Basket Dose Estimator
How many grams of coffee belong in your basket? Select your portafilter diameter and basket type for a recommended dose range — plus the headspace rule that keeps shots sweet.
Dose sets strength, grind sets extraction
This is the division of labor beginners mix up most often. Your dose — how many grams of coffee go in the basket — decides how strong the shot tastes. Your grind decides how the water flows through that coffee and whether the flavor is balanced. A fast, sour shot at the right dose means the grind is too coarse — adding more coffee just makes a stronger sour shot.
The 2–3mm headspace rule
Whatever your basket, the tamped puck should sit 2–3mm below the shower screen. The puck swells when hot water hits it; without room to expand, it presses against the screen, chokes the flow, and drags bitter, over-extracted flavors into the cup. The classic check is the nickel test: press a coin on the tamped puck — a faint imprint means your dose is right, a deep stamp means back off a gram.
How to use this tool
Select your portafilter diameter and basket type. The big number is your recommended dose range in grams — start in the middle, weigh your coffee on a 0.1g scale, and check headspace with the nickel test. Once dose and headspace are locked in, leave them alone and do all your flavor tuning with the grinder.
The shortcut
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What is headspace and why does it matter?
Headspace is the gap between the tamped coffee puck and the shower screen above it — ideally 2–3mm. The puck swells when hot water hits it; without room to expand, it presses against the screen, chokes the flow, and picks up bitter, over-extracted flavors.
Can I just add more coffee for a stronger shot?
More dose makes a stronger-tasting shot, but it doesn't fix a bad-tasting one — and it changes the extraction by shrinking headspace. Dose sets strength; grind sets extraction. Get the dose right for your basket first, then adjust grind to dial in flavor.
What is the nickel test?
Place a nickel on your tamped puck and lock the portafilter in dry (no shot). Unlock it and check: a faint imprint of the coin means your headspace is about right. A deep stamp means you overdosed — back the dose down a gram.
My shots run fast even at the recommended dose. Now what?
Grind finer — don't add more coffee. Dose controls how much coffee is in the basket; grind controls how resistant the puck is to water. A fast shot at the right dose means the grind is too coarse. Change grind one step at a time.