Espresso by the Ounce
Learn to pull the perfect shot by mastering the balance of weight, time, and grind. Move beyond guesswork and start brewing cafe-quality espresso drinks at home.
Like Duolingo, but for Espresso by the Ounce. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
20 levels across 3 sections, about 40 minutes end to end, roughly 8 days at five minutes a day. It moves through The Perfect Shot, Dialing in the Flavor, and The Espresso Menu. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Espresso by the Ounce
- Coffee beans vary in size and density
- Crema is mostly trapped CO2 gas and adds volume without adding much weight
- A scale accounts for the actual mass of the coffee regardless of bean shape
- The actual liquid coffee under the foam is what determines the strength of the drink
- Small variations in dry weight significantly change the flavor of the final espresso
- Two shots that look the same height in a glass can have different amounts of actual coffee
- Why weighing dry grounds is necessary for consistency
- Why weight is superior to volume for measuring liquid espresso
- The 1:2 ratio is the industry standard for a balanced 'normale' espresso
- The output weight should be double the input weight
- Fresh coffee produces more foam which can trick the eye
- Scales ignore the 'fluffiness' of the foam to measure the substance
- The relationship between crema, volume, and weight
- A double shot is defined by using roughly 17-20g of dry coffee
- The standard starting ratio for espresso
- The size of the cup does not determine if a shot is a 'double'
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Espresso by the Ounce the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
Why is the thick layer of foam, or crema, a poor indicator of how much espresso is in your cup?
Get it right to open this lesson and 19 more in the app.
Where Espresso by the Ounce takes you
- 1
The Perfect Shot
- Weighing Your Success
- The Pulling Workflow
- 2
Dialing in the Flavor
- Timing the Flow
- Grinding for Resistance
- 3
The Espresso Menu
- Milk and Ratios
- Water and Dilution
- The Science of Extraction
3 sections · 7 units · 20 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Espresso by the Ounce is taught in the The Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More Food & Drink on Tomo
The Home Barista's First Shot
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Espresso: Dialing in the Perfect Shot
Move beyond the basic 'push-button' espresso and learn to manipulate variables like a professional barista. Master the physics of the puck, the chemistry of water, and the sensory skills required to diagnose any shot.
Espresso: The Perfect Shot
Master the art of the home espresso machine. Learn to pull balanced, syrupy shots and troubleshoot common mistakes to turn your kitchen into a high-end cafe.
Espresso: Dialing in the Perfect Shot
Move beyond the basic 'double shot' and learn to manipulate extraction variables like a professional barista. Master the art of dialing in to balance acidity, sweetness, and body in every cup.
Espresso and Milk at Home
Stop settling for watery coffee and learn to craft cafe-quality lattes and cappuccinos in your own kitchen. Master the balance of the perfect espresso shot and the silky texture of professional microfoam.
Advanced Espresso Extraction
Move beyond the basic double shot. Master the variables of flow, pressure, and chemistry to achieve professional-grade extraction and flavor clarity.
Start Espresso by the Ounce today.
Download Tomo, search Espresso by the Ounce, and play your first lesson in under a minute.