timoseewho wrote:i've always wondered something too, slightly offtopic but, when i split a double espresso shot, do i end up with 2 single espresso shots? or does it not work that way?

No, you have two half doubles. Each of the two singles made from a split double will taste the same as the full double.

A true single will taste different than the double if you use 1/2 the dose of the double and grind finer to get the same flow rate as the double. This is because changes in grind usually impact flavor, often significantly.

But if you make the single by dosing it according to the ratio of the hole areas of the single and double baskets, you don't have to change the grind and the single will taste the same as the double. Here's Jim Schulman's post on how to do it.

I don't make split doubles much because there can be uneven flow through the two spouts. I've done split shots where coffee came out of one spout for a few seconds before it started coming out of the other spout. That's bound to change the volume, brew ratio and flavor in each cup.

insightful, thanks!

i'm assuming when i order a double shot espresso at a cafe, i'm getting it from a double sprouted just going into 1 cup then?

timoseewho wrote:i'm assuming when i order a double shot espresso at a cafe, i'm getting it from a double sprouted just going into 1 cup then?

Most of the cafes I've visited in the USA use double-spouted portafilters to make a double. That gives them the most flexibility for making doubles and split singles with the same portafilter.

That said, I've been to high-end cafes that use bottomless portafilters. Those places are more likely use scales to weigh the shot, too. Typically this means they care about the quality of their straight shots, but it all depends on the coffee they're pulling and the person doing the pulling.

I don't have data, but my guess is that cafes rarely pull singles with single baskets due to the required grind change and the difficulty of properly distributing into a single basket.