Espresso Dial-In A guide to your best shot

Dialling in is simply a conversation with the coffee. Start from the recipe below, taste, change one thing, and taste again. Work down the chart in order — recipe, grind, body, balance, clarity — and stop when the shot tastes sweet and clear.

1. Set Your Starting Recipe

Match the dose and ratio to the roast in front of you

Roast Level 1 Light Roast / Delicate 20g in → 44g out 1:2.2 ratio
Roast Levels 2 — 4 Medium Roast / Balanced 20g in → 40g out 1:2 ratio
Roast Levels 5 — 6 Dark Roast / Rich 20g in → 36g out 1:1.8 ratio

2. Set Grind Size

Pull a shot, weigh the yield, time it from the first drop

Under 25 Seconds grind finer & re-brew
25 — 32 Seconds target
Over 32 Seconds grind coarser & re-brew

3. Assess Body

How the shot feels in the mouth — weight and texture, not flavour

Too Heavy / Syrupy re-brew & increase yield
Add 2 — 4g to the yield. Lengthens the shot and thins the texture.
Good Body target
Too Light / Watery re-brew & decrease yield
Take 2 — 4g off the yield, or raise the dose by 0.5g.

4. Assess Balance

Sour means too little extraction. Bitter and dry means too much.

Sour / Sharp / Thin Finish under-extracted
Grind finer

One step at a time. Raises extraction and builds sweetness.

+1°C

If the grind is already at its limit, add heat before changing the ratio.

Sweet & Balanced target
Bitter / Dry / Ashy over-extracted
Grind coarser

Pulls extraction back and lifts clarity and acidity.

−1°C

Or shorten the yield slightly to stop before the drying tail.

5. Assess Clarity & Intensity

The final polish — how clearly the coffee’s character comes through

Muddled / Lacking Clarity lengthen the ratio
Push toward 1:2.4 and grind a touch finer. Check the basket, distribution and tamp before chasing it further.
Sweet, Clear, Repeatable log it & serve
Too Intense / Harsh shorten the ratio
Pull back toward 1:1.8, or drop the brew temperature by 1°C and taste again.
Dialled In Write down the dose, yield, time, grind setting and temperature.
Re-check after 30 minutes, and again the next morning — coffee keeps moving as it ages.
Sharp Coffee Roasters — Espresso Dial-In Change one variable at a time