WHAT ESPRESSO MACHINE IS BEST FOR YOU?
If you know for sure you love espresso, but aren't sure on the right machine style for you, take this quiz!
Espresso Machine Boiler Types
Learn everything you need to know about boiler types before assembling your espresso set-up.
Pour Over Brew Method Demystified
Learn the art of pour over. The end result is balanced, complex, and—if you’re lucky—a meditative state.
What is Drip Coffee?
Discover the nuances of coffee brewing and get the right brewer for you.
A Beginner's Guide to Coffee Grinders
Get a grasp on grinders. Know their burr type, materials, and the features your machine needs to brew a consistent shot.
Coffee Flavor Affected By Grinders
Learn about coffee grinders affect the taste of your coffee.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHOOSING COFFEE
Start your journey into the wonderful world of specialty coffee and espresso with this diverse collection of beans.
Shop our collection of coffee products
Browse our extensive selection of gourmet coffee and espresso beans. Whether you’re looking for whole bean, pre-ground coffee, decaf, single-serve capsules or ESE Pods, we have it all.
Scale in Dual-Boiler Machines
For proper machine maintenance, we stock genuine parts and premium care products.
Support Library
Don't know what part you need? Check our support wiki for part diagrams and guides to help troubleshoot issues.
BWT Water Filters for Espresso Machines
Build the perfect coffee bar and make sure it stays that way with a state of the art water filtration system.
The Importance of Espresso Tampers
Choosing a quality tamper is often overlooked as an important consideration of brewing good espresso.
Technical Support
Discover useful specs, troubleshooting guides, and brewing tips from our huge support library.
Whole Latte Love on Youtube
With over 1,000 videos, our channel has everything from espresso machine reviews, tech and maintenance guides, coffee recipes, and more!
Machine Video Library
We’ve taken our expert YouTube videos and carefully collected them into specific playlists for each machine.
Profitec Pro 500 PID vs Quick Mill Arnos
It's time for another showdown between two great espresso machines, this time in the heat exchanger category.
Whole Latte Love Blog
Advice, staff picks, mythbusting, and more from the Internet’s leading coffee experts. Let us help you.
by Whole Latte Love Updated: March 12, 2019 2 min read
CLICK HERE to subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive promotions and regular updates on everything coffee!
By now most of us have probably heard of something referred to as the Golden Rule.
As a quick refresher, the objective of the Golden Rule is to brew a double shot of espresso (2.5oz) in 25 seconds. One variable is the fineness and consistency of your ground espresso; another is tamp pressure. Thirty lbs of tamp pressure is what most experts recommend. There is also a consensus that any tamp pressure that is consistently applied each and every time will work. Consistency is the key word here. Whether it is 30lbs or 50lbs of pressure, the key component is to use the same pressure every time. You can, then, adjust your grind setting to follow suit and get the perfect extraction.
Remember as a rule of thumb it should take an average of twenty five seconds to brew a double shot of espresso. To demonstrate the impact tamp pressure can have on espresso extraction, I usually have customers apply both a very forceful tamp, as well as an extremely light tamp. The difference in the extraction time can be amazing. Literally, you can go from an extraction time of ten seconds, with a light tamp, to an extraction time of forty plus seconds, with a heavy tamp, all using the exact same grind setting. If an excessive amount of pressure is needed to slow the flow down to twenty five seconds, the espresso is probably ground too coarse. Likewise, if the extraction process is taking too long, exceeding twenty five seconds with a light tamp, the grinder should be adjusted to deliver a courser grind.
Keep in mind that everybody’s palate and preferences are different. Some people will use a very heavy tamp pressure and brew their espresso for fifty or sixty seconds; they will adamantly argue this method produces the best tasting espresso. I also know people who always brew a long shot, 3oz-4oz, and will argue that this is the only way to make good espresso. I’m more of an authentic Italian-style espresso maker, but can appreciate that everybody’s preferences are different. In the end, you should use the method that best suits your tastes. So practice, experiment and enjoy!
Sign up to receive Whole Latte Love emails and take advantage of our biggest sales of the year before anyone else, as well as receive email-exclusive coupons, content, and more.