How Many Milliliters in a Shot of Espresso - Understanding Crema Production and Quality

Understanding Double Shots: The Mystery Behind Espresso Measurements

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Do you know what a Double Shot means? Many people know that Starbucks offers many double shots, and their caffeine content varies significantly! So, which one provides the most caffeine, and what are the differences between these products? FrontStreet Coffee will unveil this mystery for you.

What Does "Shot" Mean?

Regarding the origin of the word "shot," FrontStreet Coffee found through research that there are multiple theories with many variations. The "shot" we know today primarily serves as a measurement unit in bar culture, referring to a small glass of strong liquor. Traditionally, one shot equals 1 ounce, about 30ml. The use of shot glasses became popular in the mid-20th century, with establishments offering these small glasses that could be "downed in one go" to allow customers to consume alcohol more quickly, affordably, and conveniently.

Similar to bar usage, in coffee shops, when people say "one shot," they mean a single serving of espresso - a small cup of about 30ml of concentrated coffee liquid.

Why Does Espresso Use "Shot" as a Measurement Unit?

In Italian, "espresso" means "fast," and a barista can produce a cup of rich crema espresso in just one minute. After paying, customers receive their coffee and finish it in two or three sips while standing at the counter, allowing for efficient caffeine intake. Since advanced equipment like electronic scales wasn't available then, baristas could only visually estimate, using a split portafilter to flow coffee liquid into two 1-ounce shot glasses, relying on the glass capacity to determine if extraction was complete. Additionally, the espresso of that time had a thick, intense flavor similar to liquor, so using "shot" to describe it seemed fitting.

Of course, such methods today would certainly have errors and difficulty maintaining consistency in each serving, so baristas now typically use liquid weight as the standard for extracting espresso. (The volume and weight of crema are not equal, so a shot with rich crema actually contains less liquid than one with thin crema.)

For example, for those who love rich crema, we recommend "FrontStreet Coffee Classic Blend" and "FrontStreet Coffee Commercial Blend" - these two dark roast espresso coffee beans. For friends who prefer fruity acidity or gentle coffee aromas, we suggest choosing products like "FrontStreet Coffee Strawberry Candy" and "FrontStreet Coffee Flower Queen SOE" which lean more toward medium roast. When FrontStreet Coffee uses the same parameters to extract them (20g coffee grounds, 28-30 seconds to extract 40g coffee liquid), although the weight is identical, the former appears to be "double" the amount of the latter.

How Much is One Shot of Espresso?

When used as a measurement unit for espresso extraction, for a long time, pulling shots followed the barista standards of the time, forming an espresso extraction formula: a single shot used a single basket, extracting 30ml of espresso from 7 grams of coffee grounds. As for Double Shot, the double shot extraction formula was: use a double basket, 14 grams of coffee grounds to produce 60ml of espresso.

Later, with the upgrading of pressure espresso machines and the adoption of weight measurement units, the judgment of extraction volume shifted from coffee liquid volume to actual espresso weight, making precise control of coffee extraction possible. As coffee bean quality and roasting technology continuously improved, the proportion range for baristas pulling shots also narrowed. When using double-capacity baskets, where a single espresso was previously 14g grounds extracting 60ml of coffee liquid, now a single espresso typically uses 18g grounds to extract 36g (about 50ml) of coffee liquid.

So, How Much Coffee is in One Shot Today?

If you order "a shot, please" in two different coffee shops, you might receive a small cup with only about twenty milliliters of espresso, while another barista serves you a portion of forty to fifty milliliters. Why such a big difference?

Today, most coffee shops use double baskets (double shots) by default for their drinks. Baristas develop exclusive extraction ratios for their own beans, using specific amounts of grounds to extract coffee liquid with the best flavor in a single extraction. precisely because coffee blending concepts and extraction ratios differ, the resulting espresso liquid can range from ten to几十 grams, varying from shop to shop.

For example, FrontStreet Coffee uses a 20-gram capacity basket, 19.8 grams of coffee grounds, and extracts 38 grams of espresso liquid in 29 seconds, so here the "double shot" is 38 grams. If a customer only wants a single shot, the barista will use a portafilter with a split spout to catch the liquid in two cups, giving only one cup, where one shot is about 19 grams.

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