# The uneven tamp



## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Pulling a coffee this morning my tamp was ever so slightly uneven, one side of the tamper a millimeter or less higher than the other. I pulled the shot anyway and it was obvious that the lower side of the puck extracted the quickest. This is of course predictable, the side with the smaller volume of grounds will extract the quickest throughout the entire shot, creating an unpleasant over-extracted drink.

It just reminded me that getting the tamp 'right' was a very important part of learning how to make a good espresso, but rather than the pressure being the most important factor, the even-ness of the tamp made a much more significant difference to the output. Yet this is not often alluded to when trying to help out newcomers with their technique, from memory and the reminder today I would say that it can be one of the most significant points of error in a bad shot. I do remember the La Marzocco video with the transparent PF, but it is an example of an extremely angled tamp, when even the slightest angle can make a big difference.

I thought it was worth highlighting and discussing.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Get one of these


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

And it was la spaziale


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Mrboots2u said:


> Get one of these


I should rely on my memory less ^_^


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

I think the leveler video is a bit ott, he was blind the entire time then looks shocked to find an espresso in his cup at end, good idea, crap video


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Yeah ive been really trying to work on my tamp of recent.. I have a very cheap tamper, gonna treat myself next month to a half decent one... Its easy to forget how important it is.


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

What size is ur pf Burnzy?


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Its a 58mm and a teeny tiny bit more i think, its the standard gaggia classic one.. Which is like 58.2 ?? I think


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

I had a spare 53 you could of had







sorry it's no help


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Ah thanks tt, too bad.. Ill grab one next month when i get my student money. May even have to buy some instant soon to get me through the month.. Bad times :-(


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Burnzy said:


> Ah thanks tt, too bad.. Ill grab one next month when i get my student money. May even have to buy some instant soon to get me through the month.. Bad times :-(


Arr man - Instant!!!! I'd rather drink the contents of my own strained underpants. Times must be bad... I feel for you


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Burnzy said:


> Ah thanks tt, too bad.. Ill grab one next month when i get my student money. May even have to buy some instant soon to get me through the month.. Bad times :-(


If you're completely out of beans and instant is a realistic prospect PM me your address and i'll send you 250g from the vaults


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Burnzy said:


> Ah thanks tt, too bad.. Ill grab one next month when i get my student money. May even have to buy some instant soon to get me through the month.. Bad times :-(


Same here drop me a pm I'll send you 250 of something also


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

Guys he needs a tamper not beans I'll put up £5 if a few more join me we could get him sorted surely


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I thought he was saying he needed a tamper but was skint so it would have to wait, and so skint he couldn't afford beans


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Tiny tamper said:


> Guys he needs a tamper not beans I'll put up £5 if a few more join me we could get him sorted surely


A tamper is no good without beans - You can't tamp instant.....


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

Alright then £5 and a bag of beans lol


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Get you priorities right

Eat less

Tamp more

Beans I will send

Tamps fund I will not


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

Sorry Burnzy m8 I tried, pm if you need beans


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Tiny tamper said:


> Alright then £5 and a bag of beans lol


Any chance of starting a "Daren needs a Faema E61" fund?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

D_Evans said:


> Pulling a coffee this morning my tamp was ever so slightly uneven, one side of the tamper a millimeter or less higher than the other. I pulled the shot anyway and it was obvious that the lower side of the puck extracted the quickest. This is of course predictable, the side with the smaller volume of grounds will extract the quickest throughout the entire shot, creating an unpleasant over-extracted drink..


Well think of the problems they have in Australia.


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

DavecUK said:


> Well think of the problems they have in Australia.


The upside down tamp is the least of their worries. Their burrs spin the opposite way round to ours in the Northern Hemisphere - messy business.


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## Burnzy (Apr 17, 2014)

Haha guys, your all so dam nice on here.

Yeah so skint i cant afford good coffee, my wife is under the impression that food and bills come before my coffee!!

mr boots is kindly sending me some beans, of which i will repay to him when i get some money..

Thanks so much guys.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Grounds for divorce that mate!

Pm me your details and ill send you a bag of the rave DSOL beans, i got two and to be honest i don't think i am going to be able to get through them, i have other beans i have roasted that need drinking also!


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