Brew time is the most quoted number in coffee and the most misunderstood.
What it is
A diagnostic, not a setting. You do not choose a 28-second espresso; you choose a grind size and a dose, and 28 seconds is what results.
If your shot runs in 18 seconds, the answer is to grind finer, not to try to slow the pour.
Target times
Espresso — 25 to 32 seconds from pump start for a 1:2 ratio. V60, 15 g — 2:30 to 3:30 total. Chemex, 30 g — 4:00 to 5:00. French press — 4:00 immersion. AeroPress — 1:00 to 2:30 depending on recipe.
Why they are only guides
Time interacts with everything. A 20 g V60 will always take longer than a 12 g one at the same grind, because the bed is deeper.
A very light roast may need four minutes where a medium needs three.
The useful reading
Much faster than target — grind too coarse, or channelling. Much slower — grind too fine, or the filter is clogged with fines. Wandering shot to shot — distribution problem. Use WDT.
The thing to actually keep constant
Dose and yield by weight, and grind adjusted so the time lands in range.
Time is the readout on the dial, not the dial.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026