How to Pull a Decent Espresso at Home

Home espresso has a reputation for being fiddly. It doesn't have to be. Here's the short version of what actually matters.

The basics

A good espresso is 18–20g of coffee producing 36–40g of liquid in 25–30 seconds. That's it. Everything else is in service of hitting those numbers consistently.

Grind fine, but not powder-fine

Espresso needs a fine grind — finer than filter, finer than cafetière. It should clump slightly when you pinch it. If water shoots through in under 20 seconds, go finer. If nothing comes out, go coarser.

Dose and tamp consistently

Use the same amount of coffee every time. Tamp with even, firm pressure — not brutal, just firm. An uneven tamp = channelling = sour espresso. Don't overthink it, just be consistent.

Water temperature

Aim for 90–96°C. Most home machines handle this automatically. If your machine has a steam boiler, wait 30 seconds after steaming before pulling a shot — the boiler will have overheated slightly.

Taste it, adjust it

• Sour / thin? Under-extracted. Grind finer or use more coffee.
• Bitter / harsh? Over-extracted. Grind coarser or reduce dose slightly.
• Just right? Write down what you did. Seriously.

Which coffee?

Our Everyday Blend and Dark Horse are both dialled in for espresso. Medium-dark roasts pull more consistently on home machines than light roasts.