Hi all,

For the longest time I was under the impression that the baseline target for brewing espresso could be achieved by producing the correct amount of espresso in 30 seconds -- 1oz for a single basket, or 2oz for a double basket (I can't recall exactly where I read this).

however, recently I have been looking at charts for extraction ratios, and I see the following:
ristretto - 100% (60-140%)
espresso - 50% (40-60%)
lungo - 33% (27-40%)
cafe crema - 14% (12-16%)
drip - 5.5% (5-6%)

now, with my synesso basket, the sweet spot seems to be 17g for a double.. meaning I should be expecting somewhere around 34g of espresso as a result (in other words, just barely over 1oz for a double basket).

Now I realize these are all just rules of thumb, but that's a fairly large difference.
What's the current common wisdom on a baseline target from which you would start to make smaller variations?

I assume it is per espresso. A double basket would be a double espresso.

gegtik wrote:now, with my synesso basket, the sweet spot seems to be 17g for a double.. meaning I should be expecting somewhere around 34g of espresso as a result (in other words, just barely over 1oz for a double basket).

Now I realize these are all just rules of thumb, but that's a fairly large difference.
What's the current common wisdom on a baseline target from which you would start to make smaller variations?

You probably know this, but your 34g (mass/weight) of espresso is a different measurement than 1oz (volume).

A two ounce volume shot of fresh espresso with good crema will weigh about 30 grams. In other words, the density of espresso + crema is about 1/2 of water or liquid coffee. This ratio is is the norm for a regular double espresso.

I see -- so when I see a guideline calling for 2oz in 30 seconds, we aren't talking about 2oz by weight, but purely by volume including crema.

Thanks guys -- I was getting confused, because it seemed like measuring by volume would be so variable based on the bean used, whether I was using a spouted PF vs. naked, and just how newly roasted the beans were.