When opening a shop to make espresso, drink output efficiency directly affects table turnover and revenue. For a shot of espresso, from grinding to extraction completion, the time is controlled at 25 to 30 seconds, but what truly affects drink output efficiency is not extraction speed, but the bean cost per cup and consistency of the product. The dose is the starting point of cost. The standard dose for commercial espresso is around 18 g, and 1 kg of beans can produce about 55 shots of espresso. If a shop serves 80 cups of coffee a day, of which 60% are milk coffee, the dose consumption is about 1.5 kg. Calculated at 35 yuan per kg for a blend, the daily bean cost is about 52 yuan, and the bean cost per cup is less than 0.7 yuan. But some shops, in pursuit of flavor, increase the dose to 20 g or even 22 g, so 1 kg can only produce 45 cups, and the bean cost per cup rises to more than 0.8 yuan. The dose is not better the larger it is; 18 to 19 g is the balance point between cost-effectiveness and flavor performance in commercial scenarios. The yield determines the concentration and flavor direction of each espresso shot. The yield of a standard double espresso is about 36 g, with a brew ratio of about 1 to 2. If the extraction is lengthened to 45 g yield, the flavor will be lighter and more bitter, suitable for americano; if shortened to 30 g, the flavor is stronger and more acidic, suitable as a base for milk coffee. Commercial shops generally fix the brew ratio near 1 to 2 to ensure each cup is consistent. When adjusting parameters, look at both dose and yield; adjusting only one easily causes imbalance. Cost accounting also needs to include loss. Grinder retention, weighing error, and discarded extractions add up to about 5% to 8% loss. If 1.5 kg of beans are used in a day, actual consumption is about 1.6 kg. Adding milk, cup materials, straws, water and electricity, and labor, the comprehensive cost of a 350 ml latte is about 8 to 10 yuan. If the selling price is 25 to 30 yuan, the gross margin is about 60% to 70%, and this does not yet include rent and equipment depreciation. So for every 0.1 yuan reduction in bean cost, in a shop averaging 100 cups a day, that is a difference of 10 yuan per day and 300 yuan per month. The drink output stability of blend beans is better than that of single-origin beans. The meaning of blending is to use multiple origins to complement each other, smoothing out seasonal fluctuations and batch differences. Using single-origin SOE for espresso gives distinctive flavor but is difficult to control for consistency, suitable for small-batch specialty output, not suitable as a daily base. Choose blends for commercial base beans and single-origin for specialty output; running these two lines in parallel is a relatively reasonable structure. Crema thickness also affects drink output efficiency. Beans with good crema used for lattes allow milk and coffee liquid to combine quickly, with a high success rate for latte art, and drink output efficiency is naturally high. Lattes made with beans with poor crema easily separate, have an uneven mouthfeel, and customers may ask for a remake, which instead slows down drink output speed. So when selecting beans, crema performance cannot be judged only by appearance; it should be considered as an efficiency indicator.

In daily shop operations, fixed parameters are the guarantee of efficiency. Once the four parameters of dose, yield, grind size, and water temperature are set well, do not change them easily. Before opening each day, extract one shot with the standard dose and see whether the yield and time are within the target range; if there is deviation, fine-tune the grind size. In this way, every barista can produce basically consistent output when they start, without each person adjusting parameters based on experience.