Brew ratios, times and all that stuff. Have we got it all wrong?

2026-02-16

So often I walk into a cafe and there it is for all to see on the grinder. It's the gospel according to the Oracle who decides how the coffee should be - and yet? So often, bitterly (or was that sourly) disappointing… For years, brew ratios, shot times, and yield numbers have been treated like sacred coordinates. This many grams in, that many out for an X:Y brew ratio. This many seconds to get that many grams out. Stamp it, ship it, do not question it - and yet, the espresso? Sub-par. ## There I