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Found a $3 fix for channeling in my cheap portafilter
Had this problem where my shots would always channel on the left side. Drove me nuts for 2 months. Tried using a paperclip to stir the grounds before tamping. Just poke 5-6 holes in the puck and swirl. Works way better than any leveler I've tried. Anyone else do this or am I just getting lucky?
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jade_grant951d ago
Hold up, I gotta push back a little here. I tried the toothpick thing for a week and my shots actually got worse - more channeling, not less. I think people forget that stirring too much or too aggressively can actually break up the coffee too fine and create its own uneven spots. What worked better for me was just tapping the side of the portafilter firmly a few times before tamping, no stirring at all. Have you tried just a simple tap method to settle the grounds instead?
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oscarcooper2d ago
...and honestly I probably would've tried the paperclip thing myself but I'm already the guy who dropped his portafilter in the sink three times last week so maybe I should stay away from sharp objects near my espresso setup. But seriously, I've been doing something similar with a toothpick after watching James Hoffmann's WDT video and it's wild how much better my shots pull now. I used to get this angry little geyser on the right side every single time no matter how much I tapped the basket. Now I just stab it a few times like I'm interrogating the puck and boom, even extraction. My wife thinks I've lost my mind but she can't argue with the taste.
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