What Is Dialling In Espresso? A Beginner-Friendly Guide

What Is Dialling In Espresso? A Beginner-Friendly Guide

Have you ever seen a barista make an espresso, taste it, adjust the grinder, and then make another espresso before serving customers?

That process is called dialling in espresso.

At first, it can look confusing. The barista may be weighing coffee, changing the grinder, checking the time, tasting the espresso, and then doing it again.

You might wonder, “Why not just press the button and make the coffee?”

The simple answer is this:

Dialling in espresso means adjusting the coffee recipe until the espresso tastes balanced.

A balanced espresso should not taste too sour, too bitter, too watery, or too harsh. It should taste smooth, rich, and pleasant.

For beginners, this is one of the most useful coffee skills to understand because it shows you that espresso is not just about using a machine. It is about knowing how coffee behaves and how small changes can change the taste.

 

 

 

What Does Dialling In Espresso Mean?

Dialling in espresso means changing different parts of the espresso recipe to make the coffee taste better.

A barista usually looks at these things:

• Dose: the amount of ground coffee used in the portafilter
• Grind size: how fine or coarse the coffee beans are ground
• Yield: how much liquid espresso comes out into the cup
• Extraction time: how many seconds the espresso takes to pour
• Taste: whether the espresso tastes sour, bitter, weak, strong, sweet, or balanced

These words may sound technical in the beginning, but they are quite simple once you understand them.

Think of espresso like cooking.

If you add too much salt, the food tastes too salty. If you cook something for too long, it may burn. If you do not cook it enough, it may taste raw.

Espresso is similar. If one part of the recipe is not right, the final coffee can taste wrong.

Dialling in is the process of fixing that.

 

Why Do Baristas Dial In Espresso?

Baristas dial in espresso because coffee does not behave the exact same way every day.

Even if a café uses the same coffee beans, the same grinder, and the same coffee machine, the espresso may still taste different from yesterday.

This can happen because of:

• The age of the coffee beans
• Weather and humidity
• The grinder setting
• How the coffee was stored
• The temperature of the machine
• How busy the café is
• Small changes in technique

Coffee beans are natural. They change over time.

Freshly roasted beans may behave differently from beans that are a few weeks old. On a humid day, the grinder may also need adjustment. This is why a barista cannot always use the exact same setting forever.

Dialling in helps the barista make the espresso taste more consistent.

In a café, this matters because espresso is the base for many drinks. If the espresso is not right, the latte, cappuccino, flat white, long black, and mocha can also taste wrong.

Good milk cannot fully hide bad espresso. Latte art cannot fix sour or bitter coffee.

That is why dialling in matters.

 

The Main Parts of Dialling In Espresso

To understand dialling in, you need to understand the main parts of an espresso recipe.

Let’s break them down simply.

 

 

1. Dose: How Much Ground Coffee You Use

The dose means the amount of ground coffee you put into the portafilter.

The portafilter is the handle that baristas lock into the coffee machine.

For example, a barista might use 18 grams of ground coffee for a double espresso.

If the barista uses too little coffee, the espresso may taste weak or watery.

If the barista uses too much coffee, the water may struggle to pass through properly, and the espresso may taste heavy or uneven.

This is why baristas often use scales.

Scales help them use the same amount of coffee each time. Without scales, it becomes guesswork.

A beginner might think, “Can’t I just fill the basket?”

You can, but it will not be as consistent. Even a small difference in coffee amount can change the taste.

 

2. Grind Size: How Fine or Coarse the Coffee Is

The grind size means how big or small the ground coffee particles are after the beans go through the grinder.

If the coffee is ground coarse, the pieces are bigger. Water passes through them faster.

If the coffee is ground fine, the pieces are smaller. Water passes through them more slowly.

This is one of the biggest parts of dialling in espresso.

If the grind is too coarse, water flows too quickly through the coffee. The espresso may taste sour, sharp, thin, or watery.

If the grind is too fine, water flows too slowly through the coffee. The espresso may taste bitter, dry, burnt, or harsh.

A small grinder adjustment can make a big difference.

This is why baristas often adjust the grinder before service or during the day.

 

3. Yield: How Much Espresso Comes Out

The yield means how much espresso liquid comes out into the cup.

For example, a barista may use:

• 18 grams of ground coffee in
• 36 grams of espresso out

This means the barista used 18 grams of dry coffee and got 36 grams of liquid espresso in the cup.

This is often called a coffee ratio.

A common starting point is 1:2.

That means for every 1 gram of ground coffee, you get around 2 grams of espresso out.

But this is not a strict rule for every coffee.

Some coffee beans may taste better with less liquid espresso. Some may taste better with more.

The goal is not to blindly follow numbers. The goal is to find the recipe that makes the coffee taste balanced.

 

4. Extraction Time: How Long the Espresso Takes

The extraction time means how many seconds the espresso takes to pour from the machine into the cup.

Extraction simply means this:

Hot water passes through ground coffee and pulls flavour from it.

That flavour becomes espresso.

Many espresso recipes use around 25 to 30 seconds as a starting guide.

But time alone does not tell the full story.

A shot can run for 28 seconds and still taste bad. Another shot can run slightly faster or slower and still taste good.

Time is a guide, not the final truth.

The final truth is taste.

 

5. Taste: The Most Important Part

Taste is the final judge.

A barista may check the dose, grind size, yield, and time, but they still need to taste the espresso.

They are asking questions like:

• Is it too sour?
• Is it too bitter?
• Is it watery?
• Is it too strong?
• Is it smooth?
• Is there sweetness?
• Does it feel balanced?

A beginner may simply say, “This coffee tastes bad.”

A barista tries to understand what kind of bad it is.

Is it sour bad? Bitter bad? Weak bad? Burnt bad?

That difference matters because each problem may need a different fix.

 

What Does Sour Espresso Mean?

Sour espresso often means the coffee is under-extracted.

Under-extracted means the water did not pull enough flavour from the ground coffee.

This can happen when:

• The grind is too coarse
• The espresso runs too fast
• Not enough flavour is taken from the coffee
• The recipe needs adjustment

Sour espresso can taste sharp, lemony, salty, or thin.

A little acidity can be nice in coffee, especially in some specialty coffees. But when espresso tastes unpleasantly sour, sharp, or empty, something may need changing.

To fix this, a barista may make the grind finer so the water moves through the coffee more slowly and pulls out more flavour.

 

What Does Bitter Espresso Mean?

Bitter espresso often means the coffee is over-extracted.

Over-extracted means the water pulled too much from the ground coffee.

This can happen when:

• The grind is too fine
• The espresso runs too slowly
• Too much liquid espresso comes out
• The coffee stays in contact with water for too long

Bitter espresso can taste dry, harsh, burnt, or unpleasantly strong.

Some bitterness is normal in coffee, but it should not feel rough or uncomfortable.

To fix this, a barista may make the grind slightly coarser so the water flows a little faster.

 

A Simple Example of Dialling In Espresso

Let’s imagine a barista starts with this recipe:

• 18 grams of ground coffee
• 36 grams of espresso out
• 25 to 30 seconds extraction time

The barista makes the first espresso.

It comes out in 17 seconds.

That is quite fast.

Then the barista tastes it.

It tastes sour and watery.

This tells the barista that the water passed through too quickly and did not pull enough flavour from the coffee.

So the barista adjusts the grinder and makes the grind finer.

Then they make another espresso.

This time it comes out in 27 seconds.

The barista tastes it again.

Now it tastes sweeter, richer, and more balanced.

That is dialling in.

It is not guessing. It is testing, tasting, and making small changes.

 

Why Does the Grinder Matter So Much?

The grinder is very important because grind size controls how quickly water moves through the coffee.

Imagine pouring water through rocks.

The water will pass through very quickly because there is a lot of space.

Now imagine pouring water through sand.

The water will move much more slowly because the particles are smaller and closer together.

Coffee works in a similar way.

Coarse coffee is like bigger pieces. Water moves faster.

Fine coffee is like smaller pieces. Water moves slower.

This is why grinder adjustment is one of the first things baristas check when dialling in espresso. 

 

Common Beginner Mistakes When Dialling In Espresso

Dialling in can feel confusing at first. That is normal.

Here are some common beginner mistakes.

 

 

Changing Too Many Things at Once

This is a very common mistake.

A beginner may change the grind size, dose, yield, and tamping all at the same time.

The problem is, if the coffee tastes better after that, you will not know which change helped.

It is better to change one thing at a time.

For example, adjust only the grind size first. Then make another espresso and taste again.

Small changes teach you more.

 

Only Looking at the Timer

Time is useful, but it is not everything.

A 28-second espresso is not automatically good.

You still need to taste it.

The timer can guide you, but your taste tells you if the coffee is actually balanced.

 

Not Using Scales

Without scales, it is hard to know what is happening.

You may think you are using the same amount of coffee, but one shot may have 17 grams and the next may have 19 grams.

That small difference can change the taste.

Scales help you repeat what works.

This is why many baristas use scales when dialling in.

 

Ignoring the Taste

Some beginners focus only on numbers because numbers feel safe.

But coffee is not only numbers.

You are not serving the timer to the customer. You are serving coffee.

The numbers help you understand the espresso, but taste should always matter.

 

Thinking One Grinder Setting Works Forever

A grinder setting that works today may not work tomorrow.

Coffee changes. Weather changes. Beans age. The grinder also behaves differently during the day.

This is why cafés often dial in espresso in the morning and may adjust again later if the coffee starts tasting different.

 

Is Dialling In Espresso Hard for Beginners?

Dialling in can feel hard in the beginning because there are a few things to watch at once.

But it becomes easier with practice.

At first, everything feels separate:

The grinder. The machine. The scale. The timer. The taste.

But slowly, you start seeing how everything connects.

You begin to notice that when the shot runs too fast, it may taste sour. When it runs too slow, it may taste bitter. When the grind is adjusted properly, the espresso becomes smoother.

This is how coffee starts to make sense.

You are not just pressing buttons anymore.

You are learning how to read the espresso.

 

Why Dialling In Matters in a Café

In a café, dialling in matters because espresso is the base of most coffee drinks.

If the espresso is sour, the latte can taste sour.

If the espresso is bitter, the cappuccino can taste bitter.

If the espresso is weak, the flat white may taste like warm milk with very little coffee flavour.

A good barista wants the espresso to taste balanced before making drinks for customers.

This helps the café serve more consistent coffee.

It also helps the barista feel more confident because they understand what they are doing, not just copying steps.

 

Final Takeaway

Dialling in espresso means adjusting the coffee recipe until the espresso tastes balanced.

The main things baristas look at are:

• Dose: how much ground coffee is used
• Grind size: how fine or coarse the coffee is
• Yield: how much espresso comes out
• Extraction time: how long the espresso takes to pour
• Taste: whether the espresso is sour, bitter, weak, strong, or balanced

For beginners, it may sound technical at first. But the heart of it is simple.

Make espresso. Taste it. Notice what is wrong. Make one small change. Try again.

That is dialling in.

It is one of the skills that turns coffee-making from button pressing into real understanding.

And once you understand it, espresso starts to feel less confusing and more interesting.

You begin to see that every cup is giving you feedback.

You just have to learn how to listen.

 

FAQs

What is dialling in espresso?

Dialling in espresso means adjusting the coffee recipe until the espresso tastes balanced. Baristas usually adjust the amount of coffee, grind size, espresso output, time, and taste.

What does dose mean in espresso?

Dose means the amount of ground coffee used in the portafilter. For example, a barista may use 18 grams of ground coffee for a double espresso.

What does yield mean in espresso?

Yield means how much liquid espresso comes out into the cup. For example, 18 grams of ground coffee may produce 36 grams of espresso.

Why does espresso taste sour?

Espresso often tastes sour when it is under-extracted. This means the water did not pull enough flavour from the coffee. It may happen when the grind is too coarse or the shot runs too fast.

Why does espresso taste bitter?

Espresso often tastes bitter when it is over-extracted. This means the water pulled too much from the coffee. It may happen when the grind is too fine or the shot runs too slowly.

What is a good espresso extraction time?

Many espresso recipes use around 25 to 30 seconds as a starting guide, but it is not a strict rule. Taste is more important than time alone.

Do you need scales to dial in espresso?

Scales are very helpful because they show exactly how much coffee you use and how much espresso comes out. This makes it easier to repeat a good recipe.

How often do cafés dial in espresso?

Many cafés dial in espresso before service starts. They may also adjust the recipe during the day if the espresso starts tasting different.

 

Keep exploring our coffee guides if you want to understand café coffee better, one skill at a time.