Saw a blog post by Matt Perger that suggested that smaller doses produced greater extractions. I presume that this is because if one doses lower, you have to grind finer to produce the same flow (ie output within the same time). And finer grinds extract more, all other factors being equal.
Still, I have stayed with the same dose (17 grams in an 18g IMS basket), to eliminate one variable. I then focus on the other variables (brew ratio - i.e. output; temp; pressure; water; coffee; etc.). The more variables one can eliminate (control) the better. Pouring tasty espresso shots is challenging enough, without introducing additional variables.
Still, does Matt Perger have a valid point? Should I be dosing lower, in my 18g IMS basket (I would think that anything less than 16g in an 18g basket is not a good idea).
So should I be using a smaller basket and dosing lower(such as 13g in a 14g basket, if this exists?)
What about using the maximum dose (18g in an 18g basket), or more?
Or following the third wave trend (dare I say American) of using high dose baskets and fully dosing within them?
All of this sounds like another rabbit hole to me. I think that I should stay with my standard 17g (in 18g IMS basket), unless I am convinced otherwise.
Thoughts?
PS
I understand that by comparison Italian cafes typically pour 7 gram singles or 14g doubles. The14g doubles are used to produce two 7 gram singles, through a spouted portafilter. This is in stark contrast to many American cafes that overdose large baskets. I very much enjoyed drinking cappuccinos in Rome a few years ago. It’s considered a breakfast drink only. And most of the AM office workers lined up for coffee ordered and sipped a single espresso shot, generally without sugar.
PPS
Have not frequented many American cafes, as I reside in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. IMHO, Our best coffee is actually roasted in Vancouver, British Columbia.