How to Make Café-Quality Espresso at Home: A Guide from a Coffee Roaster in Dublin
If you're passionate about speciality coffee and want to replicate café-quality espresso at home, you’re not alone. As someone who works with wholesale coffee and runs a coffee roastery in Dublin, I often meet people who love the idea of crafting beautiful espresso at home — but struggle with consistency.
This guide breaks down the three core parameters of espresso — dose, time, and yield — and highlights the importance of having the right equipment. Whether you're using a prosumer coffee machine in Dublin or looking to level up your morning routine, this is your starting point.
Start with the Right Espresso Machine
Before getting into recipes and ratios, it’s worth talking about your equipment.
Many entry-level espresso machines come with pressurised baskets or small single-wall baskets that don’t hold enough coffee. If your basket only fits 12 to 14 grams, you’ll struggle to hit the body, sweetness, and clarity you’d expect from high-quality wholesale coffee beans.
Most cafés use 18 to 20 grams of ground coffee for a double espresso. That extra dose provides the resistance needed to extract more flavour. So, if you’re serious about making proper espresso at home, look for a coffee machine in Dublin that supports non-pressurised baskets (ideally 58mm) and allows for consistent pressure and temperature control.
A good grinder is just as important. If your grind is off, even the best beans won’t save your shot.
1. Dose – Laying the Foundation
The dose is the amount of dry, ground coffee you place in your portafilter. For a double shot, 18 to 20 grams is the typical range.
Dose affects extraction. Too little and your espresso will taste sour and thin. Too much and you’ll over-extract, leading to bitterness. Weighing your dose every time is essential if you want consistency and control over your espresso.
2. Time – The Extraction Window
Time refers to how long it takes to pull your shot — from when the pump starts to when you stop the extraction.
Aim for 25 to 30 seconds for a double shot. If the shot is running too quickly, your grind is likely too coarse. If it takes too long, your grind might be too fine. Time is a reflection of grind size, and adjusting this is your main tool for improving flavour.
3. Yield – The Final Result
Yield is how much espresso ends up in your cup, measured in grams. A common starting point is a 1:2 brew ratio — so if you dose 18 grams of coffee, aim for 36 grams of liquid espresso.
Yield affects flavour balance. A lower yield gives you a more intense, syrupy espresso, while a higher yield gives you a lighter, more delicate cup. Use a scale to track this — it’s one of the easiest ways to stay consistent.
The Reality of Making Great Espresso at Home
As someone who sources, roasts, and supplies wholesale coffee in Dublin, I’ll be straight with you — it’s very possible to make better espresso at home than what many cafés serve. But it does take effort.
If you want truly exceptional espresso, you need to enjoy the process. That means trial and error, playing around with recipes, and learning how your machine and grinder respond to different coffees. The people who make the best espresso at home are the ones who love the ritual — and the challenge.
If you’re just starting out, use this as your baseline:
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Dose: 18g
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Yield: 36g
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Time: 25 to 30 seconds
From there, keep exploring. Change the ratio. Adjust the grind. Taste and learn. Good espresso is within reach — great espresso is a craft.
Looking for the Best Coffee in Dublin?
At Behind the Label Coffee, we offer fully traceable speciality coffee from farms we’ve personally visited. Whether you’re brewing at home, running a café and looking for wholesale coffee, or searching for advice on the right coffee machine in Dublin, we’re here to help.
We believe great coffee comes from curiosity, knowledge, and respect for the work that goes into every cup.
Taste with purpose,
Darren
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