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Best way to pull a single shot

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  • Best way to pull a single shot

    Accepting that the Silvia single basket is a dud, whats the best way to make one cup of coffee.

    I have been using the double basket and using 2 cups to pull 2x30 ml shots.  One gets tossed.

    But what is the difference if I pull the first 30 ml of the double shot into one cup and then stop.  Presumably that is not actually a standard espresso shot.

    Dumb question I know but I had to ask...

  • #2
    Re: Best way to pull a single shot

    That is known as a ristretto (literally restricted shot). Usually these are higher bodied sweeter shots. As a general rule the last part of the coffee is higher in acids with less body (just remember when it comes to coffee and what is best for it most rules can be bent or at least warped).

    What you should do is get three or more shot glasses and pull the first third into the first glass, the second third into the second glass and the third third into the last glass. This will give you an idea as to what each part of an espresso pull tastes like and you can make up your mind from there.

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    • #3
      Re: Best way to pull a single shot

      I always use the double on my cheap machine. I just waste one of the shots into the tray and keep one for myself. Its only 7 or 8 grams of coffee going to waste in the scheme of things. It is rare that I am only making one cup of coffee though. Reading the above reply it sound like a ristretto is using a double shot anyway so its your pick.

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      • #4
        Re: Best way to pull a single shot

        Just drink doubles If you are doing milk drinks then a double into 200-250ml glasses does the job nicely. I cant think of when one shot is enough for my liking

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        • #5
          Re: Best way to pull a single shot

          Originally posted by 5F585C535B514454535A3D0 link=1241653638/3#3 date=1241659546
          Just drink doubles  
          Agreed.

          If Im making a coffee for just myself, I always just have a double. If someone else wants a coffee and only wants one shot, I get to have the other. ;D

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          • #6
            Re: Best way to pull a single shot

            I drink doubles.

            I pull the shot short for my mother, because she dosnt like her coffee too strong.

            None of my regular visitors (all capp drinkers) can tell the difference between a half a shot or a short shot, so if there is more than one coffee to be served Ill split the double into two cups.

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            • #7
              Re: Best way to pull a single shot

              agree

              man up, drink a double

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              • #8
                Re: Best way to pull a single shot

                I usually use the double on my Silvia, but every now and then I need to pull a single shot.

                I got a Synesso single basket from Pullman (along with a double and a tamper!). The Synesso single is a big improvement over the Silvia single. Its quite a bit bigger and its profile isnt so severely stepped. Even with my limited skills I can usually get a good shot out of it, whereas I always got channelling and early blonding with the Silvia single. If you really want pull single shots it could be worth getting a good quality single basket like the Synesso.

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                • #9
                  Re: Best way to pull a single shot

                  synesso baskets are the way to go. I use 14gm in the single basket though, and 19gm in the double and the double gets far better and more consistent results.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Best way to pull a single shot

                    Originally posted by 686F7E6D7E75781B0 link=1241653638/0#0 date=1241653638
                    Accepting that the Silvia single basket is a dud,  
                    I dont. All single baskets are trickier to use due to the funnelling which can more easily lead to channelling. The whole dose/tamp process just needs to be much more precise.

                    The Synesso and Sunbeam EM69x0 single baskets are deeper so the funnel is a bit less pronounced + there is more coffee being extracted to the same volume all of which makes them more forgiving.

                    I think single baskets with either a naked PF or a PF with the spouts removed is a very good training tool

                    All that said, I would regard the single baskets that come with the cheap 53mm PF Brevile and Sunbeam machines to be useless - they just dont hold enough coffee. I regard their double baskets as suitable for single shots.

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