Brew Guide:

Espresso

Eight hours of sleep and a green smoothie are a great way to start your day - but imagine waking up with the kind of electric energy first noticed in the Ethiopian highlands, where legend has it a goatherd named Kaldi noticed his goats frolicking with uncommon abandon after eating coffee cherries.

That’s the spirit of espresso: a small but mighty brew, where pressure transforms coffee into something intensely concentrated, wildly flavorful, and exuberantly exhilarating.

What you'll need:

• Whole bean coffee
• A conical burr grinder
• Espresso machine
• Portafilter
• Small cup / espresso shot glass
• Scale (precise to 0.1g, responsive, and slim enough to fit on your drip tray)
• Timer

1. CHOOSE YOUR COFFEE VIBE

Espresso offerings fall into two main camps: traditional and modern. Traditional espressos harken back to classic Italian cafe culture, favoring caramelized choco-nutty flavors, heavy body, and low acidity. Modern espressos (also often referred to as "elevated" or "expressive" espressos) tend to feature more complex flavors and brighter acidity. Sightseer has two go-to coffee blends that we regularly recommend for espresso: 

2. HEAT YOUR MACHINE

Turn your espresso machine on and allow it to fully heat up. Depending on the machine, this typically takes 20-45 minutes. A properly heated machine is essential for stable, balanced extractions.

3. CHOOSE YOUR RECIPE

An oft-recommended starter espresso recipe uses a 1:2 brew ratio with the following parameters:

Dose (Input): 18 grams of coffee
Yield (Output): 36 grams of liquid espresso
Time: 25 to 30 seconds

This is a great place to start, and from there you can adjust the recipe to match your taste preferences. Our preferred recipes for Hellacious and Banshee at our coffee bar are: 

• Hellacious: 17 grams in, 34 grams out, 30 seconds
• Banshee: 18 grams in, 36 grams out, 28-32 seconds

Important caveat: different espresso machines are - well, different, so a recipe that works well on one machine may need some calibration on another. See the fine tuning tips in step 8!

4. WEIGH AND GRIND

Weigh out your coffee! Grinders vary:

• Some use hoppers or dosing chambers for multiple shots in succession
• Others are designed for single dosing, where each shot is weighed and ground individually

Both approaches work, as long as your dose stays consistent. Start with a fine grind, similar to table salt. 

5. DOSE AND DISTRIBUTE 

Add your grounds to the portafilter.

Gently tap the sides of the portafilter to settle the coffee, then level the surface so the grounds are evenly distributed. Good distribution helps prevent channeling and ensures even extraction. 

6. TAMP

Using your tamp, press straight down with firm, even pressure to create a smooth, level puck.

Shoot for 20-30 pounds of pressure, but don’t overthink it. The goal is consistency, not force. An even surface is more important than how hard you press.

7. LOCK AND LOAD

Before pulling your shot, run a brief flush of hot water through the group head to stabilize temperature. Then, insert and lock the portafilter firmly into place.

8. PULL THE SHOT

Place an espresso cup on a scale under the portafilter, start a timer, and initiate the flow of water. Aim for your target yield – likely 2x your dose. Once the target yield has been achieved, stop the flow of water and check the time. How long did it take? Adjust your grind size accordingly.

• Sour or sharp (less than 25 seconds) → grind finer or extend yield slightly
• Bitter or hollow (more than 35 seconds) → grind coarser or shorten yield
  

9. TASTE AND ENJOY!

Finding a good recipe depends on a lot of different factors, so have fun finding what works well with your coffee, your equipment, and your tastebuds. You’ll be adding sweet shots to your morning routine in no time! 

 Emary Greene • June 1 , 2026