What Does Tamping Coffee Mean?

Tamping removes gaps and air pockets between the coffee grinds, creates a tight seal around the edges of the portafilter and when done correctly, creates a flat and even bed of coffee for the water to flow through, promoting an even extraction of flavour. What is the purpose of tamping coffee? A good tamp creates … Read more

How Do You Tamp Coffee Properly?

Apply 20-30 pounds of pressure , and polish baristas often recommend 30 pounds of pressure, but some do as little as 20 pounds. More and more are finding that tamping pressure is overrated—it’s hard on the wrist and cause an over-extracted, bitter brew. Use a twisting motion as you pull up to “polish” the puck. … Read more

What Can I Use Instead Of Espresso Tamper?

Just look around your kitchen, and you can find items in place of a coffee tamper. You can use pestle and bottles, such as beer or brandy bottles What to use when you dont have a tamper? An ordinary sledgehammer is a better hand-operated tool for tamping. Handle vertical, lift and drop, repeat. Doing a … Read more

What Is Dosing Coffee?

What is dosing and tamping? Dosing in coffee terms means pretty much the same as it does for medicine, it’s about making sure you have the precise amount of ground coffee for a perfect espresso This is of huge importance, as getting it wrong you could give you a very weak, poor tasting coffee. What … Read more

What Is Coffee Puck?

The puck is the used coffee grounds in the portafilter If your grind was right, the grind should stick together in a solid round ‘puck’. It should be firm and dry, easily snapping into 3-4 pieces. What does your coffee puck tell you? If your coffee puck is too soft or muddy, then you are … Read more

How Do You Make A Coffee Knock Box?

It is generally made out of stainless steel or plastic , and has a sturdy bar known as a “bash bar“, against which a portafilter is tapped to release the puck. Because the espresso puck is typically very hot after extraction, knockboxes need to be sturdy. What is the knock box made of? It is … Read more

What Is A Puq?

PUQ. Process, Utilities and Quarters (platform; engineering) Is the PuqPress worth it? If you only make a few shots of espresso a day, there is absolutely no need for a PuqPress unless you have an injury that prevents you from tamping Instead, look for a high-quality manual tamper, like the Rattleware or Benicci models. They … Read more