Hi all,

In all the books, articles, etc I've read on the subject of espresso making, the standard was always (for a double) 14 grams over 25-30 seconds to produce 2 oz.

In calling around to find the different parameters of the coffee beans I use here is what I have come up with:

Stumptown: 18-20 grams over 23-28 sec for a 1.5 shot

Counter Culture: 18-19 grams over 18-22 sec for 1 oz shot

Metropolis Redline: 22 grams over 23-25 sec for a 1.5 oz shot

and a local place I frequent (in Culver City, CA called:

Conservatory for Coffee: 18 grams over 23-28 sec for 1.5 oz.

Is updosing the new standard?

As always, thank you all in advance.

Steve

PS: BTW, when doing it "their" way, I get much better tasting shots.

Every coffee is different, just as every machine and grinder is different. Lately the trend has been high doses with long rest times on most blends. Next year it may be different depending on what the coffee crop is like. Most of those parameters are also for their commercial grinder and most often a big La Marzocco espresso machine. I would take their numbers as a starting point, then find what works best for your kit.

The places pulling coffee with 18+ gram doses are also using coffee that is blended/roasted to be used in that way. So if it is pulling better with a high dose, it is likely because it was designed to do so. Many (most?) NA roasters are following this trend. How to make an espresso best will always depend on what suits the coffee and tools you are using, and of course your taste as well. Most of our tools are designed by Italians for 14g, and most of our coffees (in NA) for 18+g. I generally follow the roasters intent, and for our location at least, I suppose that does imply a new standard (which an Italian will promptly tell you is wrong).

A single espresso is a mere 25 to 30 ml, with a ristretto being 20 ml (brewed in the same amount of time) and a luongo at about 50 ml. Six-and-a-half to seven grams of very finely ground, heavily tamped coffee is typically used for theses doses. Water temperature should be around 194° F. Pressure should be around nine atmospheres. Brewing time should be between 20 to 30 seconds.

I found the above statement on the Terroir coffee website. That low dose recommendation surprised me.

That sounds less like a recommendation and more like a definition.

you need something to live up in a 9oz latte and a 14g won't give you that. If people stop buying latte and smaller drink, than probably it will go down, but as the other said, it's the roaster who designed it.

If you don't want to go as high of a dose, do it in single.

I would add intelligentsia. This seems to be a little more normal.


Black Cat Classic Espresso
17 - 18 grams

198 F

27 - 29 Seconds

1.9 fluid ounces

Interesting question! I think you are right on this. I think quite a few are updosing in a way by using traditional weights (that fit the home double basket) and brewing smaller and smaller shot weights.

From a purely marketing point of view, bigger doses = more coffee used = more coffee sold...