Thin or Watery Espresso
Your espresso lacks body, tastes watery or hollow, missing richness
What This Looks Like
Compare your shot to these visual cues to confirm the symptom.
Extraction flow
Crema color & texture
Cup appearance
Not sure about the cause?
Get a personalized diagnosis
Possible Causes
Under-extraction
3 solutions available
Water hasn't extracted enough soluble compounds from the coffee, leaving behind desirable flavors
Grind Too Coarse
3 solutions available
Coffee particles are too large, allowing water to pass through too quickly
Dose Too Low
2 solutions available
Not enough coffee in the basket, reducing extraction resistance
Poor Water Quality
1 solution available
Water mineral content is too low or too high for optimal extraction
Stale Coffee Beans
2 solutions available
Coffee beans are past their peak freshness, having lost flavor and CO2
Recommended Solutions
Grind Finer
Adjust your grinder to produce finer coffee particles. Make small adjustments (2-3 increments on most grinders) and pull a test shot.
Expected Result
Extraction time should increase by 3-5 seconds. Flavor should become more balanced with less sourness.
Increase Extraction Yield
Pull a longer shot, increasing your output ratio. Try moving from 1:2 to 1:2.5 (e.g., 18g in → 45g out instead of 36g).
Expected Result
More extraction, reduced sourness, sweeter and more balanced flavor.
Increase Coffee Dose
Add 0.5-1g more coffee to your portafilter basket. Ensure it's within your basket's recommended capacity.
Expected Result
More resistance, slower extraction, fuller body and more intense flavor.
Upgrade Your Grinder
If using a blade grinder or entry-level burr grinder, consider upgrading to a quality espresso grinder with fine adjustment capability.
Expected Result
More consistent particle size, better control, dramatic flavor improvement.