# Basket size, ratio and time



## igm45 (Mar 5, 2017)

I am currently using a 18g VST basket with 18g in and dependent on the bean anywhere between 22 and 45g out, generally I aim for the output around 30 seconds, but sometimes extend this up to 40 seconds, again bean dependent.

My wife finds the coffee I make too intense in her latte's, and I would like to use a smaller basket. We are talking single dose 7g small, maybe experiment with the 15g VST when I get that.

If I go for say a 1:2 ratio on a single dose 7g in 14g out, should I be aiming for the same time, 30sec? That doesn't sound right, surely?

If not what sort of time?

TIA


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

7 in 14 out is still a 2:! ratio! It will be just as intense. You need to extract more for her from your 18g basket. My taste on 18 gms is a max of 30 out over 25 to 30 seconds. Try going for 36 to 40 gm over 30 seconds


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

dfk41 said:


> 7 in 14 out is still a 2:! ratio! It will be just as intense. You need to extract more for her from your 18g basket. My taste on 18 gms is a max of 30 out over 25 to 30 seconds. Try going for 36 to 40 gm over 30 seconds


Sure but there will be less coffee in the drink made with a 7g dose.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

igm45 said:


> If I go for say a 1:2 ratio on a single dose 7g in 14g out, should I be aiming for the same time, 30sec? That doesn't sound right, surely?
> 
> If not what sort of time?
> 
> TIA


Time will overlap with a double basket. In both cases (7:14g & 18:36g over 30s) the grounds will be in contact with the same amount of water for the same time. You may need to play around with ratios for the single if you are going to switch between doubles & singles at the same grind setting.


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

igm45 said:


> I am currently using a 18g VST basket with 18g in and dependent on the bean anywhere between 22 and 45g out, generally I aim for the output around 30 seconds, but sometimes extend this up to 40 seconds, again bean dependent.
> 
> My wife finds the coffee I make too intense in her latte's, and I would like to use a smaller basket. We are talking single dose 7g small, maybe experiment with the 15g VST when I get that.
> 
> ...


The time is relative to the extraction of the puck regardless of the dose/output.

7g:14g/30 sec should give you the same taste espresso as 18g:36g/30 sec. The resulting latte (assuming the same amount of milk is used) would be less intense as the coffee is more diluted. You could get a similar result by splitting the 18g shot but that gets quite wasteful if there's nobody to drink the other half.


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## igm45 (Mar 5, 2017)

Thanks all,

Yes the plan is to reduce the coffee to milk ratio. Hence the 7:14 dose.

So is the key just massively tighten the grind?


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