Picture Post: Why you shouldn’t buy an espresso machine without knowing what you are getting into: this one shot of espresso took 80 grams of coffee to make.

Stephen Weber

6 hours ago

How does that work you ask? Dialing in a new grinder.

Grind too fine and the shot won’t pull at all. Grind too coarse and it pulls too fast.

One single level adjustment on a grinder can yield very different results.

Photo of a successfully pulled shot of espresso after dialing in setting on a new grinder.

Photo of tamped coffee beans in a portafilter showing a grind that was appropriate for espresso.

Photo of ground coffee beans on a scale showing a grind that successfully pulled a 2oz shot of espresso.

Photo of ground coffee beans on a scale showing a grind that was too fine to pull a shot of espresso. This grind failed to brew more than 0.25oz.

Photo of ground coffee beans on a scale showing a grind that was too fine to pull a shot of espresso. This grind failed to brew entirely.

Photo of an over extracted shot of espresso caused by coffee beans that were ground too coarsely.

Photo of tamped coffee beans in a portafilter showing a grind that was too coarse for espresso.

Photo of ground coffee beans on a scale showing a grind that was too coarse for espresso.

Taken on Jul 29, 2026 @ 07:58.