water work

Should You Press Your Espresso?

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The purpose of tamping is to create a resistance using the compacted coffee and making the water work to push through it This is how the flavor is extracted. Learning proper espresso tamping – how the ground coffee is packed into the portafilter (basket) – is key to getting this right (1). Why do you … Read more

Does Espresso Need To Be Pressed?

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Tamping is an important part of making a good espresso shot, so yes, you should press the coffee in the portafilter The reason for compressing the coffee powder is to allow the pump to build up the pressure needed for brewing espresso correctly. Why does espresso have to be pressed? The purpose of tamping is … Read more