Espresso is a staple of caffeine-fueled mornings in America. Whether you’re a hardcore coffee enthusiast or you just need a quick hit to get you moving, you’ve probably had an espresso or two in your lifetime. In this article, we’ll talk about How Many Ounces Is An Espresso Shot, as well as some other useful Espresso facts.
Table of Contents
How Many Ounces Is An Espresso Shot
The Short Answer is,
A single shot of espresso is one fluid ounce or 30 milliliters. The typical ratio is one ounce of water to 7 grams of coffee.
A double shot of espresso uses the same ratios as a single shot — but doubled! That’s two ounces of water and 14 grams of coffee.
Espresso is an extremely concentrated type of coffee, made using machines that combine high pressure, hot water, and tightly packed coffee grounds. Pulling a single shot of espresso takes one fluid ounce of water (that’s 30 milliliters, not the 28 grams of a non-fluid ounce). You’ll also need 7 grams of finely-ground coffee beans.
What is Espresso?
An espresso is a coffee beverage made by forcing water through finely ground coffee, in a “ tamp ” method, at a very high pressure. The brewed coffee is then kept under low pressure to prevent it from going “off”.
Espresso is a concentrated liquid, containing about 27 to 40 percent solids. The solids in espresso are mostly water, but also contain caffeine and other substances found in coffee beans, such as chlorogenic acid (one of the chemicals that makes coffee taste “bitter”), trigine acids (which give coffee its characteristic “umami” taste) and several aromatic compounds.
Espresso is made from the same plant as coffee, and it’s grown, processed, and roasted in the exact same way. Any origin or roast of coffee can be used to make an espresso-related drink. The difference between a cup of espresso and a mug full of joe is in its grind–the beans are ground more finely than regular coffee beans before being tightly packed together so that hot water can pass through them using an espresso machine. Espresso shots are enjoyed on their own or they’re used alongside other drinks including cappuccinos and Americanos alike!
What about other types of espresso?
A ristretto shot is stronger than a regular espresso. To make one, you use half an ounce of water with the same amount of coffee (7 grams), making it twice as strong. If you make a double shot, using one fluid ounce of water and all your favorite beans, you’ll get a doubly strong full-sized espresso — without any bitterness extracted at the end.
The idea behind this type is that flavors come out best at first – in only 15 milliliters- so by extracting more flavor from your beans early on instead of waiting to do everything later on when they’re bitter tasting too quickly removes some extra bitterness created during extraction time by removing longer–because we know taste buds are most sensitive when they’re heated up!
A double shot of espresso uses the same ratios as a single shot — but doubled! That’s two ounces of water and 14 grams of coffee.
How to Make Espresso Shots
- Grind the coffee
- Pack and tamp the coffee grounds
- Pull the shot
- Consider any adjustments
1. Grind the coffee
Use espresso roast coffee, about 7 grams for a single shot and 14 grams for a double. Grind the beans until they are very fine ground. Different roasts and brands of beans will require different grinds for your machine- you may have to do test runs to get it just right!
2. Pack and tamp the coffee grounds
Add coffee grounds to the espresso basket (portafilter) until it is heaping slightly over the top. Press firmly with a tamper, making sure that they are evenly distributed in all corners of the portafilter. Place on a folded towel before tamping or use an appliance called a knock box for obtaining even and straight ground placement- this ensures you get an excellent shot of espresso!
3. Pull the shot
Place the portafilter into your espresso machine, then press a button. Most home espresso machines have an automatic function for this. A well-pulled shot of espresso will last about 25 to 30 seconds and it’ll have deep coffee flavor with a nice foamy crema on top.
4. Consider any adjustments
It takes a while to dial in the fineness of the coffee grind and amount of coffee to use: practice makes perfect! If the shot is watery, use slightly more coffee grounds or a finer grind on the coffee. If a shot takes longer than 30 seconds, reduce the amount of coffee grounds or use a coarser grind on the coffee.
Espresso Shot Types
- Espresso/Single Shot
- Ristretto
- Lungo
- Doppio/Double Shot
1. Espresso/Single Shot
This is what we think of when we hear the word “espresso”. A small, strong, 1 oz (30ml) drink, brewed in around 30 seconds, from 8-10g of ground coffee.
2. Ristretto
A “smaller” espresso. The amount of coffee used is exactly the same (8-10g), but less water is pumped through it. As a result, the final volume ends up being even smaller than that of a regular espresso.
There is a bit of debate about ristrettos, but in some instances they taste sweeter and fruitier than a regular espresso. Since we’ve used less water, it takes a shorter time to brew. Hence, the darker, more bitter flavours are not extracted.
3. Lungo
A “longer” espresso. Again, it is brewed with the same amount of coffee, but this time, more water is pumped through it. Thus it takes a longer time to brew, and the result is a more watery, diluted espresso.
4. Doppio/Double Shot
A double shot uses twice the amount of ground coffee (16-20g), and produces twice the amount of liquid in the cup (about 2 oz or 60ml).
Double shots are becoming the industry standard across most coffee countries, such as the United States, Australia and New Zealand. In Italy though, the birthplace of espresso, it gets tricky. You’ll see why when you get to the cappuccino section below.
Related Post: Are Lattes Hot or Cold
Conclusion
If you’ve ever wondered How Many Ounces Is An Espresso Shot, you’re in the right place. In this article, we talked about the different types of espresso, along with a brief overview of how to brew one. We also provided some basic Espresso facts, as well as some tips on how to effectively brew a shot. We’re sure you’ll find something that helps you further understand the world of coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many ounces is one espresso shot?
1 ounce is one espresso shot
Is a double shot of espresso 2 ounces?
Yes, double shot of espresso 2 ounces
What size is a shot of espresso?
| Traditional espresso is: | Volume | Water Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Single Espresso: | 1 to 1.25 ounces 29.5 to 37 milliliters | 90 C ± 5 C 194 F ± 9 F |
| Double Espresso: | 2 to 2.5 ounces | 90 C ± 5 C 194 F ± 9 F |
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