What is a fast shot?
A properly extracted espresso should take 25–35 seconds from the moment the pump starts to when you stop the shot. This is measured from when water first contacts the coffee puck (not when coffee starts flowing from the spout — there's typically a 5–8 second delay).
If your shot finishes before 20 seconds, water is rushing through the puck too quickly, extracting only the first, easiest-to-reach compounds — which are sour and thin — and missing the balanced, sweet middle of the extraction curve.
Why shots pull fast
- Grind too coarse: The most common cause. Large particles offer less resistance, so water rushes straight through.
- Dose too low: Less coffee in the basket means the puck is thinner and creates less resistance.
- Tamp too light: A loose puck lets water find channels through the coffee rather than percolating evenly.
- Channelling: A crack or hole in the puck lets water short-circuit through one path. The shot pulls fast but looks normal until you inspect the spent puck.
- Distribution problems: If the coffee isn't evenly distributed before tamping, thin spots in the puck create low-resistance paths.
How to fix it — in order
Step 1: Grind finer. This is almost always the right first move. Move your grinder one or two notches finer and pull another shot. The flow should slow and the shot should take longer. Continue adjusting until you hit 25–35 seconds.
Step 2: Check your dose. If grinding finer alone doesn't slow the shot enough, increase your dose by 0.5 g and try again. Most espresso recipes use 18–20 g for a double shot.
Step 3: Improve your tamp. Use firm, even pressure — roughly 15 kg. More importantly, make sure the tamp is level. An uneven tamp creates a thin edge where water channelled through. Use a levelling tool if available.
Step 4: Distribute before tamping. Use a WDT tool (Weiss Distribution Technique) or simply tap the portafilter on the counter a few times to settle the grounds evenly before tamping. This eliminates channels and clumps before they become a problem.
What a dialled-in shot looks like
A properly extracted espresso starts as a slow drip 5–8 seconds after the pump starts, then builds to a steady, honey-like flow. The colour should be a warm amber-brown — not pale yellow (under-extracted, too fast) and not dark brown that fades to black (over-extracted, too slow). Aim for 25–35 seconds total and a yield of roughly 1.5–2× your dose weight.