Refractometers

The deceptive simplicity of the two-to-one ratio For years, the gold standard of espresso communication has relied on a simple mathematical formula. If you dose 18 grams of ground coffee, you aim for 36 grams of liquid. While James Hoffmann acknowledges the historical utility of these benchmarks, he argues that the industry has become overly reliant on them. A ratio is merely a description of strength, not a guarantee of quality. By telling a consumer to brew at a specific ratio, roasters are often just saying "make espresso" without providing the tools to handle the variables that actually dictate flavor. Why technical blueprints fail in the real world The math falls apart when it meets physical reality. A prescriptive recipe ignores the massive variance in hardware and raw materials. Factors like basket quality, grinder precision, and even water chemistry fundamentally change how coffee extracts. A high-altitude, light-roast coffee demands a different approach than a dense Brazilian estate bean. When users try to force a strict 20-gram dose into a basket not designed for it, or use entry-level grinders on complex beans, the result is a "bad time" regardless of whether they hit the target ratio. Starting small to ensure extraction success Rather than chasing specific liquid yields, the smarter move is to prioritize extraction quality through lower dosing. Most home baristas should start with 16 grams rather than the standard 18 or 20. This provides more headroom in the basket and makes the coffee easier to extract evenly. Unless a large milk-based drink requires more volume, a 30-gram shot brewed from a smaller dose often delivers better clarity, aftertaste, and "delightfulness" than a larger, poorly extracted double shot. Moving from abstract ideas to practical recipes Ratios are abstract, philosophical concepts—perfect precisely because they don't account for the messiness of the real world. A true recipe must be treated as a flexible starting point rather than a rigid mandate. The goal for roasters and trainers should be to move away from "lazy" communication and toward helping users understand the "why" behind adjustments. True expertise lies in the ability to tweak grind size and yield based on the specific sensory feedback of the cup, not just the numbers on a scale.