Espresso Running Too Fast or Slow? Dial It In | Baffled Coffee

Espresso not tasting right? Don’t panic.

Even in our cafés we adjust the grinder every day.
Small changes in weather, humidity and bean age can make a big difference.

Here’s a simple way to diagnose what’s happening and fix it quickly.

⏱ First, your target

As a starting point for most coffees:

• Espresso in: 18g

• Espresso out: around 36g

• Time: 25–30 seconds

If you’re a little outside that, it’s fine — taste is king.

🚿 Running too fast?

(Shot finishes quickly, tastes weak, sour or thin.)

👉 Grind finer.

Finer coffee slows the water down and increases extraction.

🐌 Running too slow?

(Drips or trickles, tastes bitter, heavy or dry.)

👉 Grind coarser.

Coarser grounds let water pass through more easily.

💧 Puck wet or sloppy?

Totally normal sometimes — but if flavour is off:

👉 Try a slightly coarser grind
👉 Or reduce the dose a touch

🤔 Great time but tastes wrong?

Numbers are guides, not rules.

If it tastes:

• Sour → go finer

• Bitter → go coarser

• Flat → try a slightly higher dose

Trust your mouth more than the scale.

🌡 Why settings change day to day

Fresh beans, warmer rooms, grinder heat and humidity all affect flow.

That’s why we dial in every morning in the cafés — and sometimes again in the afternoon.

Normal. Not failure 👍

Want coffee that behaves like it does in our cafés?

Start with the blends we dial in every day:

👉 Baffled House Blend
👉 Ark Royal – Dark Roast
👉 Monsoon Malabar – Single Origin

Roasted fresh to order and shipped quickly across the UK.