Purge water through the grouphead with your portafilter inside to make sure the machine is hot and ready.

Remove the portafilter and wipe the basket with a rag to remove any moisture. Place it on the scale and tare it to zero. Weigh out and grind 18g of coffee on an extremely fine grind, like that of confectioner’s sugar, directly into the portafilter.

Using your finger, level out the coffee in the portafilter. Glide your finger across in smooth motions to distribute coffee evenly, avoiding pressing any coffee down. Fill all cracks along the edges, without losing any coffee.

Lay your portafilter on a clean, flat surface and place the tamper directly on top of the grounds. Apply pressure downwards, tamping the coffee and making sure the coffee bed is level. Avoid any sort of twisting while tamping or after tamping, and be mindful not to knock your portafilter on anything to avoid creating cracks in your coffee bed.

When the timer reads :30, start pouring in the center and spiral out in concentric circles. It's okay to pour onto the filter walls if grounds are clinging to the paper. Continue pouring in concentric circles spiraling back in towards the center until the scale reads 150g. This should take about 30 seconds. Let the slurry drain for about 15 seconds.

Once your espresso weight reaches 34g turn off your grouphead immediately and stop your timer at the same time. Your final weight of the espresso shot should be close to 36g. Extraction should take 24-30 seconds to complete. Stir your espresso before sipping to dissipate the crema and evenly distribute the sediments.

If the shot time was over 30 seconds or tastes bitter, grind coarser and try again.
If the shot time was under 24 seconds or tastes sour, grind finer and try again.