Espresso Extraction Time: How Long Should a Shot Take and Why the Clock Lies
Espresso extraction time is the most over-cited and most misunderstood number in home barista practice. Everyone repeats “25–30 seconds” like a magic formula, and yet half of bad home shots time perfectly in that window. The clock is a diagnostic tool — it tells you what’s happening to the puck under pressure — not a recipe step. This guide covers what shot time actually measures, where the clock should start, why pre-infusion changes everything, how to spot channeling from timing patterns alone, and the roast-by-roast windows that the standard 25–32 second answer never mentions. ...