Why Do Baristas Always Dump the First Espresso Shot After Turning On the Machine?

 Have you ever noticed this?

When a barista first powers on the espresso machine in the morning, the very first shot of espresso isn’t served — it’s poured straight down the drain. Then they immediately pull another one.

Curious customers often ask, “Why throw it away?” And if you make espresso at home, you might wonder — should you do the same?


Why the First Espresso Shot Gets Tossed

At our café, before serving the first cup of the day, baristas always go through an essential calibration process. This includes pulling one shot and discarding it, then tasting a straight espresso and a latte to fine-tune the day’s brewing parameters.

The reason the first espresso gets tossed? Simply put — it’s not up to standard.

1. Cleaning Residue

Espresso machines aren’t cheap, and with proper maintenance, they can last for many years. Regular cleaning is key to keeping them in good condition. Every night after closing, baristas perform a deep clean using a specialized cleaning powder to remove residue from the brew head.

Even though most of this powder gets rinsed away, tiny traces can remain inside the crevices. To prevent any leftover cleaning chemicals from affecting the coffee’s flavor — or your health — the first shot of the day is usually dumped.

2. Stale, Overnight Coffee Grounds

Espresso grinders have long internal pathways, which means some leftover grounds often stay trapped inside overnight. As we’ve mentioned before, once coffee beans are ground, their aroma and CO₂ quickly dissipate. By the next day, those trapped grounds are stale and degassed, which can alter the extraction flow rate and ruin the flavor balance.

So, the first espresso pulled through these old grounds won’t represent the machine’s true performance or your fresh coffee’s potential.


3. Unstable Machine Parameters

Water temperature and pressure are two of the most critical factors in espresso extraction. While most machines reach their preset temperature and pressure within 10–20 minutes of startup, they’re still not fully stable during those first pulls.


If the water is slightly too cool, the espresso will taste sharp, sour, and thin. Running one full extraction cycle helps the system warm up evenly and reach full operating stability.

So yes — that seemingly “wasteful” act of dumping the first shot is actually a key step toward consistent, great-tasting espresso all day long.

But What About Home Espresso Makers?

Things are a bit different for home users.
Most home baristas only make 1–2 cups a day, rarely change grind settings, and don’t clean their machines as deeply as cafés do. In that case, pulling and discarding a shot every morning would be unnecessarily wasteful.

Here’s our advice for home espresso users:

1. If You Weigh Your Beans Before Grinding

If you only grind the exact amount you need each time, there’s no leftover coffee sitting in the grinder overnight — so there’s no need to purge.

But if you store beans in the hopper long-term, it’s best to grind and discard about 5–8 grams before pulling your first shot. This removes the stale coffee trapped in the grinder’s chute.

2. If You Used Cleaning Powder the Night Before

If you didn’t use any cleaning powder, you can skip wasting a shot.
But if you performed a deep clean, you can be smart about it: use a smaller dose (around 12–15 grams) and pull one short espresso to flush out any lingering detergent particles from the brew head.


3. Fully Preheat the Machine

Even after your espresso machine hits its target temperature, give it another 5–10 minutes to warm up internally. Then, lock in the portafilter and run hot water for 6–8 seconds, repeating this 4–5 times. This ensures your machine is properly preheated and ready for perfect extraction.

Whether you’re a professional barista or a home coffee enthusiast, that first shot isn’t just “waste” — it’s part of the ritual that ensures every cup afterward tastes as rich, clean, and consistent as it should.

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