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Espresso at Home: A Guide to Better Shots

All Things Brewing

4 mins read

Making espresso at home can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also feel overwhelming if you’re just getting started. Pressure, time, dose, yield, tamping, grind size, temperature… it’s a lot.

At Haven, we believe espresso doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs a bit of understanding, the right equipment, and a repeatable method. This guide is designed to help you get there.

What You’ll Need

Essential Equipment

Espresso machine

Espresso grinder

Portafilter fitted with double filter basket — these offer more consistent pressure on the puck than the single baskets provided with some home machines

Digital scale (ideally one that fits under your cups while brewing)

Timer (if your scale/machine doesn't have one)

Tamper

Clean microfiber cloth

Recommended Extras

Distribution tool

Cleaning brush

Quality filtered water

Choosing the Right Coffee

Espresso is intense, so your coffee choice matters. At Haven, we offer three espresso-friendly options:

Compass Blend – Our house blend, crafted to shine in milk-based drinks like flat whites and lattes, but still balanced and sweet enough to enjoy black. Full bodied and rich.

Single Origin Espresso – A rotating single origin carefully selected by our team. We roast this slightly lighter (omni roast) than our blend to preserve the character of the origin. Best for black coffee lovers who enjoy clarity and nuance.

Custom Roast Experience – For those who want something truly personal, our custom roasting session lets you select a single origin or create your own blend and roast it to your preferred profile: filter, omni, or espresso.

→ This guide focuses on omni and espresso roast styles. Check out our filter guide for more!

The Recipes

The basis of any espresso recipe is the ratio.

To calculate, simply multiply your dose by the higher number. (E.g. 1:2 = 18g dose : 36g yield)

Shorter ratios result in full-bodied, brighter cups, while longer ratios reduce the body but highlight other nuanced flavours.

The following recipes are great starting points to help you dial in your shots.

Espresso Roast (e.g. Compass Blend)

Great for milk-based drinks but still enjoyable black, espresso roast gives a fuller body, deeper sweetness, and more structure.

Ratio: 1:2

Dose in: 20g of ground coffee → Always match the dose to your basket size for optimal performance. Underdosing or overdosing can lead to uneven extraction. You should find the size printed on the bottom or sides of your basket, or in the manufacturer's details. The safety window for dose is 1g either side of your basket size.

Yield out: 40g of espresso

Time: 25–30 seconds

Widely recognised as the ideal starting point for espresso, a 1:2 brew ratio generally results in balanced, full-bodied, and expressive shots. Once you’re comfortable, you can explore shorter or longer ratios depending on the coffee and your taste.

Omni Roast

Roasted lighter than espresso roast, omni roast is versatile across brewing methods and highlights different aspects of the origin’s character. It’s best enjoyed black, and is known for its clarity and vibrancy.

Ratio: 1:2.2 to 1:2.5

Dose in: 20g of ground coffee → Again, be sure to match your dose with your basket size.

Yield out: 44–50g of espresso

Time: 23–30 seconds

This longer ratio allows more expression of fruity or floral notes and a lighter body. It’s a great base for those who enjoy bright, clean espresso without the weight of traditional profiles.

Step-by-Step Guide

Purge your group head with hot water to preheat the system and clear old grounds.

Weigh and grind your coffee fresh. Use a fine grind (texture of table salt).

Distribute the coffee evenly in your portafilter. Use a distribution tool if available.

Tamp firmly and level. Consistency matters more than force.

Insert and brew. Start your timer at the first drip.

Stop at your intended yield based on roast profile.

Taste and adjust:

Is it sour, bitter, too fast, or too slow?
Adjust grind size, dose, or shot time accordingly. Use our troubleshooting guide below.

Clean up. Rinse and wipe the group head, flush the machine, and dry your tools.

Dialing In: Troubleshooting Basics

Issue

Likely Cause

Adjustment

Shot runs too fast (thin, sour)

Grind too coarse

Grind finer

Shot runs too slow (dry, bitter)

Grind too fine

Grind coarser

Tastes strong and sour

Under-extracted

Increase yield or decrease dose

Tastes weak and bitter

Over-extracted

Decrease yield or increase dose

Push the Boundaries

Keep in mind, this is a general guide, not a rulebook.

As coffee enthusiasts, we love playing with unusual recipes all the time. Whether it’s a longer shot with a juicy single origin or a turbo shot with a tighter ratio, pushing boundaries is part of the fun!

Once you’re comfortable, try adjusting brew ratios, temperatures, or even puck prep methods. You’ll be surprised by how much expression you can unlock from the same coffee just by shifting perspective.