Nine steps from beans to a clean basket. Follow them in order, change one thing at a time, and let the open basket show you what to fix.
Starting recipe for a 54mm basket. For 51mm, start at 16 g in and double it out.
Weigh your beans for every shot. A good starting point is 18 g for a 54mm basket and 16 g for a 51mm basket, depending on the basket you use.
Grind straight into the portafilter. With the 51mm set, the magnetic dosing ring keeps the grounds where they belong.
Barista tipKeep the dose the same while you adjust everything else. Change one thing at a time.
Espresso needs a fine, even grind. If the shot runs fast and tastes sour, grind finer. If it runs slow and tastes bitter, grind coarser. Move in small steps.
Barista tipGrind right before you brew. Coffee loses aroma within minutes of grinding.
Clumps make channels. Use the WDT tool to stir the grounds in small circles through the full depth of the bed, from the bottom up, for 10–15 seconds.
You're aiming for fluffy, even grounds with no dense spots.
Barista tipHold the portafilter steady and keep the needles moving. Don't press down.
Give the portafilter a gentle tap or two on the mat so the bed settles flat. A level bed means the same amount of coffee everywhere, so water can't find an easy path through one side.
Rest the portafilter on the tamping mat. Set the tamper flat on the bed and press straight down, firmly, until the coffee stops compressing. Keep your wrist straight and the tamper level.
Barista tipConsistency beats force. Tamp the same way every time, then focus on grind.
Place the puck screen on top of the tamped coffee. It helps spread water evenly across the puck and keeps the shower screen of your machine cleaner.
Run a 2–3 second flush through the group head, wipe the basket rim, lock in the portafilter and start the shot right away.
A classic target is a 1:2 ratio: about 36 g of espresso from 18 g of coffee, in 25–30 seconds. Taste, then adjust.
Barista tipPut your cup on a scale. Watching grams is easier than guessing volume.
This is where bottomless pays off. Watch the underside of the basket:
Each of those points back to prep. The cards below show the most common causes and fixes.
Knock out the puck, rinse the basket and puck screen under warm water, and wipe the group head gasket. Run a short flush to clear leftover grounds.
Hand wash all parts and dry the wooden handle right away. No spouts means fewer corners for old coffee to hide in.
Barista tipBackflush and descale on the schedule in your machine's manual.
Spraying or uneven flow? Tap a card to flip from the cause to the fix.
Or raise the dose slightly. Aim for 25–30 seconds.
Or lower the dose slightly. Keep the ratio near 1:2.
WDT longer, level the bed, tamp flat, use the puck screen.
Twelve short lessons with videos, slides and try-it tools, from your first recipe to reading the shot and steaming milk.