Tamp or not to tamp?

Beginner and pro baristas share tips and tricks for making espresso.
Espressocrates
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#1: Post by Espressocrates »

Hello! I'm new here :)

My espresso machine came with its own instructions in preparing the espresso. What it says is "Do not pack coffee tightly". Does this mean that I don't need or shouldn't tamp? I've heard that espresso coffee needs to be tamped to remove the paths of least resistance or something. Should I follow instructions?

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Randy G.
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#2: Post by Randy G. »

That is a common direction for a machine that has a "crema enhanced" portafilter or is steam powered (no pump). You can press the coffee lightly to level it off but not to much harder than that.
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Compass Coffee
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#3: Post by Compass Coffee replying to Randy G. »

Little Googling reveals the Krups F866 Cafepresso 10 Plus is a combination drip coffee maker and steam toy "espresso". Decades ago I had an earlier Krups same type combo. It's capable of something similar to a stove top Moka Pot but harder to achieve good results. To get anything from the steam powered "espresso" side that isn't badly burned stop it before it starts sputtering steam towards the end.
Mike McGinness

jonr
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#4: Post by jonr »

In a typical espresso machine (not yours), my opinion is that tamping is useful to level and evenly distribute the coffee, but the machine (with ~9 bars of pressure) does more tamping than you will ever do.

Pre-infusion might benefit from the grounds not being very tightly packed - you want a film of water to surround each grain.

Billc
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#5: Post by Billc »

First check your portafilter and basket to see if there is a downstream restrictor. There is usually just one very very tiny hole just before the coffee exits. This is what helps create pressure in the basket in place of tamping.


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CTurner
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#6: Post by CTurner »

Over time, I've found it can take surprisingly little tamping to get consistent and good-tasting shots. A local roaster is very specific with his baristas in instructing them to use a <very light> tamping style and their shots come out quite fine.

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Randy G.
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#7: Post by Randy G. replying to CTurner »

And yet, one of the most respected baristas I have ever know who owned his own coffee shop and roastery and is (was?) an SCAA head judge advocated a "handstand tamp," (as hard as you like) and he weighed upwards of 235 pounds.
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h3yn0w
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#8: Post by h3yn0w replying to Randy G. »

Light or heavy , doesn't make a difference because neither will be more than the 9 bars that will eventually hit the puck. Plus the bed will only compress so much. Basically you tamp to create a level and flat surface.