Silicone Tamping Mat Non-Slip Tamper Mat Espresso Tamping Mat for Barista Food Grade Tamping Pad Long 5” x 12” Black

Why do we tamp coffee for espresso? We tamp the coffee in a portafilter to set the stage for the water to be pushed through the coffee. A properly tamped bed of coffee offers enough resistance to allow flavor and caffeine to be properly extracted. The bed of coffee, or puck as it is called in its tamped state, needs to be consistent. No air pockets. Tamping makes sure that no small pockets of air remain in the basket. You can imagine that when water runs through a bed of coffee with air pockets, the flow of water becomes inconsistent. This is professional barista’s call: channeling. A properly tamped puck in the portafilter will present a solid front to the water.