Only Espresso
A field guide for home espresso

Better shots,
fewer mysteries.

Practical guides for home espresso. Pulling shots, dialing in, milk, maintenance, and equipment. Espresso only, nothing else.

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By topic

Find the answer to one specific question.

Six clusters cover everything we write about. Each one is a standalone field manual; you don't need to read the others to follow it.

N° 01 Pulling shots Technique, dialing in, dose / yield / time. N° 02 Milk & drinks Steaming, latte art, drink builds. N° 03 Cleaning & maintenance Backflushing, descaling, group head care. N° 04 Troubleshooting Sour shots, channeling, leaks, quirks. N° 05 Equipment guides Machines, grinders, scales, tampers. N° 06 Beans & roasts Choosing, storing, roast levels, freshness.

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01

How to make a flat white

A short double shot, barely-stretched milk, and a 6 oz cup. The recipe and the small set of details that separate a flat white from a small latte.

Milk & drinks 02

How to make a latte at home

Pull a real double, steam milk to the right texture, and pour it together. The end-to-end latte routine without cafe-grade gear.

Milk & drinks 03

How to make a cappuccino at home

A real Italian-style cappuccino in 90 seconds: 36 g espresso, 5 oz of steamed whole milk at 140°F, served in a 5 to 6 oz cup.

Milk & drinks 04

Why is my espresso watery?

Watery espresso is almost always under-extraction: grind too coarse, dose too low, or yield too high. Here's how to diagnose and fix it.

Troubleshooting 05

How to store espresso beans for maximum freshness

Block oxygen, light, heat, and moisture in that order. The storage hierarchy, the freezer trick that actually works, and why the fridge ruins beans.

Beans & roasts

Every home espresso machine is one or two adjustments away from a great shot. Usually the grinder.