For years the rule was simple. Grind fine. Pull a 1:2 shot in about 30 seconds. That rule works well for medium and dark roasts. Light roasts ask for something different.
A newer style of espresso goes the other way. It uses a coarser grind, more flow and often a longer ratio. People call it modern espresso. This guide explains the idea and shows you how to test it, one change at a time.
The core idea
A fine grind slows water down. Slow water gives long contact time. But a very fine grind also makes a lot of fines, and fines can clog the puck and cause uneven flow.
Modern espresso trades grind fineness for something else. You grind coarser. Water flows faster. You then add contact time or more water in another way, such as a longer ratio or a lower-pressure profile.
Hoon compares two opposite philosophies in this video, using a Brazil Geisha. One is an ultra-fine grind with low flow and pre-infusion. The other is an ultra-coarse filter grind at low pressure. He describes tasting notes from silky butterscotch and orange blossom to light, tea-like clarity.
Neither style is "right". They are tools. Each gives a different cup.
Why light roasts push people this way
Light roasted beans are dense and brittle. In Hoon's video on this topic, the argument is that standard medium or dark roast settings can lead to heavy channeling and uneven extraction with light roasts. Coarsening the grind and adjusting the recipe can raise the flow rate and improve extraction evenness.
General coffee science points the same way. Dense beans extract slowly. If you also grind very fine, the fines over-extract while the large particles stay sour. A coarser, more even grind can narrow that gap.
Ratios and "turbo" shots
A coarser grind lets water pass more easily. To get enough extraction, many people lengthen the ratio. Instead of 1:2, they may try 1:3 or more.
Hoon describes moving to a coarser grind with 1:4 and 1:5 ratios for light roasts in this video.
You may also hear about turbo shots and soup shots. These are fast, high-flow shots with a coarse grind. Hoon has a how-to on turbo shots and a video about a split-shot method called MotorSpro, which he tests as a more forgiving alternative.
Try it at home
Run this as an experiment. You need a scale, a timer and fresh light-roast beans. A single-wall basket and a grinder with fine, repeatable steps help a lot. Read what baskets do if you want a refresher.
- 1Pull a baseline shot your usual way. Write down the dose, yield and time.
- 2Keep the dose the same. Change only the grind. Make it clearly coarser, not slightly coarser.
- 3Run the shot to a longer yield. Start near 1:3 and taste.
- 4If the shot runs very fast and tastes thin or sour, grind a little finer or lengthen the yield.
- 5If it tastes bitter or hollow, shorten the yield.
- 6Taste the baseline and the new shot side by side.
- 7Keep notes. Use the dial-in calculator to track each step.
Pressure and pre-wetting
Some modern methods change pressure, not just the grind. Hoon looks at a profiling idea in "My #1 Hack for Light Roast Espresso (But There's a Catch...)". Its description mentions a 20-second pre-wetting phase at a low flow, followed by a real 9-bar extraction.
You need a machine with flow or pressure profiling to do this. Many entry-level machines do not have that feature. A simple version is a longer pre-infusion, if your machine allows it. Check your manual.
What to expect
Be honest about the trade-offs. A coarse, high-flow shot often tastes cleaner and more tea-like. It can also taste lighter in body than a classic espresso. Some people love that. Some miss the syrupy texture.
Also expect more waste while you learn. Light roasts are expensive. Use a cheaper coffee to practice your grind changes, then switch.
If your shots taste sour or bitter after any change, the troubleshooting guide helps you diagnose it. A hand grinder can also make coarse extraction easier to explore, which the hand grinder guide covers.
Next steps
- Compare grinders in the gear compare tool.
- Review basket types, especially the stepped-down design that pairs with a coarser grind.
- Watch more in the video library.
- Browse saved recipes for starting points.
Written for this fan-built hub from Hoon's public videos; numbers are starting points, and your beans, grinder and taste have the final say.
