What is the best tamper size?
FAQ – Coffee Tampers For a standard 58 mm portafilter basket, the ideal tamper size is 58. That slight increment makes better contact with the basket edges and reduces the likelihood of channeling. Much to our surprise, using things like beer bottles, pestle and teaspoons to tamp your grinds can make just as delicious a coffee as using our $200 hand-crafted professional tamper.A coffee tamper is an essential tool for any coffee enthusiast aiming to brew a perfect espresso. It is designed to compress the coffee grounds in the portafilter evenly, ensuring that the water permeates the puck uniformly.Getting an even tamp is much more important than a forceful one. Grind your coffee into your group handle and give it a light shake to even the grinds out. With a slightly curled finger, spread the grounds out so that they are level with the top of the handle’s basket. Tamp twice.The tamping process is pivotal in determining your coffee’s flavor profile. Properly tamped coffee grounds ensure that water flows evenly through the puck, extracting flavors consistently. This uniformity prevents over-extraction, which can lead to bitterness, or under-extraction, which results in weak, sour tastes.Much to our surprise, using things like beer bottles, pestle and teaspoons to tamp your grinds can make just as delicious a coffee as using our $200 hand-crafted professional tamper.
What is the correct pressure for tamping?
Aim for around 10kg of downward pressure, but remember that consistency matters more than the exact weight. Pressing too hard can compact the grounds excessively, slowing the flow rate and risking over-extraction, while too light a tamp may result in weak, under-extracted espresso. While 9 bars is ideal, good espresso can be made within a range of 7 to 11 bars. Some modern machines allow pressure profiling, where pressure changes during brewing. This flexibility can help baristas fine-tune their extractions for different coffee beans and desired flavor profiles.Deciding between a 15 bar vs 20 bar espresso machine isn’t really about choosing the “stronger” one. Both machines ultimately brew espresso at around 9 bars, the industry sweet spot for balanced flavor and proper crema. The difference is in how consistently a machine can maintain that pressure.Espresso is defined at around 9 bars of pressure. Some machines advertise 15–20 bar pumps, but that figure refers to maximum pump output, not the pressure used for brewing. The best espresso comes from a stable 9 bar; anything higher doesn’t improve flavour.Espresso is defined at around 9 bars of pressure. Some machines advertise 15–20 bar pumps, but that figure refers to maximum pump output, not the pressure used for brewing. The best espresso comes from a stable 9 bar; anything higher doesn’t improve flavour.
Is tamping necessary?
Along with several other important extraction variables, tamping and distribution are a crucial part of preparing excellent espresso. By investing in equipment – such as high-quality WDT and tamping tools – you can ensure you get the best out of your coffee with every shot of espresso. If you don’t tamp well, your coffee won’t taste good. It’s that simple. A sour or bitter or weak cup of coffee doesn’t always have to do with the coffee you are drinking. The technique you use has a huge impact on the result.What happens if you don’t tamp coffee? Tamping coffee is when you apply downward pressure on coffee using a tamper. If you try to brew a portafilter with loose grounds, the water will move through the coffee instead of brewing it. As a result, you’ll get a watery, under extracted, sour espresso.
Can I tamp espresso without tamper?
A sturdy measuring cup could become a makeshift tamper. A thumb: once you do not have any tool to tamp, use your thumb. Move your thumb in a circular motion. Then, you move from a section to the next one with slight pressure. A measuring cup: a measuring cup is not only an alternative tamper but also a kitchen tool. A sturdy measuring cup could become a makeshift tamper. A thumb: once you do not have any tool to tamp, use your thumb. Move your thumb in a circular motion.