The Art of the Espresso Shot
Like Duolingo, but for The Art of the Espresso Shot. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Art of the Espresso Shot
- The 1:2 ratio is a starting baseline to be adjusted based on taste
- Coarser particles create larger gaps for water to pass through quickly
- Increasing the yield (e.g., 1:2.5) can mellow out harsh, intense flavors
- Finer grinds increase resistance and slow down the water flow
- Darker roasts often benefit from shorter ratios to avoid over-extraction
- Grind size is the primary variable used to hit a target 25-30 second shot
- Applying the 1:2 ratio as a flexible starting point for different roast profiles
- Predicting flow rate based on grind size adjustments
- Crema is mostly trapped CO2 and varies significantly between bean ages
- Measuring by weight ensures the actual dissolved coffee solids are consistent
- A 30ml shot of fresh coffee has less liquid than a 30ml shot of old coffee
- Acids and oils extract first, followed by sugars, then bitter plant fibers
- The Salami Shot involves swapping cups every few seconds during the pull
- Tasting shot phases separately teaches you when to stop the flow for balance
- Overfilling a basket leaves no 'headspace' for the shower screen to distribute water
- Understanding why weight is superior to volume for measuring espresso
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 The Art of the Espresso Shot 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.
If your espresso is flowing out way too fast, what does that usually tell you about the gaps between your coffee particles?
Get it right to open this lesson and 20 more in the app.
Where The Art of the Espresso Shot takes you
Move beyond the button-press and master the variables that define a perfect extraction. Learn to diagnose flavors, manipulate brew ratios, and maintain professional-grade equipment.
- 1
Dialing In for Flavor
- The First Shot: Finding the Baseline
- Managing Extraction Variables
- Precision Puck Preparation
- 2
The Sensory Experience
- Tasting the Extraction Spectrum
- Milk Science and Microfoam
- 3
The Science of the Bean and Machine
- Water Chemistry and Maintenance
- Roast Profiles and Degassing
3 sections · 7 units · 21 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
The Art of the Espresso Shot is taught in the The Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. 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.
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Start The Art of the Espresso Shot today.
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