Keep the dose fixed while you dial in a new bag. Otherwise every grind adjustment becomes a different experiment, and you can spend half the bag trying to remember which shot was actually better.
Choose a baseline that fits the basket
Use the basket's intended dose range, rather than forcing an internet recipe into it. For an 18 g basket, 18 g in and 36 g of espresso out is a sensible starting experiment: a 1:2 ratio. It is not an extraction target that every coffee must meet. A basket designed for a smaller dose needs a different starting weight.
Weigh the grounds in the basket and the drink in the cup. A machine's two-cup button controls a programmed cycle; it does not know whether your beans taste good at the resulting yield. Check your manual before changing that programme or using manual extraction.
Make grind the first adjustment
Prepare the puck the same way each time. Start the timer at the same point, such as pump activation, and stop at your target beverage weight. Record whether your machine includes pre-infusion in that time. Comparing a time from first drip with a time from pump start is misleading.
If the baseline races through and tastes thin and sharply sour, try a modestly finer grind while keeping dose and yield unchanged. If it barely drips, step coarser. A shot that begins normally and then sprays needs a puck-preparation check, not an automatic move finer.
Separate taste from the timer
Once the flow is reasonably repeatable, stir and taste the espresso after it cools enough to judge. Natural acidity can be pleasant; a drying finish and an unpleasant sharpness can exist in the same shot. Do not treat every sour note as proof of one simple fault.
Try changing yield next, keeping the grinder setting and dose fixed. For example, compare an 18 g dose at 36 g out with the same dose at 40 g out. This is a proposed comparison, not a measured result: the longer drink may suit your coffee, or it may taste weaker and less pleasant. Your tasting decides.
A log that is small enough to use
| Entry | What to write |
|---|---|
| Beans | Bag name, roast date and date opened |
| Recipe | Dose, grinder setting, beverage weight |
| Timing | Seconds and where timing started |
| Result | One taste observation, not a numerical rating |
| Next shot | The single variable you plan to change |
A useful note might be: "18 g / setting 7 / 36 g / 24 seconds from pump; sharp, little sweetness; next shot finer." That is an example of a log entry, not a recommendation to chase 24 seconds. Grinder setting numbers are meaningful only on your own grinder.
Stop adjusting when two consecutive shots taste good enough to repeat. Keep that recipe for the next morning. A small daily grind correction is normal; rebuilding the entire recipe every time is not necessary.
