How Many Milliliters in an Espresso? What's the Difference Between 1 Shot and Double Shot?

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Coffee enthusiasts who regularly drink espresso-based milk coffee know that making a milk coffee requires espresso concentrate and milk. Common drinks at FrontStreet Coffee like lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas are all made with different ratios of espresso concentrate and milk. Some require one shot of espresso, while others need two. So how many milliliters are in one shot of espresso? What's the difference between a double and a single shot? FrontStreet Coffee will answer these questions one by one through this article.

Difference Between Single and Double Espresso Shots

First, FrontStreet Coffee will explain the difference between single and double espresso shots. According to Italian coffee-making traditions, one espresso shot means using 7-9g of coffee grounds to extract 1 ounce of espresso. A double espresso means using 14-18g of coffee grounds to extract 2 ounces of espresso.

How Many Milliliters in One Shot of Espresso?

As mentioned earlier, a shot glass refers to a cup of approximately 1 ounce in size, which is about 30ml in capacity. Therefore, one shot actually refers to approximately 30ml of espresso liquid.

Today's coffee shops generally use double portafilters as their standard for making drinks. Single portafilters have almost disappeared. Meanwhile, the ratio for extracting espresso is also constantly decreasing. For example, previously one unit of espresso was 7g of grounds extracting 30ml of coffee liquid, but now one unit of espresso is 16g of grounds extracting 32g (about 45ml) of coffee liquid.

So now, one coffee puck is generally referred to as 1 shot, which depends on how much coffee powder the shop uses. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's 1 shot (1 espresso shot) is 40g liquid weight.

Latte Making Method and Ratios

FrontStreet Coffee uses a Lelit espresso machine with the following extraction parameters:

Pressure: 9 bar
Temperature: 94°C
Time: 30 sec
Coffee-to-liquid ratio: 1:2
Coffee amount: 20g
Espresso extraction amount: 40g

FrontStreet Coffee uses double espresso shots for making lattes, using FrontStreet Coffee's Sunflower Warm Sunshine espresso blend. The extracted flavor profile shows: distinct fruit acidity, subtle berry aroma, rich wine and chocolate flavors, with a comfortable sweet aftertaste.

Milk: Whole fresh milk (FrontStreet Coffee uses Kowloon Dairy fresh milk)
Milk frothing temperature: 50-60°C (too low a temperature cannot bring out the lactose in milk, too high a temperature will destroy the proteins in milk, resulting in a grainy texture)
Foam thickness: 1 centimeter (thinner than 1cm is for flat white coffee, thicker than 1cm is for cappuccino coffee)

Recommended Hot Latte Ratio

FrontStreet Coffee recommends a coffee-to-milk ratio of 1:6 for making lattes, meaning 40ml espresso to 240ml hot milk. By incorporating the milk with the espresso in a circular motion, you can get a cup of hot latte. Fresh milk when heated releases lactose sweet molecules more effectively. When mixed evenly with espresso, the entire latte naturally has the sweet taste of milk without overpowering the espresso's character. Instead, the milk backdrop actually enhances the espresso's flavors. FrontStreet Coffee's hot latte flavor profile shows: whiskey aroma, lactose and coffee acidity collide to create a milkshake-like sweetness, with a nutty aftertaste similar to hazelnuts.

As can be seen from above, FrontStreet Coffee needs to extract double espresso shots (40ml) to make one latte, while a single shot would be 20ml, with a coffee-to-water ratio of approximately 1:2. This is mainly related to the characteristics of espresso machines, as each espresso machine has different parameters.

The above is FrontStreet Coffee's compilation of answers regarding how many milliliters are in one shot of espresso and the differences between double and single espresso shots.

What Coffee Beans are Used for Espresso?

Additionally, the coffee beans used in espresso machines are different from those used for regular pour-over coffee. Because espresso machines have the characteristic of amplifying the original flavors of coffee beans, single-origin coffee is not suitable for making espresso, otherwise the flavor would be very difficult to guarantee. Espresso blend coffee beans mix coffee beans from different origins and varieties, typically two or three types. The purpose of blending is obvious - to gather the flavors of different coffee beans together, presenting a completely new flavor profile to achieve a more balanced effect, while also serving as the shop's signature.

For example, if one type of coffee bean is smooth but lacks aroma, another bean with rich aroma can be added to complement and improve the defects. Another purpose of espresso blend coffee beans is to reduce costs. Traditionally used espresso blends mix Robusta variety coffee beans. Because Robusta coffee beans have a mellow and thick flavor, although their cupping score cannot reach that of single-origin coffee, when paired with single-origin coffee, they can provide richer and thicker coffee crema for espresso, while also providing a viscous and smooth texture as the base for milk coffee.

This is also one of the reasons why espresso is so loved by coffee enthusiasts. Because coffee fruits are always an agricultural product, their flavor will be unstable each year due to climate and environmental issues. They might be sweeter this year but not as sweet next year. Mixing several types of coffee beans can solve this problem well, at least ensuring that the coffee flavor tasted each year remains consistent.

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473