Espresso ratio and dose (short black)
A short black is a straight shot of espresso. Weigh the coffee that goes in (the dose) and the coffee that comes out (the yield). Pick your basket for the dose, yield and shot time.
1 What are you making?
Popular in Perth
Café drinks
Brewed coffee
2 How much?
3 How strong?
Units
How to make a short black
For double (18g basket), at balanced strength. Change the size or strength in the calculator above.
You need
- 18g finely ground coffee, for a double shot
Method
- Grind 18g of coffee into the basket, level it and tamp firmly.
- Pull the double shot and stop at 36g out. Aim for 25 to 30 seconds.
How a short black compares
Every Australian café drink side by side, at balanced strength in its usual cup. The coffee to milk ratio is espresso out against milk (or water) added, so you can see which drinks are really stronger.
| Drink | Cup | Espresso | Added | Foam | Coffee to milk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short black | Double, 18g basket | 18g in, 36g out | None | None | Coffee only |
| Short mac | Demitasse, about 90ml | Single (9g in, 18g out) | 15ml milk | A small dollop | 1 : 0.8 |
| Piccolo | Glass, about 100ml | Single (9g in, 14g out) | 74ml milk | Thin, about 5mm | 1 : 5.3 |
| Long mac | Glass, about 120ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 20ml milk | A small dollop | 1 : 0.6 |
| Long mac topped up | Glass, about 180ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 122ml milk | Thin, about 5mm | 1 : 3.4 |
| Flat white | Small, 8oz, 230ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 165ml milk | Thin, about 5mm | 1 : 4.6 |
| Cappuccino | Small, 8oz, 230ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 126ml milk | About 1.5cm, chocolate on top | 1 : 3.5 |
| Latte | Regular, 12oz, 350ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 251ml milk | About 1cm | 1 : 7 |
| Long black | Small, 8oz, 230ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 102ml hot water | None | 1 : 2.8 |
| Iced latte | Tall glass, about 350ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 188ml cold milk | None, served over ice | 1 : 5.2 |
Short black quick answers
| Size | Recipe |
|---|---|
| Single 9g basket | 9g in, 18g out |
| Double 18g basket | 18g in, 36g out |
| Triple 21g basket | 21g in, 42g out |
These are starting points. Every bean is different, so taste and adjust.
New to this? Read how to pull an espresso shot, step by step.
