Espresso Ratio Calculator

Dose and yield reference

Dose is dry coffee in the basket. Yield is liquid espresso in the cup, measured by weight before milk or water is added. These examples apply to the arithmetic for any machine; choose the dose for your basket.

Stop-at weights in grams

Dry dose	1:1.5	1:2	1:2.5	1:3
14 g	21.0 g	28.0 g	35.0 g	42.0 g
16 g	24.0 g	32.0 g	40.0 g	48.0 g
18 g	27.0 g	36.0 g	45.0 g	54.0 g
19 g	28.5 g	38.0 g	47.5 g	57.0 g
20 g	30.0 g	40.0 g	50.0 g	60.0 g
22 g	33.0 g	44.0 g	55.0 g	66.0 g

Start from a recipe, then compare shots

Breville’s espresso recipe gives a starting example of 19 g of grounds and 38 g of espresso. A ratio describes weight, rather than crema volume. The calculator accepts short and long ratios without treating their names as a test of flavor.

Use Recipe to solve for one missing measurement. Use Check a shot for the measured dose, drink weight and elapsed time. The flow figure is an average over that whole elapsed time, including any pre-infusion you timed. Optional extraction yield uses a measured total dissolved solids (TDS) reading; VST’s measurement guides explain how to obtain a reliable sample.

Keep a useful shot log

Record the same timing start point, coffee, basket and grind setting. Change one preparation variable, taste the result and compare it with the previous shot. The log keeps 20 entries on this device and can be downloaded. Use its remove buttons to discard individual entries.

For the machine workflow, read the semi-automatic espresso guide. For a specific basket, use the Bambino, Dedica or Gaggia Classic fit guide.