How Many Grams of Coffee for Espresso?
Updated
Match the dose to the basket, not to a rule: a basket is manufactured for a specific dose and is printed or sold with that rating. In practice that means roughly 7–9 g in a single basket and 16–20 g in a double, with 18 g the most common modern standard. Then aim for double the dose in liquid out.
The basket sets the dose
Baskets are made to a volume, and the correct dose is the one that fills that volume with a few millimetres of headroom below the shower screen. Over-fill and the puck presses against the screen, which causes channeling; under-fill and water pools above the bed and rushes through.
The headroom test is simple: after locking in and removing the portafilter, look at the dry puck. A clean surface with no screw imprint means the dose is right. A circular imprint means you are over by a gram or two.
Typical numbers
Single basket: about 7 to 9 g, yielding roughly 14 to 18 g of espresso.
Double basket: about 16 to 20 g, yielding roughly 32 to 40 g. Eighteen grams is the default on most modern 58 mm baskets.
Triple or large baskets: 21 g and up, mostly used commercially.
Pressurized dual-wall baskets: follow the manufacturer's figure. They create back-pressure artificially and are far less sensitive to dose than commercial baskets.
Why singles are harder
A single basket holds a shallower bed of coffee, which gives water less depth to travel through and much less margin for an uneven tamp. The same distribution error that a double absorbs will channel a single.
This is why most people, including most cafés, pull doubles and split them. If you want one small drink, pulling a double and discarding half is often more consistent than fighting a single basket.
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Frequently asked
- How many grams of coffee for a double espresso?
- Usually 16 to 20 g, with 18 g the most common standard on modern 58 mm double baskets. Use whatever your basket is rated for.
- What is the right espresso ratio?
- Roughly 1:2 — double the dry dose in liquid weight out. Ristretto is tighter at about 1:1.5, lungo looser at 1:3.
- Why is my single shot always bad?
- Single baskets hold a shallow bed with very little tolerance for an uneven tamp. Most people get better results pulling a double and splitting it.
- Do I need to weigh the dose?
- Yes, if you want repeatability. Volumetric scoops vary with grind size and bean density, so the same scoop is a different dose from bag to bag.