Written by: Aleksandar Spasevski Editor at Coffeedant and a barista-trained tester. I run repeatable tests for temperature stability, shot yield, flow behavior, and milk texture.
Getting your espresso dose right matters more than almost anything else you’ll do at the machine. Dose determines extraction quality, flavor balance, and whether that expensive single-origin pulls sweet and complex or sour and thin. Most home baristas chase grind adjustments and fancy gear when their real problem is dosing 16 grams into an 18-gram…
Your grinder determines shot quality more than your machine does. The burr geometry shapes particle distribution, which controls extraction speed, flavor clarity, and crema thickness. Conical and flat burrs achieve this through different grinding mechanics, producing distinct particle profiles that matter when you dial in. What Burr Geometry Actually Does Burrs crush coffee beans between…
