Guides
Espresso tamping guides
Everything below is about one step of making espresso: the two seconds where you press the coffee. It is the step people change last and the one that moves a shot most.
August 2026
How to Tamp Espresso
The four steps that decide whether a shot runs evenly, and the two habits that matter more than pressure.
August 2026
How Much Tamping Pressure Do You Need?
Where the 30 lb figure came from, why it does not apply to a home basket, and what to aim for instead.
August 2026
What Is a Coffee Tamper?
What the tool does to a bed of coffee, the parts worth knowing, and how to tell a good one from a badly sized one.
August 2026
Ripple Base vs Flat Base
What the concentric grooves change when you lift the tamper, and how the two bases compare across real setups.
August 2026
Tamper vs Distribution Tool
They look similar and do opposite jobs. Which one fixes channelling, and whether you need both.