Calibrating Your Shot Sizes Correctly, and Setting Up Your Machine to Reproduce Them

In this article, we explain how to set up an automatic commercial espresso machine (or a home automatic espresso machine) to give you the right shot sizes for the various espresso drinks that you are likely to make.

The Volumetric Keypad

Automatic commercial espresso machines will have a keypad for each group. The keypad will have at least two (and usually more) keys with icons depicting various partially-filled cups. (Click on the image above to see an enlarged view of the front of a commercial espresso machine. The keypads for the groups are easy to see in this picture.) These depictions connote various drinks, and the function of their corresponding keys is to deliver a specific volume of water when the key is pressed.

Once each key has been programmed, there is no more guesswork. All that your staff needs to do is to load and tamp the right amount of coffee into the group handle, lock it in, and then press the right key. This will allow your staff to get consistent and repeatable shots.

For most automatic commercial espresso machines, there is another button on the volumetric keypad that is labeled "Program," or "Prog/Stop," or something to this effect. This is the button that allows you to program the other keys for a group. The way that most automatic commercial espresso machines work is that you push this button, and then the key that you wish to program.

This will start a shot. When you have determined that the right volume has been extracted (in one of two ways described below), you will push the "Prog/Stop" button once more to stop the extraction and complete the programming for the selected key.

The Espresso and the Doppio

Your first key will (perhaps) show a single cup that is half-full. This connotes the basic Single Espresso. In fact, since the keys are programmable, you can choose any key that you like for any drink, but these "cartoon drawings" (icons) on the keypad are universally understood to connote what we are describing here. This is likely to be the most frequently used key.

The Single Espresso should be exactly 1 fluid ounce, which is about 30 milliliters. It will be made with the single group handle, and ¼ ounce (7 grams) of coffee.

There will be a second key that will (perhaps) show two cups that are half-full. This connotes the Double Espresso, also called a "Doppio" (Italian for "double," and pronounced "DOUGH-pee-oh"). The Doppio key should be programmed for 2 fluid ounces, which is about 60 milliliters. It will be made with the double group handle and two doses - ½ ounce (14 grams) of coffee.

The Americano

There may be other keys. If so, one of them will likely show a cup that is nearly full. And there may be another showing two cups that are nearly full. The nearly full cup is meant to connote an Americano, which is also called a "Lungo."

The origin of the "Americano" (in case you have not already guessed) was in World War II Italy. Many American soldiers had never tasted espresso before, and found it too strong for their taste. Italian baristas learned to dilute the espresso with hot water for their American customers, and called the drink an "Americano."

How an Americano (or Longo) is made in some coffee shops is to over-extract a single or double dose of coffee using twice as much - or more - water as would be used for a doppio. This key, the full cup denoting the Americano, is meant to be programmed for the amount of water used, which can be 2-3 fluid ounces. The two full cups would then be programmed for twice this amount for a Double Americano, in which a double-dose of coffee (½ ounce) is over-extracted.

This method of making and Americano, while common, is considered incorrect by many for the very simple reason that espresso should not be over-extracted. The perfect espresso extraction should be 1 fluid ounce in 30 seconds. Making an Americano by extracting 2-3 ounces through a single dose of coffee will take a minute or so. The result will be very bitter.

While some people are accustomed to this (somewhat mistaken) practice, and think that an Americano should taste this way, we feel that this is not the correct way to make an Americano. To make an Americano, half fill a Cappuccino cup with hot water, and then pour one or two shots of espresso on top of the water. (The reason that the espresso is poured onto the water is so that the crema will remain on top instead of being blended in.)

The Ristretto

If you are in the camp that believes that an Americano should not be an over-extracted espresso, and if you have extra keys on your volumetric keypad that were intended for making Americanos in this manner, then you can use these keys for something else. If you have a third key (beyond the Doppio), we recommend using it for a Ristretto. If you have a fourth key, you can use it for a Double Ristretto.

The first 2/3 of an espresso extraction is the most pure and sweetest part of the extraction. This is called a Ristretto (which is Italian for "restricted," and is pronounced "ree-STRET-oh"). A Ristretto should then be 2/3 of a fluid ounce, which is 20 milliliters.

The Ristretto is made by extracting 2/3 of an ounce of water through a single dose (1/4 ounce) of coffee, using the single group handle. Since an Espresso extraction should be calibrated to 30 seconds, the Ristretto extraction will take about 20 seconds.

A Double Ristretto (should you program it) will be 1 + 1/3 ounces of water. It will be made using the double group handle and two doses (½ ounce) of coffee. The table below shows the various volumes and weights needed for these drinks: