Is a 15 or 20 bar espresso machine better?
Espresso’s crema and flavor are largely determined by the pressure used to brew it. Machines with 20-bar or 15-bar pumps deliver 9 bars during extraction to ensure a flavorful and smooth cup. The extra power of a 20-bar espresso machine may compensate for inconsistent grind size or tamping. Let’s say you are brewing a double shot espresso (1:2 ratio); you should expect the total ground coffee to equal 18 – 20 grams. Dosing your coffee also refers to correctly choosing your grind size, as your grind size will significantly impact your extraction yield and shot time.It’s the ratio of ground coffee to liquid coffee. So, a 1:2 ratio means that for every gram of coffee in your basket, we’re expecting 2 grams of liquid espresso out. Is the time it takes for your target yield to enter your cup.The standard “golden ratio” for coffee is 1:16 – that’s one part coffee to 16 parts water by weight. For example, if you’re using 20 grams of coffee, you’ll need 320 grams (or milliliters) of water. This ratio is a great starting point for most brewing methods and balances strength and flavor.The 30-second extraction rule suggests that a well-balanced espresso shot should take approximately 25-30 seconds to extract when using 18-20 grams of ground coffee and yielding about 30-40 milliliters of espresso.