Espresso Brewing Time and Shot Quality

The perfect brewing time for an espresso shot is 20 to 30 seconds. A double shot should take 20-30 seconds to brew. Most machines apply a given pressure to a given water volume, which is resisted by the espresso. If the shot comes out too fast, grind finer as the coarser the coffee the faster the flow.

A properly adjusted and well-maintained machine will consistently pour shots in 10 seconds. A barista who understands the 10-second rule knows how to pour the perfect shot of espresso. The grind size of the coffee can affect the 10-second rule.

A perfect espresso shot should have four qualities: crema, aroma, body, and flavor. Crema is the foam on top of the espresso shot. The aroma should be strong and pleasant.

The brew ratio we’ll follow today is 20g of ground coffee to 30g of liquid espresso. Time ties everything together the total number of seconds a shot takes. If your operating pump pressure is set too low, your coffee will dispense too slowly or sometimes it won’t dispense at all.

Factors Affecting Espresso Quality

Espresso loses most of its flavor within 30 minutes of pulling, but peak flavor is lost in less than ten minutes. Time is the least important variable in any espresso recipe, but it can still make or break an espresso. You need contact time to extract flavour; to bring out the sweetness and complexity of a coffee.

The vast majority of espressos made in today’s coffeehouses will have a time somewhere between 22 and 40 seconds. It is important that you always reach the recommended extraction time of 25-30 seconds for a well-extracted espresso shot. Always taste every extraction and take notes if this is your first time and you are experimenting with your coffee.