Espresso is balance: sweetness, acidity, bitterness — in that order, in 30 seconds. Get this baseline right and the rest is fine-tuning.
The recipe
Step by step
Dose
15g of finely ground coffee, distributed evenly in the basket. Tamp level.
Pull (0:00)
Start the shot. By 10 seconds, espresso should appear in the cup.
Watch (0:00–0:30)
Look for golden crema. Pale yellow = grind too coarse. Dark/black = too fine or over-extracted.
Stop (0:30)
Hit 30g in the cup. That’s your shot.
Diagnose
Sour and fast? Grind finer. Bitter and slow? Grind coarser. Adjust one variable at a time.
Pro tips
Sour means grind finer
Acidity comes out first. If your shot tastes sour, you didn’t extract enough — go finer to draw more sweetness.
Bitter means grind coarser
Bitterness comes out last. If your shot is bitter, water spent too long with the coffee — go coarser.
Crema colour is the cheapest diagnostic
Golden = on. Pale yellow = under-extracted. Dark / black = over-extracted.
Distribute before tamping
Channels through uneven beds destroy a shot. Even distribution > hard tamp.
Fresh roast matters
1–3 weeks post-roast is the sweet spot. Field bags are dated on the back.
What coffee works best
A few picks from the Field lineup that suit this method.
