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Tamping
Compressing the grounds in the basket with a tamper, producing a flat, uniformly dense puck.
Category: Extraction — Workflow & Technique
The act of pressing the tamper down onto the coffee in the basket, compressing it into a flat, even puck. The final step of puck prep before locking the portafilter into the group.
Why it matters — Even, flat tamping ensures that water pressure distributes uniformly across the puck during the shot. Uneven tamping creates channels and inconsistent extraction.
Good to know
- Aim for a level, repeatable tamp. The exact pressure matters far less than the consistency.
- A self-levelling tamper (Decent DST, Pesado, Pullman Barista Style) removes the variability of hand tamping.
Related: Tampers