You've bought a portafilter machine. Congratulations. Really. That's a big deal. And perhaps the best part: From now on, you decide what goes into the cup. But that's where things start to get complicated. Because what sounds simple in theory – add coffee, add water, done – is often quite a tricky business in practice. Too sour, too bitter, too fast, not at all. And after the fifth botched shot, you wonder if all this is really necessary.

It doesn't have to.

Espresso isn't a mystery. It's a craft. And like any craft, you won't learn it overnight—but you don't need tons of coffee to understand it either. A lot doesn't help much here. Rather, less is more if you know what to look for.

As a starting point: 18 grams of coffee in the double sieve, 36 grams of espresso in the cup, brewed in approximately 25 to 30 seconds. This will give you a rough idea. Grab a precision scale, weigh the brewed espresso, and see what happens.

If the shot is taken too quickly, say under 20 seconds, it usually tastes sour, empty, and often slightly grassy. Then your grind is too coarse – turn it finer. Note: with many grinders, even a small click is enough. If you grind finer, the resistance in the sieve increases, the water takes longer to brew, and you get more depth, more body, and often more sweetness.

If, on the other hand, the shot is too slow—35 seconds, maybe even longer—and it's just dripping from the portafilter, then it's too fine. The taste? Bitter, flat, sometimes even musty. Turn it coarser. And watch how the flow changes. You don't have to chase the perfect shot right away. It's enough to notice which direction you're moving in.

You should initially keep the coffee quantity itself—that is, how much you put into the sieve—constant. 18 grams is a good value for most double sieves. If you have significantly too little or too much in the sieve, you'll notice it when tamping: sometimes there's hardly any room, sometimes the puck floats. Only when you're halfway to your target grind and brew time can you play with the quantity. More coffee = more resistance = longer brewing time. Less = faster. But this also changes the strength-to-extraction ratio. So: stabilize first, then vary.

If your grind size and brew time are within the acceptable range—meaning your shot takes around 25 to 30 seconds, looks good, but still tastes flat or thin—then it's worth increasing the amount of coffee slightly. One more gram, for example, from 18 to 19 g, can add more body, sweetness, and balance. Conversely, if the espresso seems very dense, almost heavy, even though it's technically correct, you can also slightly reduce the dose. The important thing is: Only change one thing at a time—otherwise, you won't know what really helped.

You don't need a lab, an app, or pressure profiling. What you need is calm. A bit of curiosity. And the desire to listen – to the coffee, to your feelings, to the moment. Because yes, of course: There will be shots that end up in the sink. But you'll get better with each one. And at some point, you'll realize: What just happened in your cup – that was no coincidence: That was your espresso.

It's not about doing everything right. It's about doing it yourself. And finding your own rhythm. So don't panic. Don't get bogged down. Don't give up. Start, observe, and correct. Drink the coffee, taste it, trust your gut feeling and your taste. And if you ever get stuck, come over. We'll do it together.

Until then: stay tuned & happy sipping!