Newbie - double shot, low volume?

#1: Post by **AiC73** » April 12th, 2023, 1:10 pm

Hi -
newbie!

I have a new Breville Bambino Plus.

I am brewing a double shot (of course!).

The espresso takes about 12seconds to start flowing. All in all, takes about 30 seconds before stopping. Seems to flow OK. I think OK I guess. The crema seems to be there and reasonable. I have not tasted it by itself - only with steamed milk - and again seems reasonable.

Main question is about volume. If I measure out 2oz of water in a separate glass. The amount of espresso I get seems to be quite a bit lower - maybe even half that (I can do it again to test). Is that normal?

Thx

#2: Post by **tennisman03110** » April 12th, 2023, 3:29 pm

Short answer -- yes, a standard double shot (and I hate standardizing it) is somewhere just over a volumetric ounce.

A liquid ounce of espresso, once crema has been stirred down, should weigh about 28.5 grams.

You'll find almost everyone who is serious about espresso measures in grams. It's much more accurate. I.e. 18 grams in (coffee in basket) and 36 grams out (weight of espresso in cup). Or better yet, "measure" by taste and adjust from there. Time and volume are less important.

Sounds like you are using the double shot button on your machine. That is really just a timed operation...I'd recommend you use manual mode instead.

P.S. There is plenty of good stuff to read here.

#3: Post by **espressoren** » April 12th, 2023, 3:57 pm

The Bambino is supposed to be volumetric, however if you're comparing volume with a portafilter to without you're of course leaving some water behind in the puck. You can actually adjust the programmed volume for each of the buttons as well, my suggestion would be to try and dial it in and program a button to the volume of your liking. I have a bambino I use for travel and have the single shot button giving me about 45g output in the cup.

May 17th, 2023, 12:34 pm

Hello -

So, i finally got a scale.

I have done 2 double shots - first around 19g coffee. 2nd around 21g coffee.

Both resulted in liquid that weighed 43g to 44g. So, seems about right I guess? It's a bit over the 2:1 ratio but the espresso seems fine to me. So, not sure if worth it to try to change the extraction time to get exactly to 2:1. Or is it worth it??

.

New problem now is my latte machiatto doesn't really having layering after I pour in the espresso. Have to google that.

thanks.

#5: Post by **Jeff** » May 17th, 2023, 2:14 pm

Short answer, if it tastes good to you, probably not

Layering is an interesting phenomena. As I vaguely recall, it only happens if you add espresso to milk, not the other way around. I've never considered it as related to flavor of the beverage.