Turbo Shot - What Is A Turbo Espresso & How To Make It?

Espresso ratios and recipes have been almost set in stone since the 1950s when the Italians invented the espresso machine.  The third wave coffee movement and refractometry technology tweaked things and used science to explain why ratios (and keeping them consistent) mattered.

For years now in specialty coffee it’s been standard to extract espresso at a 1:2 ratio with between 18-22g of ground coffee, aiming for a 20% extraction - meaning that 20% of the ground coffee’s substance has been dissolved into the water.

A turbo shot turns these ratios (and all that tradition) on its head. The theory being that it’s possible to extract 25% from a smaller dose of coffee, giving a similar result of extracting 20% of a larger dose.

How is a turbo shot different from traditional espresso?

What are the benefits of a turbo shot?

First, let’s talk about the challenges of traditional espresso extraction:

A traditional espresso shot requires a very fine grind, 9 bars of pressure and a fussy preparation method.  Due to the many steps, and therefore potential pitfalls, along the way, it’s easy to ruin a good espresso. Uneven extraction, under or over extraction and channelling are all common problems.

Additionally, 20% extraction rate may be delicious, but it’s not very efficient.  There is a lot of wastage involved which can be particularly galling for commercial baristas.

A group of coffee professionals and scientists worked together to explore espresso extraction began the first development of the turbo shot noting that this new method is not only more forgiving, but it also produces more consistent results too.

By lowering the pressure and using a coarser grind, a greater percentage of the coffee is extracted. This added efficiency means baristas can achieve almost the same flavor and body with 5g less coffee – which soon adds up over a 1kg bag!

How does a turbo shot compare to traditional espresso?

This is something best to explore yourself since enjoyment of coffee is so subjective. As a guide, though, most coffee professionals report that a turbo shot has less body compared to traditional espresso and may lack some of its complexity.

However, on the plus side, a turbo shot tends to come through sweeter and with more clarity. As a straight espresso, a turbo shot is very drinkable, though it perhaps doesn’t hold up as robustly in milky drinks.

What’s the best coffee to make a turbo shot?

We recommend something with natural sweetness, more delicate coffees perform particularly well as a turbo shot.  This aromatic Colombian with notes of honeydew melon would make a delicious turbo shot.