Espresso Recipe for Beginners (18g In, 36g Out): A Simple Starting Point + How to Adjust

If you’re new to home espresso, you don’t need a complicated setup or perfect gear. You just need a repeatable starting recipe, then a simple way to adjust when it tastes sour, bitter, or watery.

This guide uses an easy beginner baseline: 18g in, 36g out (a 1:2 ratio). It works well for milk drinks and is a great match for a balanced, milk-friendly coffee like Lintang Blend.

The beginner espresso recipe (start here)

Use this as your default.

·       Dose (in): 18g ground coffee

·       Yield (out): 36g espresso in the cup

·       Time: 25–30 seconds

·       Ratio: 1:2

If you don’t have a scale, you can still make espresso — but a small scale is the fastest way to improve consistency.

What “18g in, 36g out” actually means

·       Dose (in) is the weight of dry ground coffee in your basket.

·       Yield (out) is the weight of liquid espresso you produce.

·       Time is how long the shot runs from first drip to finish (or from pump on, depending on your machine).

The goal isn’t to obsess over numbers. The goal is to make changes one at a time so you can learn what works.

Why this recipe is beginner-friendly

A 1:2 espresso is usually:

·       Sweet and balanced

·       Strong enough for milk

·       Forgiving if your grinder isn’t perfect

That’s why it’s a great baseline for flat whites, lattes, and cappuccinos.

Step-by-step (simple workflow)

1.       Warm up your machine and portafilter

2.       Weigh 18g of beans (or dose 18g into the basket)

3.       Grind fresh into the basket

4.       Distribute the grounds evenly (tap or use a simple distribution tool)

5.       Tamp level with firm, even pressure

6.       Brew and aim for 36g out in 25–30 seconds

7.       Taste, then adjust using the guide below

If you use a single basket (quick starting point)

Some machines come with a single basket, or you might prefer smaller shots. Keep the same idea (a 1:2 ratio), just scale it down.

·       Dose (in): 9–10g

·       Yield (out): 18–20g

·       Time: 25–30 seconds

If your single shot tastes thin in milk drinks, that’s normal — many people find a double shot works better for lattes and flat whites.

How to adjust (taste-first, not technical)

Use this table. Make small changes.

What it tastes like	What it usually means	What to do next
Sour, sharp, thin	Under-extracted	Grind finer (small step) or run a little longer
Bitter, harsh, dry	Over-extracted	Grind coarser (small step) or stop a little earlier
Watery, weak	Too little strength	Increase dose slightly (e.g., 18g → 19g) or reduce yield (e.g., 36g → 32g)
Strong but still sour	Uneven extraction	Improve distribution/tamp; check for channeling

Quick notes for milk drinks

If you mainly drink milk-based coffee:

·       Keep the espresso bold and balanced so it doesn’t disappear in milk

·       If your latte tastes “watery”, reduce milk slightly or tighten the espresso (slightly lower yield)

Common beginner mistakes (and the fix)

·       Changing 3 things at once: change only one variable per shot

·       Not weighing yield: yield is the easiest control lever

·       Old beans / pre-ground coffee: you’ll struggle to get consistent results

·       Uneven tamp: level tamp matters more than tamping super hard

Recommended coffee for this recipe

For a simple, consistent espresso that works especially well in milk drinks:

·       Lintang Blend (beginner-friendly, balanced, and designed to stay clear through milk)

Browse collections:

·       Blends: https://arigacoffeeau.com.au/collections/blends

·       Single Origin: https://arigacoffeeau.com.au/collections/single-origin

Alt text (accessibility)

Home espresso shot pulling into a white cup next to a scale and a notebook showing dose and yield.