As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When you use our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
To brew a full-bodied cup of coffee, you must find the perfect extraction time. This refers to the amount of coffee that is dissolved in the water. There are ways to control the extraction time and to customize the brew to suit your tastes.
But what is the ideal extraction time for a good shot of espresso?
Most people prefer an extraction time of between 20 to 30 seconds. The ideal time might depend on the type of bean, the machine, and personal preferences. Too little extraction time and the coffee will be weak. Too long, and it will taste burnt and bitter.
These ballpark figures should help you find a good extraction time. But you might need to experiment to find what works for you.
What Is The Optimum Extraction Time For A Pressurized Basket?
The optimum extraction time for a pressurized basket is 20 – 30 seconds. The good news is that pressurized baskets are much easier to operate than their non-pressurized counterparts. As a result, once you find the proper extraction time, you can keep using that setting and get delicious results.
Finding The Perfect Extraction Time For Coffee
The exact extraction time you should be using will vary a little, depending on your machine and the dosage you are aiming for. But there are a few limits that you should be aware of.
The lower limit is around 10 seconds. Anything less than this, and you won’t be able to get enough flavor from the beans.
The upper limit is between 30 to 40 seconds. Much more than this, and you risk creating a burnt brew.
The most common option is between 20 to 30 seconds. This is the industry standard and is the approach that you will find most coffee shops using.
What Affects The Extraction Time?
There are a few elements to consider before deciding on the extraction time. These elements include:
- Amount of coffee you are using. Too much coffee and the water will be hard to penetrate the thick layer. Few beans and it will be hard to reach the correct brewing pressure. Because of this, it’s recommended that you use 11 grams for a single shot and 18-20 grams for a double shot.
- Grind size. A pressurized machine will require finely ground beans. If it’s too coarse, the water will penetrate through too quickly.
- Tamp pressure. The way you tamp the puck is less crucial for pressurized machines than non-pressurized options. But you should lightly tamp down the grounds. This will ensure that the grounds are sitting flat. But too firm, the water will struggle to get through the grounds. This will lead to a slower extraction time and the risk of burning your coffee.
- Water pressure. Higher water pressure will force water to pass through the grounds more quickly. You can adjust this element on your machine. You can place a jug under the coffee maker to test this element and turn it on. You should aim to see between 200 and 280ml within 30 seconds.
- Basket size. The size of the hole in the basket will limit how quickly water can flow through the machine.
How Extraction Time Impacts Taste
By paying attention to how the coffee tastes, you can quickly discover whether your coffee is under or over-extracted. Here are some useful indicators you should be looking for:
- Under-extracted coffee. This will often lead to a weak brew, as the water needs to take more time to release the flavor from the beans. You might also find that there are more notes of acidity in the brew. You might even start to pick up some notes of saltiness.
- Over-extracted coffee. The most commonly reported issue is a bitter taste. This can feel like you have burnt the beans. At other times, you might notice a scratchy flavor, which can taste like you are drinking sandpaper. Interestingly, over-extracted coffee will suppress the flavors, like under-extracted coffee, leaving you with a bland brew.
This free cheat sheet will improve your coffee brew by providing quick information on brew ratio, grind size, optimal brewing time, and more.
Calculating The Extraction Time
To calculate the extraction time:
- Get out a stopwatch app and brew a coffee.
- Start timing from the moment the first drop comes out of the machine.
- Finish when the last drop has landed in your cup.
This is the extraction time. It would help if you noted this to track which settings produce good results and which don’t.
The good news is that pressurized baskets are much easier to operate than their non-pressurized counterparts. As a result, once you find the proper extraction time, you can keep using that setting and get delicious results.
But you should adjust these settings a little when using a new type of beans. Thankfully, it shouldn’t be a huge change. It would help if you varied the extraction time up or down a few seconds.
Tips To Dial In The Extraction Time
You can adjust the extraction time to get it to the right setting in several ways. Here are some things to try:
- Changing the grind size. You will need to grind the beans finer if it’s too fast. Too slow, and you’ll need to make it a little coarser.
- Consider the tamp. It’s easy to overlook, but the pressure of the tamp can significantly impact extraction speed. Make sure that you are tight enough to prevent water flow.
- Look at the settings. Most of the time, the machine will already be dialed in with the recommended settings. But you should still be able to change the water temperature and pressure to suit your tastes.
- Clean the machine. Slow water flow might be causing problems. A clog in the machine could cause this. This can be caused by mineral build-up from tap water.
- Check the beans. Sometimes, you will find that the coffee beans can cause a bitter flavor, even though they are being extracted correctly. This is most common when you are using inferior products from a supermarket.
Final Thoughts
The correct extraction time is key to preparing the perfect cup of coffee. Thankfully, this is relatively easy. The coffee should taste okay if it’s in the range of 20 to 30 seconds.
But you can still experiment a little to fine-tune the blend to suit your tastes better.
This free cheat sheet will improve your coffee brew by providing quick information on brew ratio, grind size, optimal brewing time, and more.
