About Coffee Extraction Ratio (EBR)

If there's one thing the third waver is good at, it's going with the flow and adopting new concepts of rules. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that most young baristas spend their days staring at Instagram just waiting to see what new trend they'll be following next and then following without question. It drives me crazy.

One of the more stubborn trends over the past few years, at least in the U.S., has been a near-religious adherence to the 2:1 espresso brew ratio. I want to discuss what the Italian espresso brew ratio (EBR) is, why it’s relevant, and why so many cafes are foolishly pursuing this questionably harmonious ratio.

What is Coffee Extraction Ratio (EBR)?

Simply put, it is the ratio of the weight of the espresso liquid to the weight of the dry coffee grounds used to make the coffee. For example: if a barista extracts 36 grams of espresso from 18 grams of grounds, the ratio is 2:1.

Why is EBR so relevant?

I suspect most baristas don't realize this: if you have precise target extraction % and TDS, then there is only one EBR that will produce an espresso that hits both targets. For example, let's say you want an extraction of 20% and a TDS of 10%. Using a slightly simplified calculation, the only EBR that will produce a 20% extraction / 10% TDS shot is a 2:1 ratio.

For example, with 20g powder and 40g concentrate:

10% TDS = 4g coffee solids (10% x 40g espresso = 4g)

4g of coffee solids from 20g of grounds = 20% extraction

A 2:1 EBR can produce a range of extract/TDS combinations; for example 8% TDS/16% extract or 9% TDS/18% ext. But no other EBR can produce the above combinations.

What if you want 10% TDS and 22% extraction? That would require an EBR of 2.2:1. (Note that your EBR will also be close to the ratio of your chosen extraction percentage to TDS.)

*These calculations are slightly simplified to help illustrate the concept; please don't get hung up on the inexactness.

Sam Sgambellone of Coffee Kaizen generously shared this chart showing the %/TDS combinations possible for various EBR extractions.