Guides

Short, practical, no gear worship. Written for people who already own a scale.

Workflow

How to Dial In Espresso: The Order of Operations

Set the yield, fix the grind, taste, repeat. Includes the three-shot rule for grinder retention and a troubleshooting table that separates channelling from bad grind.

22 October 20269 min read
Basics

Espresso Ratio Explained: Ristretto to Lungo

Why ratio is measured by weight and not volume, the four ratios that matter, and why dark roasts want a shorter shot than light ones.

22 October 20266 min read

How much caffeine is in your coffee

Caffeine by method and cup size, with the variables that move it.

Water temperature for coffee

92°C vs 96°C, and whether boiling water ruins coffee.

Why your coffee tastes bitter

Six ranked causes with the fix for each.

Storing coffee beans properly

The four enemies, and whether the freezer works.

Espresso yield, in grams

Espresso yield explained in grams — what 1:2 means, when to break it.

The golden ratio is three different numbers

Where 1:15, 1:16 and 1:18 came from, and how to pick one.

Brew time chart, and how to read it

Target times for seven methods plus the four-quadrant diagnostic.

Grind size chart

Which grind for which brewer, from Turkish to cold brew.

Coffee ratio chart

Nine brew methods, dose and water in grams. Printable.

Basket size chart

Correct dose for every espresso basket size.

Practical troubleshooting

Why does my espresso taste sour

Six causes ranked by likelihood, and why grinding finer only fixes half of them.

Basics

How much coffee per cup

Exact grams for 6, 8, 10 and 12 oz cups, for every brew method.

Basics

Espresso grind size

Why the number on your grinder means nothing, and four ways to check the grind.

Brew guides

French press ratio

The right ratio, how long to steep, and a gram table for every press size.

Brew guides

V60 ratio and recipe

Ratio, temperature, grind and a four-pour schedule that actually works.

Brew guides

Cold brew ratio

Concentrate or ready-to-drink, with grams for every batch and a steep table.

Brew guides

AeroPress ratio

Three ratios, three drinks — concentrate, standard cup and long black.

Basics

Coffee to water ratio

The complete reference: grams per method and how to adjust for taste.

Method

Make espresso without a machine

Moka pot, AeroPress and French press — what actually gets close, and what does not.

Brew guides

Best ratio for drip coffee

Grams per cup and per pot, and why your machine's cup markings are wrong.

Basics

Grind size for drip

What medium grind looks like, and how to diagnose it from taste alone.

Buying guide

Best espresso machine under $500

What the money actually buys, which specs matter, and what is marketing.

Buying guide

Best grinder for espresso

Why the grinder matters more than the machine, and what to spend.

Or skip straight to the tools

Seven calculators covering espresso, filter, water and milk.