Espresso Brew Ratio

About this calculator

The espresso brew ratio compares dose (the dry ground coffee in the portafilter) to yield (the liquid espresso weight in the cup), written as dose:yield — a 1:2 ratio for an 18g dose means pulling 36g of espresso out. This single number, alongside extraction time, is what specialty coffee shops use to define and dial in a shot.

A shorter ratio like 1:1.5 to 1:2 produces a classic “normale” shot — more concentrated and syrupy — while a longer ratio like 1:2.5 to 1:3 gives a “lungo”, more diluted and often used as the base for milk drinks; baristas adjust grind size and dose specifically to hit a target ratio within roughly 25 to 30 seconds of extraction, and the Specialty Coffee Association’s brewing guidelines are built around exactly this dose-to-yield framework rather than volume measurements, since weighing both sides of the equation on a scale is far more repeatable than eyeballing cup fill lines.

Enter your dose and yield weights and this calculator returns the exact ratio, so you can compare it against your target and adjust your next shot accordingly.