Original title: How to Make Light Roast Espresso, According to Chemists (2025)
“You need to realize you’ve already rejected tradition by not getting a dark roast coffee. You’ve embraced modernism,” Hedrick says. “And if you’re going to embrace modernism and reject traditionalism, you must always also reject traditional shot parameters.” But terrific light roast is possible. There are two ways to go. You can go traditional—changing your dose and ratios a bit but aiming for a cup with intensity and balance. That’s what I’ve been honing for the past year. But there’s also a wilder, weirder path: The turbo shot, also called a gusher. Hedrick, following the results of new scientific research from University of Oregon biochemistry professor Christopher Hendon and others, has gone all in on throwing out the entire traditional espresso rulebook in his pursuit of light roast espresso that’s neither sour nor bitter. Here are two ways of making light roast espresso, and the results. How to Make a “Traditional” Light Espresso Shot AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron So