Figured out after 3 years I was tamping my espresso way too hard

I always pressed down like I was crushing rocks. Then last week my buddy, who works at a cafe downtown, watched me do it and just laughed. He said, "You're making it harder for the water, not better." So I lightened up and my shots actually started flowing right. Anyone else have that one coffee habit someone had to call out for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas29119d agoMost Upvoted

Grinder matters way more than tamping honestly.

jesse77319d ago

Start by saying I don't fully agree with that, @thomas291. I think people get way too caught up in gear and forget that a simple, consistent tamp makes a big difference in channeling and extraction. A less expensive grinder with a good burr set and careful tamping can still produce a decent shot, it just takes more attention. I've seen plenty of folks with $600 grinders pulling sour, uneven espresso because they didn't bother with the basics.