TIL my tamping technique was all wrong for 2 years...

I was at a local coffee shop last month and the barista saw me struggling with my portafilter. She straight up told me my tamp was uneven and I was probably getting channeling every shot. I went home and tried her tip to tamp with my elbow at 90 degrees instead of using wrist strength. After about 10 tries the difference was huge... my shots run way more consistent now, like 27 seconds instead of bouncing between 20 and 35. Has anyone else had a random barista call them out on something basic?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade3226d ago

... and that's exactly how I found out I'd been doing it wrong too, except it was a friend who worked at a roastery. He watched me one time and said my wrist was so weak from the angle I was using that I was probably getting uneven pressure every single shot. I spent a whole weekend practicing with just water and no coffee to get the motion down. Now I think about keeping my arm at that same 90 degree angle and my times never bounce around like they used to. Its amazing how one little change like that can fix months of frustration.

sage5226d ago

Did you try leveling the basket after you tamp?