S6:E14 - Coffee Smarter: Tamping
Level out that coffee bucket.
S6:E14 - Coffee Smarter: Tamping
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
If I’ve learned anything at all about coffee in the six seasons I’ve hosted this show, it is that getting a good cup of coffee is all about minimizing the variables that can eff up your cup of coffee. To pull a great espresso, you need properly ground coffee, and a well-executed tamp to avoid channeling.
Tamping is the act of compressing finely ground coffee grinds into the coffee bucket that then locks into the espresso machine. A coffee bucket is more accurately referred to as a portafilter, and it is where the grinds sit while an espresso machine is forcing water through them. To quote Chris, “if we don’t have fancy terms for things, nobody takes us seriously.”
To which, I might say, I’m not sure people should take Chris or me seriously.
- An uneven tamp causes over and under extracted coffee in the same espresso shot. That can make it difficult to identify what went wrong!
- Common flavor note of over-extracted espresso: barbecue sauce.
- Common flavor notes of under-extracted espresso: salty, metallic, and sour.
- Channeling happens when water finds a crack or is pushed onto an unevenly tamped portafilter. Water will find the path of least resistance causing portions of the grinds to come into more contact with the water causing over and under extracted portions of the espresso shot.
- When tamping manually, push until the coffee pushes back. Meaning don’t over push or put your whole weight on you elbow or wrist to prevent injury.
FROM THE SHOW
The Knock Box is exactly what it sounds like. It is a designated container with an edge or often a rod through it that you knock or tap the portafilter against after pulling an espresso. The coffee puck (grinds) will pop out of the portafilter into the container, preventing a big mess or having touched an unsanitary surface.
Chris described an image he once saw explaining the pressure an espresso machine puts on coffee as similar to three ballerinas dancing on the portafilter (recreated below). There are various espresso machines, including steam, lever, pump, automatic, and more. Ultimately they are all creating a process that does the same action: push hot water through the coffee grinds using pressure.
I most commonly see the amount of pressure needed to make an espresso (again, smart people can disagree on the details) is 8-10 bars. 9 bars is the standard accepted by the World Barista Championships. Bars (like psi) are a measurement of pressure. One bar is roughly equal to 14.50 psi (pounds per square inch), meaning 9 bars are equal to 130.5 pounds per square inch.
A standard 58mm portafilter has just under three square inches. There are a lot of numbers here, which can get confusing. I’m certainly confused, but the image makes it easier to understand. Espresso machines put much more pressure on a coffee puck than a person can by tamping—roughly three ballerinas worth.
I can’t explain Laminar Flow as easily as Destin from Smarter Every Day. This is a great Youtube channel to watch if, like me, you think science is fascinating but don’t have a natural aptitude for it.
Chris recommended the book Water For Coffee by Chris Herndon & Maxwell Dashwood for anyone wanting to learn more about how water chemistry impacts the flavor and character of a cup of coffee.
Watch the first 20s of this video to see the BOSe Tamper in action.
NOT FROM THE SHOW
If you’ve ever wondered what motivated me to put the work into Roast! West Coast, Canvas Rebel online magazine was kind enough to recently feature an interview with me in their magazine. Learn more about my podcasting and writing efforts, and where this creative journey is headed. Read the article here.
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