PSA: My barista buddy showed me my tamping was all wrong

Was chatting with my friend who works at a shop downtown, and he watched me tamp for like 30 seconds. Said I was leaning too hard on one side, making the puck uneven. I had been doing it the same way for 3 years using a $50 tamper. He showed me to keep my wrist straight and push straight down, not angled. Tried it on my next 4 shots and the channeling stopped completely. Anyone else get a basic habit totally wrong for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant.luna14d ago

So how exactly were you leaning? Were you pushing more with your palm or was your elbow drifting to one side? I always wonder if my angle is off because my left arm gets tired faster than my right after pulling a few shots. Sounds like a simple fix that can make a huge difference.

walker.robert13d ago

You mentioned your left arm gets tired faster and yeah that's the same thing I was dealing with. It's funny because it reminds me of how people hold their phone or sit at a desk, that one sided tension creeps up and you don't notice until something hurts. Once I shifted my weight more evenly like I was just standing normal and not forcing anything, the shots actually pulled smoother and my arm felt way better after a session.