# Which is more important.......



## Mistermoleymole (May 10, 2015)

The fine grind, or the Tamp pressure used?

I'm just getting to grips with pulling shots of espresso at the moment, and have just got myself some fresh beans freshly roasted less than a week ago, i can see the difference there instantly, compared to the supermarket bean. The crema is infinitely better straight off, no matter what I do.

However, I'm now stuck on the above question.

I have a Graef grinder (cm800) which has 40 settings. I've read you should tamp pretty hard, seen 20k of pressure, and some youtube barristas say as hard as your hand can press. However, i find i block my machine with a good hard tamp unless i grind pretty course. However, I've gone down the scale getting a finer grind and giving quite a light tamp (just getting the flat polished look on top, but not too much pressure at all). The resulting shot looks and tastes nice, but I'm new to the DIY coffee game so I'm not sure if I'm getting the best out of my bean.

Please don't reply with, "if it looks and tastes good to you, that's all that matters", as that's not too helpful. I used to like freeze dried coffee.... you see where I'm going with this?










Many thanks coffee nerds! xxx


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

However, I've gone down the scale getting a finer grind and giving quite a light tamp (just getting the flat polished look on top, but not too much pressure at all). The resulting shot looks and tastes nice

You've answered it yourself.

You dont need to push as hard as you can, just firm enough to stop the puck falling out if you hold the PF upside down for me, the grind is more important, this is what i use to control the pour, may not be right for all but works for me, distribution is key before this though.

Taste, Taste, Taste!


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

By what ive read 30lbs of pressure was the recommended norm for tamper pressure with click mats set for 10, 15 or 20kg of pressure. , but that seems to have gone by the by and its now considered way too hard, with a light pressure being favoured.

My puck looks like suede on top when ive finished and I go for a fine grind with a light tamp and nutation


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Grind fine, extract more


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## Mistermoleymole (May 10, 2015)

Ok thats cool

The guy that sold me the beans has a coffee shop in Manchester. I guess I need to go see him to get a coffee in his shop to see if I'm anywhere near.

I just cant help but wonder if i will end up turning down beans or moving to new ones, more down to my technique and not the flavour of the bean. I want to know I'm getting things right before I start critiquing the flavour the bean provides.

With these new beans I'm already noticing a far smoother taste rather than that strong coffee taste i was getting before (which i quite like, though). I now wonder if it's down to the fresh roast or my technique changing slightly. I'm now closer to the 20-30 sec shot and far better crema with these though. Before, my shots were taking an age to pull.

The experimenting will continue.... experimenting aint cheap though









Cheers Froggy


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

I'm pretty much a novice but at the moment I'm more working on the grind for speed of pour etc. and the tamp I'm trying to keep as consistent as possible. So I basically use fingertip pressure and try to have the tamper sitting evenly (flat) in the basket.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Mistermoleymole said:


> Ok thats cool
> 
> I just cant help but wonder if i will end up turning down beans or moving to new ones, more down to my technique and not the flavour of the bean. I want to know I'm getting things right before I start critiquing the flavour the bean provides.


There are no magic beans that will negate the effect of bad technique .

Practice , enjoy what you drink , and dont limit what you buy through the logic of " good beans are wasted on me "

Mediocre beans are just as much as waste as well


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## bad_asspresso (Sep 5, 2015)

I just upgraded from a Krups to a zenith and realised that the tamp pressure I used with my old grinder is way too excessive with the new grinder. It's a strange sensation, I'm so used to tamping the hardest I could that now I worry if I use a light tamp I will get spray everywhere (bottomless pf)


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