Your Espresso Series 1: A beginner's guide to great espresso at home

Your Espresso Series 1: A beginner's guide to great espresso at home

Posted by Coffee Merch on

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We're here to help you get the most out of your Fellow Espresso Series 1.

Let's be real - your first few shots might be a bit of a science experiment. Totally normal. But with the right settings and a few insider tips (all waiting for you inside), you'll be pulling shots worth bragging about in no time.

Here's everything you need to go from "it works" to "wow, I made that."

The fundamentals

Great espresso comes down to a handful of things, and once they click, everything gets easier.

  • Grind is the biggest lever you've got. Too coarse and the shot runs fast and sour; too fine, and it chokes and turns bitter. Small tweaks make a big difference.
  • Dose is how much coffee goes in - around 18g for a double. Consistency here is your friend.
  • Tamp level and firm, so water pushes through evenly with no cracks or gaps.
  • Ratio and time are your north star: aim for roughly double the weight out that you put in (around 1:2), pulled in 25–35 seconds.

Don't chase perfection on shot one. Dialling in is the fun part.

What you actually need

You don't need every barista accessory at once, but a few tools make brewing far easier and more consistent:

  • Espresso Machine - your Series 1 delivers the precise temperature and pressure true espresso needs.
  • Burr Grinder - arguably the most important part of the setup. A dedicated grinder like the Opus 2 Conical Burr Grinder lets you make the micro-adjustments that dialling in requires.
  • Fresh Coffee - recently roasted beans taste better and express more in the cup.
  • Filtered Water - improves flavour and protects your machine from mineral buildup. Never use distilled water.
  • Scale - keeps your dose and yield consistent every time.

A simple starter recipe

Lock in a reliable baseline before you start experimenting - it shows you how every future tweak changes the cup. Start with 18g of ground coffee in, about 36g of espresso out, in 25–35 seconds. That's a 1:2 ratio: one part coffee to two parts espresso. Keep it consistent, and change one variable at a time.

Step by step:

  1. Switch on your Espresso Series 1
  2. Weigh your dry dose on a scale
  3. Grind right before brewing
  4. Add the grounds to your portafilter
  5. Distribute gently for an even bed - no mountains or valleys
  6. Tamp into a dense, level puck, firm and steady
  7. Lock in and start the shot
  8. Stop at around 36g (ideally 25–35 seconds)
  9. Taste, and decide what to tweak next time

LET THE MACHINE DO THE WORK

The great thing about Espresso Series 1 is that it comes preloaded with profiles and ready-made recipes that handle pressure, temperature and timing for you.

Start by picking your roast -

  • Light brews hotter and longer at 1:2.5, with a gentle pre-infusion to coax out brightness - clean, lighter-bodied, fruit-forward with a bright finish.
  • Medium is the classic "normale": a steady 9 bar at 1:2 for sweetness and balance -sweet, rounded, easy to love.
  • Dark runs a touch cooler at a steady 8 bar to keep things smooth - syrupy, dense, roasty-sweet with soft acidity.

Match the profile to your coffee, pull a shot, taste, then adjust your grind from there.

Espresso machine on a wooden surface with a candle in the background

More to Explore

  • Modern Arc - the classic café 9-bar shot: balanced, sweet, and clean.
  • Leveler - mimics a spring lever machine, with pressure that rises and gently tapers for a smoother, silkier cup. Grind a touch finer for this one.
  • Turbo Shot - a coarser grind and a fast 6-bar pull at 1:3 for something light, tea-like, bright and surprisingly sweet.