Tamping like a barista
How to tamp correctly - valuable tips for making the perfect coffee. If you want to enjoy your espresso at home just like you would at your favorite coffee bar, you will quickly notice that in addition to a good portafilter espresso machine and the right grinder, the work of the barista is based on knowledge about coffee and a lot of experience in preparing it.
An important part of the espresso craft is the compaction of the freshly ground coffee in the portafilter. It sounds simple, but even small errors in compaction change the result in the cup. In addition to the amount of coffee and the degree of grinding, compaction largely determines the time it takes for the water to pass through the fine coffee grounds.
Timing counts
Ideally, the water runs through the portafilter in around 24-28 seconds and releases all the desired aromas from the ground coffee. The more homogeneous the compaction, the better the result. If the water runs through the coffee for too long, it will only release the bitter substances from the coffee. The goal, however, is a full-bodied espresso with a spicy aroma and a fawn-brown, dense crema.
Before compaction (tamping)
Before we start tamping, some preparation is needed:
- Adjust the grinding level of the grinder to the coffee: e.g. very fine for espresso and single origins, finer for cafe creme and americano.
- Determine the optimal amount of coffee: 7-9 g single or 14-20 g double shot
- Let the machine preheat well – especially the brewing group and the portafilter
- Before and after each brew: flush the group once, i.e. let hot water run through the brewing group for a few seconds. This prevents both over- and under-temperature in the system.
The right tampon
Smooth the freshly ground coffee from the grinder into the portafilter so that the sieve is evenly filled. Place the portafilter firmly on top, insert it into a tamper station if necessary. It is important that we fix the portafilter in such a way that we can apply pressure from above without putting any strain on the outlet.
How much tamper pressure do we need
Tamping is done with around 15 - 20 kg of pressure. That's a lot of work! To do this, we align the tamper straight in the portafilter. To build up the pressure, use your entire upper body. The forearm is vertically positioned above the portafilter as an extension of the hand, and the upper arm is at a right angle to it. Now press the ground coffee deep into the portafilter with even pressure.
The Trester (Coffee Cake)
The resulting surface should be very evenly firm and smooth. If necessary, remove any coffee grounds from the edge of the portafilter so that the portafilter can be screwed cleanly into the group. The result is called a "cake".
Practice, practice, practice
With a little practice you can Avoid typical tampering mistakes like:
- Tamped crookedly in the portafilter - water looks for the least resistance, so the coffee grounds are not evenly flowed around by the water.
- Too little or uneven compression - means that the water flows through the portafilter too quickly (less than 22 seconds) and unevenly. The result is a watery espresso with little aroma. The resulting crema is very light and usually not very stable. The coffee is under-extracted.
- The opposite is too tight a compression. The water flows too slowly (over 28 seconds) through the portafilter, comes out of the outlet dripping or in a very thin trickle. The coffee releases too many undesirable aromas into the cup. The espresso smells slightly burnt, the resulting crema is very dark and tastes far too bitter.
- Tap the portafilter with the tamper to remove any remaining coffee grounds from the edge. This creates small cracks in the heavily compacted cake, where the water can flow through with less resistance.
Summary
Tamping requires a lot of practice and a lot of pressure. If the grind and amount of coffee are right, compaction is the decisive factor in influencing the flow time. With the aids (see tip), even beginners can tamper successfully.
- Use a tamper station for a stable hold. Here the portafilter can be inserted stably and safely for tamping.
- A tamper handle with integrated pressure point calibration is also helpful, as it triggers the correct pressure at a defined spring resistance.
- Anyone who makes a lot of espressos will appreciate an automatic tamper, such as the Puqpress. Simply insert the filled portafilter and the coffee grounds are compressed hydraulically and absolutely straight using a predefined pressure.
- The Sage Barista Touch is a “one touch” portafilter espresso machine with an integrated grinder and an automatic compressor.
