Free Coffee Extraction Yield calculator with clear step-by-step results.
Extraction yield is the share of the dry coffee that ended up dissolved in the cup. It is not something you can taste your way to precisely: you need the beverage mass and a refractometer reading of total dissolved solids, because yield = (beverage mass × TDS) ÷ dose. An 18 g espresso dose pulled to 36 g at 9.5% TDS gives 3.42 g of solids, which is a 19% yield — comfortably inside the 18-22% window that most tasters prefer.
Dissolved solids
Solids (g) = beverage mass × TDS ÷ 100
Extraction yield
Yield % = dissolved solids ÷ dry dose × 100
Refractometer readings vary with sample temperature, filtering and calibration. Treat the yield as a repeatable measure of your own process rather than an absolute value comparable across instruments.
The ratio tells you how much liquid you pulled, not how much coffee dissolved into it. Two shots at the same 1:2 ratio can differ by several percentage points of yield depending on grind, temperature and distribution.
18-22% is the widely used window, with espresso often landing 19-21% and filter 20-22%. Beyond about 22% the bitter and astringent compounds dominate; below 18% the cup reads sour and hollow.
For a true yield, yes — TDS cannot be inferred from taste or from the ratio. Without one you can still use the brew ratio and taste as a coarse proxy, but the percentage will be a guess.