Make the perfect Espresso

You will need:

Some delicious Wimborne Coffee, espresso machine, tamper, scales (handy, but not required, and a timer, or your phone!

Espresso machines vary a lot in the pressure and the size of machine, so the following is just some guidance, rather than an exact recipe to follow.

Start with a recipe
We use a 18g dose with a 28 second pour time aiming for a 35-40ml yield (see more on this below), but this may vary depending on the basket size in your portafilter.

How much can your basket hold?
You need to get the correct weight for your basket, to do this, loosely fill the basket with coffee and then wipe over the top with your finger to brush off any excess before tamping. This will make sure that once you’ve tamped there will be enough space for the grounds to expand once the water hits them.

Tamp your coffee
You want to make sure your grounds are compacted and even. Pop your portafilter on the side to ensure it doesn't move, and then tamp down until you can feel some resistance. Once you've done this a few times, you;ll start to feel how hard you need to push. Alternatively you can buy tampers which are spring loaded to give you a consistent tamp each time!

If you have a wonky tamp or there are cracks in the coffee then you won’t get a great extraction as the water will run to one side, so ensure this is done correctly. This graph might help.

Time it right
You want to aim for a 25-30 second extraction and for your yield (this part if the amount of liquid coffee that comes out) to be double your dose (the ground coffee that you've put in your basket). This stays the same whether your dose weight is 14g or 20g, as it give enough time for the flavours to extract.

Freshness counts
If you can always grind your coffee fresh – this gives you the chance to adjust the grind size if needed and will automatically give you a tastier brew.

Having said that, if you only have pre-ground coffee then adjusting the dose will help you control the speed of extraction. Always try and tamp firmly and evenly and try to stick to the 1:2 ratio of dose to yield if possible.

Check the weight
If you weigh (both dose and yield) and time each shot then it will help you stick to a recipe easier and have more consistent shots.

Keep an eye on your puck
If your puck (the extracted coffee from the basket) stays in one piece when you knock it out it’s a good sign you’re tamping and dosing well.