Debate: Should shops dial in espresso for milk drinks or straight shots?

I was at a little roastery in Austin last Tuesday, and the barista pulled two shots for me. One was dialed in for black espresso, the other was adjusted for a cortado. The first one tasted bright and acidic on its own but got lost in the milk. The second was smoother and darker, and it actually held up better with the dairy. But when I asked the barista which way was right, she said it depends on who's drinking it. So here's the thing: do you think cafes should optimize their grind and ratio for black espresso purists, or should they cater to the majority of customers ordering lattes and cappuccinos? I've been wrestling with this for a few days now. What's your take on balancing extraction for milk vs straight shots?

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

nathan_moore124mo ago

Spending three days wrestling with espresso extraction is peak coffee nerd behavior, congratulations. If that barista had any sense she would have just made you a normal cortado and moved on with her Tuesday instead of running a whole lab experiment on a paying customer. Dialing in for milk drinks is like putting racing tires on a minivan. Sure it works but who are we fooling. Meanwhile the purists are sitting there sipping battery acid pretending they love it.

5

fionaf194mo ago

Tweaking the grind for milk made my cortado way better than any straight shot could be haha.

4