Perfect Espresso Dose

Prologue Why Volume Matters More Than Weight in an Espresso Basket Most people dose espresso by weight, but the height (or volume) of the grounds inside the basket is often a more meaningful factor for extraction quality. The reason is that espresso baskets are physical containers with a fixed internal geometry. When the puck is too tall, it compresses tightly against the shower screen; when it’s too short, water can disperse unevenly before hitting the coffee. Both issues can cause channeling, inconsistent flow, or muddy flavor. Different coffees—light vs. dark roast, coarse vs. fine grind, fresh vs. aging—have drastically different densities. Two doses that weigh exactly the same can occupy very different amounts of space in the basket. For example: A dense light roast ground finely settles low in the basket.A fluffy dark roast ground coarser rises significantly higher, sometimes high enough to physically touch the shower screen. Even though both doses might weigh 18 g, the puck volu