Palouse Coffee Club
Quick answer: the numbers for a double shot
To make espresso at home, grind about 14 g of coffee fine, tamp it level, and pull about 28 g of espresso in 20 to 30 seconds. Taste, then change the grind until the shot runs in that window and tastes sweet rather than sour or bitter.
| What | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dose (ground coffee) | About 14 g for a double, about 7 g for a single | Wikipedia, Espresso |
| Ratio (coffee in to espresso out, by weight) | 1:2, so 14 g in gives about 28 g out | National Coffee Association |
| Shot time | 20 to 30 seconds | National Coffee Association |
| Grind | Fine, like table salt | National Coffee Association |
| Water temperature | 88 °C, give or take 2 degrees (about 190 °F) | Wikipedia, Espresso (the Italian standard) |
| Pressure | 9 bar, give or take 1 | Wikipedia, Espresso (the Italian standard) |
The National Coffee Association lists three pieces of kit: an espresso machine, a scale, and a grinder, which it calls optional but preferred. Weighing the coffee and the shot is what makes the next shot repeatable.
Step by step
- Turn the machine on and let it heat fully, with the portafilter locked in so it warms too.
- Weigh 14 g of whole beans and grind them fine, right before brewing. Ground coffee goes stale faster than beans because more of it is exposed to air.
- Dry the basket, add the grounds and level them with a finger or a tap on the counter.
- Tamp straight down into a flat, firm puck. An even tamp lets the water pass through the coffee evenly.
- Lock the portafilter in, put the cup on the scale, zero it and start the shot and a timer together.
- Stop at about 28 g. Note the time.
- Look for a layer of crema on top, and taste the shot before you add milk.
Change one thing at a time, and write it down. The grind is the main dial. The dose and the ratio stay put while you find the right grind for a new bag.
Troubleshooting
Sour and bitter shots are extraction problems. Wikipedia's article on coffee extraction explains the pattern: acids come out of the coffee first, so a shot that stops too early tastes sour, and bitter compounds come out after the acids and sugars, so a shot that runs too long tastes bitter. A finer grind extracts faster and a longer time extracts more.
| What you see or taste | Likely cause | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Shot done in under 20 seconds, tastes sour or thin | Under-extracted: grind too coarse | Grind finer |
| Shot takes over 30 seconds, tastes bitter or dry | Over-extracted: grind too fine | Grind coarser |
| Right time, tastes fine, but too strong or too weak | Strength, not extraction | Change the ratio: stop a little later for a lighter shot, earlier for a stronger one |
| Coffee runs faster from one side of the basket | Grounds not level, or a tilted tamp | Level the grounds and tamp flat |
| Little or no crema | Old beans have lost the gas that forms it | Use beans closer to their roast date |
Strength and extraction are different things. Wikipedia's extraction article notes that adding water after brewing changes how strong a drink is, but not how much was extracted.
Which beans to use
You can brew any coffee as espresso. The National Coffee Association says espresso roast is not a specific roast level: a roaster labels a coffee espresso when it thinks that roast will serve the method best. Our post on espresso beans vs coffee beans goes into that.
For freshness, the National Coffee Association puts the peak at about 2 to 7 days after roasting. Buy whole beans and grind per shot.
Washington State roasters we list sell espresso blends built for this, checked September 27, 2026. Espresso Vivace in Seattle, where espresso is the focus, makes Vita for lattes and Dolce for straight shots. Zoka in Bellingham sells Espresso Paladino and Espresso Cuatro, both also in decaf. Bluebeard in Tacoma has The Narrows Espresso Blend, Herkimer on Phinney Ridge sells a plain Espresso Blend, and Indaba in Spokane tags its High Drive and Bowl and Pitcher blends for espresso. Olympia Coffee Roasting sells Big Truck as its espresso blend, along with a Signature Espresso Bundle. Kuma in Seattle goes the other way and sells a roaster's choice single origin espresso. Each is roasted by a small Washington crew, and buying their beans keeps that work here. Our page on why local roasters matter explains why that counts.
Espresso at home: questions
How much coffee goes in a double shot?
About 14 g of ground coffee, according to Wikipedia's espresso article. A single uses about 7 g.
How long should an espresso shot take?
20 to 30 seconds of contact between water and coffee, according to the National Coffee Association. The Italian standard cited on Wikipedia is 25 seconds, give or take 5.
How much caffeine is in a shot?
About 63 mg in a 1 ounce shot, according to the National Coffee Association, against 12 to 16 mg per ounce for brewed coffee.
Do I need a grinder?
The National Coffee Association calls a grinder optional but preferred. Espresso needs a fine, even grind, and grinding your own lets you adjust it for each new bag.
Espresso beans from Washington State roasters
Palouse Coffee Club can send beans for your machine: choose the espresso style and whole bean, and every 2 or 4 weeks a different independent Washington roaster roasts a 12 oz bag to order. $16.99 a bag. First bag free, you pay $7.99 shipping. See the espresso subscription.
Sources
- Ratio, time, grind, equipment and caffeine: National Coffee Association, Espresso
- Espresso roast and freshness after roasting: National Coffee Association, Coffee roasts
- Dose, temperature, pressure, the Italian standard and crema: Wikipedia, Espresso
- Sour and bitter, grind and time, strength vs extraction: Wikipedia, Coffee extraction
- Ground coffee staling faster than beans: Wikipedia, Coffee preparation
- Washington roasters' espresso coffees: each roaster's own shop, as recorded on its profile on this site, checked 2026-09-27