Great write-up of your process! We grind daily for our large drip coffeemaker using quality oak-roasted beans - haven't found any better cup to start our day...although the allure of espresso or an Americano when you don't need a full carafe is appealing. We'll keep your advice in mind for when we build sufficient courage to give it a go!
Love this Sameh! If one sees grinding beans each time you want an espresso to be a chore, I say it’s worth the trouble. Better yet, you see it as meditative.
You were actually the one who introduced me to homemade espresso back in 2015 and I haven’t looked back since. I still keep my Nespresso around for when I just need something quick and reasonably decent. But when I turn to my Breville (twice a day minimum) and go through the full process of pulling a shot, the experience becomes something entirely different. The grinding, dialing in, tamping and pulling the shot has a rhythm to it. Saying it is satisfying would be an understatement. Like you said, it’s therapeutic even meditative. For me, it has become the main method I force-slow things down. The ritual is real.
In the spirit of chasing that elusive espresso shot we all crave, some call it the “God Shot". I was on the 18-gram bandwagon for a long time until I accidentally tried a 19-gram dose on my Breville 54mm portafilter. At first I assumed it was just expectation bias, that my brain was convincing me it tasted better because I wanted it to. But after repeating it enough times (coming up to two years now with 19g in and yield of 38-40g out), I’m convinced there’s actually something there. It extracts a little differently and, for me, consistently produces a more balanced shot and seems to unlock more of the bean itself. It was one of those small adjustments that quietly reset my baseline. I highly recommend explroing that 19g zone.
And in the spirit of the god shot, another minor technique that seemed to help was nudging the water temperature up by about 1°C and running a quick blank shot first. It warms the group head, the portafilter and the cup so everything starts from the same thermal state. This is probably more theatre than real, but feels like the stage for the final act of pulling that god shot is set.
Maybe some of all of this is expectation bias (I cannot tell), but at this point those steps have become part of my ritual. Espresso is fascinating that way. It’s such a tightly controlled system, yet the outcome can shift noticeably with tiny variables, a tenth of a gram more coffee, a hair of adjustment on the grinder, a degree of temperature, a few seconds of preheating.
That delicate balance between control and discovery is part of what keeps it interesting. Even after years of doing it, I still get those occasional moments when a shot comes together where everything aligns - pressure, temperature, grind, dose, timing. When that happens, the coffee reveals something that feels almost hidden within it and me - I feel complete and all is good in the world.
Great write-up of your process! We grind daily for our large drip coffeemaker using quality oak-roasted beans - haven't found any better cup to start our day...although the allure of espresso or an Americano when you don't need a full carafe is appealing. We'll keep your advice in mind for when we build sufficient courage to give it a go!
I love the drip too Jim, you can still keep it and make the espresso the supercharge!
Love this Sameh! If one sees grinding beans each time you want an espresso to be a chore, I say it’s worth the trouble. Better yet, you see it as meditative.
The 30 second countdown with the pressure needle at optimal range is the best part!
I really loved reading this.
You were actually the one who introduced me to homemade espresso back in 2015 and I haven’t looked back since. I still keep my Nespresso around for when I just need something quick and reasonably decent. But when I turn to my Breville (twice a day minimum) and go through the full process of pulling a shot, the experience becomes something entirely different. The grinding, dialing in, tamping and pulling the shot has a rhythm to it. Saying it is satisfying would be an understatement. Like you said, it’s therapeutic even meditative. For me, it has become the main method I force-slow things down. The ritual is real.
In the spirit of chasing that elusive espresso shot we all crave, some call it the “God Shot". I was on the 18-gram bandwagon for a long time until I accidentally tried a 19-gram dose on my Breville 54mm portafilter. At first I assumed it was just expectation bias, that my brain was convincing me it tasted better because I wanted it to. But after repeating it enough times (coming up to two years now with 19g in and yield of 38-40g out), I’m convinced there’s actually something there. It extracts a little differently and, for me, consistently produces a more balanced shot and seems to unlock more of the bean itself. It was one of those small adjustments that quietly reset my baseline. I highly recommend explroing that 19g zone.
And in the spirit of the god shot, another minor technique that seemed to help was nudging the water temperature up by about 1°C and running a quick blank shot first. It warms the group head, the portafilter and the cup so everything starts from the same thermal state. This is probably more theatre than real, but feels like the stage for the final act of pulling that god shot is set.
Maybe some of all of this is expectation bias (I cannot tell), but at this point those steps have become part of my ritual. Espresso is fascinating that way. It’s such a tightly controlled system, yet the outcome can shift noticeably with tiny variables, a tenth of a gram more coffee, a hair of adjustment on the grinder, a degree of temperature, a few seconds of preheating.
That delicate balance between control and discovery is part of what keeps it interesting. Even after years of doing it, I still get those occasional moments when a shot comes together where everything aligns - pressure, temperature, grind, dose, timing. When that happens, the coffee reveals something that feels almost hidden within it and me - I feel complete and all is good in the world.
Again, loved this post!
ps: sorry for my long comment