What is tamping in the coffee making process?

Tamping is the process of compacting ground coffee into the portafilter, which is an essential step in preparing a shot of espresso. When the coffee grounds are evenly distributed and tightly packed through tamping, it helps to create resistance against the water that will flow through during extraction. This ensures that water extracts flavors evenly from the coffee grounds, contributing to the richness and quality of the espresso shot. Proper tamping is crucial; if the coffee is too loosely packed, water may flow through too quickly, resulting in under-extraction, while packing it too tightly can lead to over-extraction and bitter flavors.

Understanding this technique is vital for baristas, as the quality of the tamping directly affects the espresso outcome. Essentially, tamping plays a crucial role in the brewing process, helping to achieve the desired balance of flavors in the final espresso.