Tamping really does matter! Why? Because correctly tamped ground coffee results in even water distribution through the filter basket, extracting the full espresso flavour.
On the other hand, incorrect tamping can cause uneven extraction, leading to bitterness and loss of flavour.
With a grinder mounted tamper there's no real way of telling how much force you're exerting, and the amount of force you exert is key. So we always recommend using a hand tamper or for complete accuracy, a clicker tamper.
So how do you tamp correctly? First, dose the correct quantity of ground coffee into the filter basket and even out the surface of the coffee. We'd suggest gently brushing your little finger across the surface and back again.
Next, using a hand tamper exert around 5 pounds of pressure for the initial tamp. Then tap the basket gently with the side of the tamper to knock off any loose grounds.
Now, apply 30 pounds of pressure for the finishing tamp. Before releasing the pressure, rotate the tamper a couple of times to smooth the surface.
Then check out the results. If the surface is not level you should really start again, review your technique and do it better next time!
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