ESPRESSO TROUBLESHOOTING
Pick a symptom.
Take one next step.
Pick the taste or flow problem that matches your shot. Each guide starts with one action.
START WITH WHAT YOU TASTED
Find your symptom. Start with one action.
Start with one check: compare how fast the shot reached its target. Keep dose and yield fixed, then choose the matching path: grind finer if it ran fast, use a little more yield if flow looked even, or reset preparation if it tastes sour and bitter or sprays.
Updated 2026-07-22Open the guide →02 / BITTERBitter or harsh espresso: what to change nextStart with one check: did the shot stall or run for 45 seconds or more? Grind one small step coarser if it did. Otherwise, keep the grind and stop at about 10% less yield.
Updated 2026-07-22Open the guide →03 / CONFLICTING SIGNALSSour and bitter espresso: fix the flow firstStart by resetting preparation: dry the basket, spread the coffee evenly, tamp level, and repeat the same dose, yield, and grind once.
Updated 2026-07-22Open the guide →04 / FAST FLOWEspresso ran too fast: what to change nextStart with one small grinder step finer. Keep the dose and yield the same. If the shot sprays or tastes sour and bitter, use the preparation check below instead.
Updated 2026-07-22Open the guide →05 / SLOW FLOWEspresso ran too slow or stopped: what to change nextStart with one small grinder step coarser. Keep the dose and yield the same, confirm the dose fits the basket, and stop if the machine acts abnormally.
Updated 2026-07-22Open the guide →Need a term?
Dose is the dry coffee in the basket. Yield is the espresso in the cup. A portafilter is the handled holder for the filter basket. A pressurized basket uses a restricted outlet to create back pressure and can hide some grind and flow differences. A bottomless portafilter has no outlet spout, so spray and uneven flow are easier to see. The puck is the packed coffee bed. Distribution means spreading the coffee evenly. Extraction yield means how much coffee dissolves into the drink. Channeling means water taking uneven paths through the coffee. These guides cannot measure extraction yield or confirm channeling.
They use your measurements and notes. They do not test your equipment.
USE YOUR OWN NUMBERS
A guide starts the check. Fix a shot gives the next step.
- Fix a shot
Enter the dose, yield, and time from your shot. Add what you saw and tasted. Fix a shot gives one next step and tells you what to keep the same.
Open Fix a shot → - Ratio calculator
Check the recipe before blaming the grind: coffee in, espresso out, and the ratio between them.
Check the ratio →