Q4C (4) | 8 Tips to Coffee Puck Preparation

Puck Preparation…really?

It sounds boring. But after making plenty of espresso shots in my Quest for Coffee, I can assuredly say the puck preparation makes the difference. Not a difference…the difference.

A puck is simply the coffee grounds that have been tamped into the portafilter in a shape resembling that of a hockey puck. You see this shape when you tap the used coffee grounds out of the portafilter after making the espresso.

Puck preparation is key to ensuring even pressure and consistent extraction.

Here are 8 simple and practical tips for making the perfect espresso puck, explained with tips from my experience!

If an amateur like me can do it, you can too. Let’s go!

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1. Distribute Grounds Evenly

Benefits:

• Uneven coffee distribution leads to weak spots where water can channel. As we explored earlier, uneven distribution causes your coffee puck to be tamped unevenly.
• When using a coffee machine that allows auto-tamping (if you own a fancy $$$ machine, that is), always ensure that the puck is flat and smooth on the surface before loading it up for brewing. 

How:

• After dosing (a fancy term for allowing coffee grounds to fall into the portafilter), gently shake or tap the portafilter to level the grounds before tamping.
• This may require additional support from tools such as a portafilter attachment that allow the coffee grounds to fall into the portafilter first without using the machine to tamp. Most machines without auto-tamp functions built in facilitate this.

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2. Use a WDT Tool (Weiss Distribution Technique)

Benefits:

• Breaks up clumps and redistributes grounds for uniform density across the entire surface of the portafilter.  

How

• Stir the grounds in the basket with a fine needle or specialized tool before tamping. This is like a “comb” for coffee grounds. Once the coffee grounds are sufficiently distributed, you are ready to tamp. 

Experience Tip:

• If a WDT is beyond your reach, gently using a small fork with thin tines to stir the grounds should do the trick.
• If the puck is tamped using a machine, consider having a manual tamp at hand to even out the surface if the machine does a lacklustre job.
• Sounds mad that the machine designed to tamp can’t get it right but as far as bizarre goes, some machines just don’t perform as desired.

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3. Grind Consistently Fine (Espresso Grind)

Benefits:

• Consistent grind size means a consistent level of extraction throughout the final puck. This gives a smooth, even extraction process, creating a beautiful shot of espresso. Conversely, inconsistent grind size causes uneven extraction—the fine grind clogs, the coarse one under-extracts. It messes up the harmonious blend of flavour, aroma and colour. 

How

• Use a burr grinder, not a blade grinder.
• Coffee machines that have built-in grinders meant for brewing espressos usually already come with burr grinders.
• Burr grinders crush the beans evenly based on the setting of grind size. Adjust the grind size of the grinder until the flow time during the brew is ~25–30 sec for a 1:2 ratio shot.
  • If your brew time is more than 30s, you need to “unclog” the puck slightly, so reduce the grind size for finer coffee grounds for water to flow through faster.
  • If your brew time is less than 25s, the water is simply “flushed” out between the coffee grounds; increase the grind size so the coffee grounds are finer and water meets greater resistance during brewing. 

Experience Tip:

• To control the ideal 25-30s window, there are 2 main factors: dosage and grind size.
• Dosage refers to the volume of coffee grounds within the puck, while grind size refers to how big each grain of coffee ground is. A higher dosage means a higher amount of coffee grounds within the puck. This increases resistance for the water, and increases the time taken for water to pass through.
• The same effect is achieved by keeping the dosage constant and reducing the grind size. A smaller grind size gives finer coffee grounds, More resistance is met by the water, causing longer brew time.
• Do you know which is a better factor to control? I’ll let you “brew” over this question… 

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4. Use the Right Dose

Benefits:

• Dosage, as we understood earlier as volume or amount of coffee beans, affects the overall time taken for the brew.
• Good dosage controls the volume of coffee grounds in contact with the water for maximum flavour and aroma. Under-dosing leaves too much space (and leads to channeling as the water can easily “escape” through the puck at higher pressures) while over-dosing prevents full water contact because water may not fully extract all the goodness from all the coffee grounds.

How:

• Follow your machine’s recommendation (e.g., 18g for a double shot) and weigh your dose. Weighing your dose ensures that the exact amount of beans is ground and used, consistently making the ‘dosage’ factor a constant. 

Experience Tip:

• Play around with the settings for dosage while keeping the grind size the same (say size 2) and see how much coffee grounds you need for a 25-30s brew time.
• If you find too much coffee grounds is used per espresso shot, reduce the grind size with a desired smaller dosage.
• It is far easier to change the dosage than the grind size, James Hoffman summarised this better than I can. 

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5. Tamp Evenly and Firmly

Benefits:

• Similar to distribution, even and firm tamping builds up the “compactness” of the puck to withstand the pressure of the water. Water has a difficult time trying to escape the puck and this avoids “channeling”.
• Uneven tamping tilts the puck, causing water to flow more through one side and…you guessed it…under-extraction and over-extraction occurs. 

How:

• Place the portafilter on a flat surface with the brim parallel to the surface. Hold the tamper level and apply consistent pressure. Press down directly with a delicate but firm motion (about 30 lbs is enough). Tamp once and once only. 

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6. Keep the Portafilter Dry

Benefits:

• A dry portafilter ensures that the coffe grounds are dry so that there is no chance of coffee grounds in some areas being more “compact” than others.
• This then allows for even extraction and even flow of water. A wet basket/portafilter causes uneven puck integrity and channeling…that’s a no-go.

How:

• Wipe it dry before dosing the coffee…it is that simple. 

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7. Handle with Care

Benefits:

• Handle with care once all the effort and delicate techniques have been applied so that all that work can translate into a great espresso shot.
• The compact puck stays exactly the same, ready for brewing if no blunt force is applied to “break” that puck.
• Any bumping or knocking can crack or unlevel the puck, opening paths for channeling and making the espresso a disaster in the brewing. 

How:

• Tamp once and insert it straight into the machine without rough handling, wait out and fret not, tamp and brew, touch and go.

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8. Use a Bottomless Portafilter

Benefits:

• It shows you real-time flow, perfect for spotting channeling. Not only do you get to enjoy a beautiful and satisfying flow of coffee, but you also enjoy the fruits of your labour preparing the puck.
• A golden brown, silky smooth espresso shot should be flowing from the bottom into the cup

How:

• If the espresso sprays or flows unevenly, adjust your prep technique accordingly. It likely occurred due to poor tamping, uneven distribution or rough handling. You know your process best!
• This is the “data analysis” part of the process where you can fine-tune the techniques.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. If something amazing occurs here, all you need to do is rinse and repeat your process.
• Now all you have to do is sit back and relax with a wonderful cup of Joe.

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Puck preparation for espresso may feel labourious and boring, but as I have learnt, coffee making is done best when done with care and patience. It takes more than good coffee beans to make good coffee.

With these 8 tips, you can now be prepared to brew an amazing cup of Joe. Or two. And then some…

Once you have made your coffee, the Quest for Coffee continues.

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