brew ratios: weighing the dose and the yield
A 1:2 espresso ratio means the drink weighs twice as much as the dry coffee. With an 18 g dose, aim for 36 g in the cup. Choose a dose that suits your basket and use the ratio as a starting point for tasting.
A 1:2 espresso ratio means the drink weighs twice as much as the dry coffee. With an 18 g dose, aim for 36 g in the cup. Choose a dose that suits your basket and use the ratio as a starting point for tasting.
What goes on the scale?
The dose is the weight of the dry coffee grounds in the basket. Here, yield means the weight of the finished drink. That number does not tell you how much coffee material dissolved. If a split spout fills two cups, weigh the cups together. Crema takes up a variable amount of space, so a volume mark is less useful for comparing shots.
Pull two shots and taste them side by side
Prepare the machine as usual and weigh your dose. Put the empty cup on the scale beneath the spout and tare it. Stop the shot near your target weight. A few drops can fall after you stop some machines. Record the weight you actually get.
For the second shot, keep the coffee, dose, grind and temperature the same and stop a little earlier. Try comparing 32 g with 36 g from an 18 g dose. Stir each shot, let both cool slightly and taste them in turn. Which one tastes more balanced to you?
Use your own basket size
Multiply your dose by the second number in the ratio. With 16 g of coffee, aim for 32 g at 1:2 or 40 g at 1:2.5. Start with the recommended dose for your basket. A shorter shot may taste more concentrated and sharper. The numbers let you repeat whichever one you prefer.
Keep a useful note
Write down the coffee, the dose, the yield and one observation, such as “16 g in, 34 g out, slightly harsh”. If you change the grind next time, keep the target yield steady so you can compare the result.
Source
Barista Hustle – Measuring espresso beverage weight
Related reading – How grind size changes coffee flavour