Espresso recipes.
Once you dial in a good shot, the rest is just ratios. Here are the recipes for every common espresso drink, with the numbers you need to make them at home.
Four shot types. Same beans.
Same machine, same beans. The difference is how much water you pull through the puck.
One shot, about 20ml in the cup. Strong and small.
Two shots. The standard for most drinks.
Short and sweet. More concentrated than espresso.
Longer pull, more bitter. Water goes through the puck, not added after.
Same espresso. Different milk.
Different amount and texture of milk. Each drink is a different ratio and a different way of steaming.
Latte
The most milk of any common espresso drink. Smooth and mild. The ratio is roughly 1 part espresso to 4-6 parts milk.
Flat white
Smaller than a latte with more espresso per sip. Usually made with ristretto for a sweeter, more intense base.
Cappuccino
Equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam. The foam is thicker than a latte. Dry cappuccino has more foam. Wet has more steamed milk.
Cortado
Spanish origin. Equal parts espresso and milk. Small. Strong but cut by just enough milk to reduce acidity.
Cold versions of the same recipes.
Two exceptions: shaken espresso has its own technique, and you skip milk foam for most iced drinks.
Iced latte
2 shots espresso over ice, then 150-200ml cold milk. Stir gently. No foam needed.
Pull the shots directly over the ice. Chills fast and reduces bitterness.
Iced shaken espresso
2 shots + 3 ice cubes + optional sweetener in a shaker. Shake 10s. Pour over fresh ice.
See the full shaken espresso guide for variations and ratio tips.
Full shaken espresso guide →Iced cortado
2 shots over ice, then equal amount of cold milk. About 60-70ml total.
Strong. Cold. Small. Good for people who want coffee flavor without a big drink.
Three drinks worth trying.
Once you have your base shot dialed in.
Affogato
1-2 shots hot espresso poured directly over 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serve immediately.
Dessert and coffee in one. The contrast between hot espresso and cold cream is the whole point.
Espresso tonic
2 shots espresso, 150ml tonic water over ice. Pour espresso over the tonic slowly. No stirring.
Bitter and bright. The tonic and espresso flavors stay separate at first, then blend as you drink.
Cold foam latte
2 shots over ice, 150ml cold milk, 2 tbsp whipped cold foam on top.
Cold foam is made by frothing cold milk with a handheld frother for 30 seconds. Sits on top of the drink.
Log every shot. Build every recipe.
Every recipe on this page starts with a dialed-in shot. DialInLog tracks your dose, yield, time, and notes so you can build a repeatable recipe for every drink you make.
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