Pro tip: I was tamping my espresso completely wrong for 2 years

I've been making espresso at home since 2022 and always wondered why my shots ran so fast. Last week at a local shop in Austin, the barista watched me tamp and pointed out I wasn't leveling the grounds first. Just tapping the portafilter on the counter wasn't doing anything. Now I use a finger to distribute the grounds flat before tamping and my shots actually take 25 seconds instead of 12. Anybody else have a basic technique that took way too long to figure out?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_king221mo ago

My first real espresso setup was a Gaggia Classic I got in 2020, and for like six months I was just dumping the grounds in and tamping with all my weight. Shots would choke or run wild, no in-between. Then I started doing this little thing where I tap the side of the portafilter once with my finger to knock any clumps loose before I even touch the tamper. Honestly it feels like cheating now, but it got me from 15 second gushers to a solid 28 second pull almost overnight.

knight.xena1mo ago

That tapping the side trick is interesting, but here's what I'm wondering - are you doing it before or after you've already put the filter basket in? Because I tried tapping the side of the portafilter itself and it just made a mess on my counter, grounds everywhere. Makes me think there's a specific way to hold it that matters. Also, does the type of grinder you're using change how much clumping you get? My cheap grinder gives me way more clumps than I'd like.