Espresso

1.

Preheat machine and portafilter. Purge group head with hot water for a few seconds. We recommend water temperature somewhere around 200 degrees F for a medium roast like our Good Vibes blend. For darker roasts you may want cooler water, and for lighter roasts you may want to go even hotter, though it really depends on your specific setup.

2.

Grind the coffee quite fine, but probably not as fine as your grinder will go.

3.

Evenly distribute the coffee in the portafilter basket by tapping a bit on each side with your hand.

4.

Tamp the grounds down evenly. Tremendous pressure is not necessary, but more pressure is safer (coffee-wise) than less pressure.

5.

Insert portafilter into group, place your cup on a scale under the group, and start shot. If your machine offers pre-infusion, pre-infuse until the puck is fully saturated - some droplets should actually start falling into your cup, then turn the pump on.

6.

Stop the shot when the scale reads a few grams shy of your desired yield (liquid will keep dripping into the cup for a second or so). If you're using a 15g dose, we recommend starting at a 42g yield (1 to 2.8 ratio) or even higher you are using one of our single origin coffees. For our Good Vibes blend, something closer to 1:2 ratio is a good starting point. The appropriate amount of time for your shot to reach this yield depends heavily on your grinder, your water, and your espresso machine's pre-infusion capabilities, among other factors. It may range anywhere from 16-60 seconds. Use your taste buds as a guide.

7.

If the espresso tastes sour and watery, grind finer. If it tastes sour and strong, increase yield. If it tastes strong and bitter, grind coarser. If it tastes weak and bitter, reduce yield. Don't adjust your dose unless the grounds are contacting the basket (decrease dose), or you can't grind fine enough to get enough extraction (increase dose...and therefore yield as well to keep your ratio the same).