Realized I've been tamping way too hard for years after a barista in Portland showed me their technique

I was at a shop on Hawthorne and the barista said 'you're squishing the life out of it' and handed me the tamper. Turns out 30 pounds of pressure is all you need not my usual Hulk smash routine - anyone else learn they've been doing a basic step wrong for ages?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse_cooper23d ago

Portland baristas are the best for this kind of thing. I switched to a light touch after watching a video of a competition barista and it totally changed my shots. Less channeling and way better flavor.

the_charles23d ago

Huh, really? I mean, I get that technique matters but it sounds like you're treating coffee like some kind of science project. @jesse_cooper, you're telling me a lighter touch completely fixed your shots? No offense, but I've messed with my grind and pressure for months and still get channeling sometimes. Maybe I'm just not that particular, but a "light touch" feels like one of those tips that works great for some people and does nothing for others. I'd need to see it in action to believe it's that dramatic.