Something that often gets overlooked when making coffee is tamping.
The two things you want when tamping are as follow. Firstly, you want to remove any air pockets in the ground by pushing down. If you don’t do this you’ll create what’s called channels where the water will find its way through the gaps.
Secondly, you want a flat and level coffee bed. If it isn’t flat, that water will go through the path of least resistance and you won’t have an even extraction. This will make your coffee taste weak.
So, after you grind, give your portafilter a tap with the inside of your palm to flatten and distribute all the grounds. This means the coffee is evenly spread across the basket.
And then place your portafilter level, place your tamp on top. When you push down, it just needs to be like a firm handshake, and push down until the tamp can’t go any further.
Now place it in your machine, and begin the extraction. You should get a nice thin steady stream and the final espresso should have a delicious golden brown crema.
