Let me share my experience (for home baristas, not top-end professional ones): You can leave the tamper behind providing you have the adjustable height DT. If your DT is not tall enough to compress the ground coffee, you will end up seeing a flat surface in the basket, which looks totally fine, but with the lack of compression, so because of the air bubbles/packets, you will see a faster but less dense extraction. First of all, you MUST NOT press the tamper too hard. A little pressure will be fine. So, do this try and error until you find the sweet spot: you use your DT and tamper to press down your coffee, note the softness of what is beneath the tamper. Is it too soft? That you hand goes down somehow? Therefore increase the height of your DT. Then try again, press it. Is it rock solid? That you cannot feel a millimeter of moving? There you go. That's the sweet spot and you can ditch your tamper from now on
It depends on how well you can put the ground coffee into the portafilter. My skills on putting the ground coffee evenly into the portafilter were inconsistent and I find the distribution tool helps a lot so I kept using it. It helps a lot for me giving consistent results ever since using it.
I just bought the same exact distribution tool and combined with my automatic tamper have been pulling perfect shots ever since. Love my naked portafilter too. My theory is it takes out a number of variables, so quality is more determined by grind size, making for better consistency. Combined with my Rocky Rancillio and Europiccola. La Pavoni's, 51mm double basket, holds 17g. Great analysis!
Loved seeing the 3 shots as a comparison at the end. For me the middle shot (leveling only) looked the best as it appeared to have a far better extraction & colouring in the cup at the end. Even though you only leveled the puck and the extraction time was longer, you probably should have changed the grind a bit on that shot to keep within your timing to see if it even came out better. Normally coffee has a sweet spot or a variability of about 4-5 sec around that sweet spot. To early comes out sour, to long and a more bitter weaker tasting coffee. I did see a study 3-4yrs back suggesting the tamp pressure done at 5-10-15kg and analysing the shot using a refractometer it had no effect on the TDS coming through at the end. I did just order a leveling/tamp combo tool. So I’ll be looking forward to using that to see what I get out of my Wega at work.
Great start, good to see the side-by-side tests w/limited variable modifications. However...I would love to see this done as a proper blind experiment...i.e., someone else prepares and pulls the shots, then you taste not knowing which ones you are tasting and render judgement. That's the only way to eliminate bias based on internal expecations (conscious and subconscious) that affect our responses.
Agree, but I thought the more important part of the experiment was the flow of the extraction. Not many will be able to tell the taste difference; especially if they add milk.
I use the distribution tool only method which gives consistent results. When I tamp it after using the distribution tool, it all goes wrong. Good video thanks
Distribution tool makes the process easier. I never had a problem in extraction since I started using distribution tool. Using tamping with distribution tool gets me best results in taste and texture.
With the tamp the coffee becomes more compressed. i.e less air pockets. Water will always flow faster through anything that has a lesser rate of density/compression, that’s the only reason it forms a line faster. Also, the heavy the density or compression, the greater flavor is extracted. Water is being held or stored longer before finding a way out to drain through the bottom, thus flavoring and extracting more.
You can pull the distributor out more. so, you can distribute and "tamp" at the same time. been doing this for awhile and I've been getting good result with almost zero channeling. tastes very clean and balanced too which I like.
I'm so glad I watched this video! I was gifted a Breville Pro and I was ready to give up on the bottomless portafilter bc I always had channeling, no matter how much tamping and such. I tried just my distribution spin-amabob only and I was finally able to pull shots without channeling at around 25-30 seconds! Thaaank youuuuu
@Zzzzar I've adjusted my whole procedure since this video, but it depends on the size basket you have. I measure about 21 grams (it can fit more. There are different sizes, so check the basket and it's limits) , give or take. I manually level by gently tapping w/ my hand, ODT tool, gently tap on table or counter twice to level grounds, then a distributor, then tamp (I have a spring-loaded hand tamper), then I put on a metal screen. Sometimes I use a paper filter before the grounds bc it helps mitigate channeling when it comes out. On average my outputs are about 42 grams at 25-35 seconds. I like my coffee strong. I can usually tell if I need more beans by how the puck comes out. (Bc different bags of beans and roasts look different on the scale). If my puck is soggy and wet and coming apart then I need to add a little more to my basket (or adjust the grind size to finer), but if it's a literal puck and looks firm, I'm good. I prefer the taste of dark roast so I usually get med dark-dark
I just bought my first espresso machine (rancilio Silvia) for Christmas for my girlfriend. I am still not very great at pulling a shot, but distribution tool I got is a HUGE help.
It seems like other factors have a lot more influence (like dosing, grind) but frankly the distribution tool for me is all about the satisfaction of seeing the puck nicely leveled off after months of tap-tap-tap, stick the finger in and move the grounds around, tap-tap-tap some more. It's enough to drive me somewhat crazy and this little tool very satisfyingly fixes my process.
This is a great video. I bought a distribution tool and only in the past couple of days have I started getting nice even extractions with my naked portafilter. So it was great to watch your experiments as I have been wrestling with these questions myself. It has given me some ideas to try tomorrow!
I think it makes my espresso pulls better and more consistent. More than that though, I find it helps speed things up. That may not be important to some, but there are times I need to get drinks made for my wife and I in a short amount of time, and being able to set depth and give it a quick spin before tamping is really handy.
Thank you for the video. Please ignore the mean and haters comments. Your video teached me a lot. I have adjusted the height of my dt with the ruler that comes with the breville barista express. Than i only adjust the grind size and dose. I have a lot more consistence results this way
Breville Barista Express and purchased a distribution tool as I’m new to pulling shots. Lavazza super crema, grinder #4, tool and soft tamp to play the part.....and it’s really good. The distribution tool helped me. Amazon $25 for 53mm size
I've been seeing more and more people with the Barista express say that using the distribution tool only and no tamp works best. To the point they no longer tamp anymore and the shots taste better and are consistent. I just got my machine so I plan on buying the tool to test this for myself.
I got the 870 xl and ive been using Lavazza but I have been unable to get a decent shot. I bought a distributing tool today and it still doesnt help. I honestly have no idea what to do. The coffee is underextracted everytime. Hitting 18 -20 sec max even on the finest grind setting. Never in the espresso pressure range. Does anyone have any pointers? Ive watched so many videos. The grind is painful but Im gonna keep at it.
@@majinraptor So I went thru a bag of beans to try other brands. Beans make a big deal on the shot. People were right. The Lavazza is good coffee. Keep in mind everytime you change the grind the machine only will allow the grinder to change levels while running. So its good practice to clear out the grinder. This is why you lose a lot of beans. Last point to try, you may have too much coffee to smooth out choking the extraction. A few good videos on that....A seattle company, lady online shows under / over extracting. Sounds like you are tamping too fine or too much coffee.
@@vinnyc5300 I have seen a couple of videos Seattle company have put out. I'll check out more. I have tried lowering my dose from 18g to 16g. I still seem to have the same issue but the pressure gauge is even lower now. Gonna keep trying. Thanks for your input.
This is a very informative content... This was one of the best videos Iv seen. Spent a whole afternoon watching video on this subject. Neil {Lochness Scottish Highlands }
These last few years coffee "experts have moved away from the 30 pounds of pressure tamp. Our friend Marc at Whole Latte Love has left his tamper behind and uses only his OCD leveler. He turned out a solid puc without tamping.
I used to use a distribution tool only but now I also use a leveler tamper which pushes the puck down about another 1mm. To be honest I can't tell the difference. I simply grind slightly coarser to get the same extraction time.
I think I should make another video on this, cos the extraction time might be the same, but if the particle size of the coffee grinds is different then it will extract differently. I wonder how that affects the taste. Maybe, like most things coffee, it's just another variable you can adjust to hone in on that god shot
I think the reason is that with your tamper you can not apply an even pressure. You evened the coffee with the distributor but then changed it with your tamper which can not press the coffee evenly. Because it completely gets inside of the portafilter. If it had a frame sitting on the portafilter, you could be sure of even distribution. That’s the thing that makes the difference I believe
I got my first machine a week ago, with one weeks worth of practice I don't notice any spurting or baldspots with my extraction I use tapping and vertical collapse for distribution , and a 58.4 mm Motta flat tamper. I tamp slowly and deliberately
Hello Charlie Thanks for this very informative video, I've decided to go ahead and get a distribution tool and give it a whirl. I've been making espresso at home with a Mazzer Mini and a Fracino Cherub w/ bottomless PF and VST basket since early 2010. I've finally got a little fed up with the waste and retention from the Mazzer, and I've a Niche Zero on the way. I'll be looking to revisit many of my old workflow habits with a view to improving quality, and thanks to your content this will be one of my adjustments. All the best
Enjoyed your "tutorial"...as it happens, just today, Amazon delivered an order to me which included an OCD tool...they say timing is everything...gonna see how my shots look and taste with this new device...thanks again...
As a newbie it made a huge difference I have the 2 in one. It’s a distributor + tamper. I tried doing it manually and it was bad. For some reason one side is higher than the other
Thanks for this video. It's very helpful. On a different note (and I'm sure someone else has mentioned this, lol), I'm surprised you're not concerned about your peeling chrome coating flaking into your espresso. I'm sure by now (since this was 5 years ago), you've gotten yourself a new espresso machine.
I think you need to do a fourth one - neither tamping nor using a distribution tool - instead just knocking the portafilter to give an even surface. The Dt seems to only do the surface.
I definitely need to do an update of this video - I've learned so much since I made it and have a better idea now of how to properly test if it works how it says it does.
I recently bought a low-cost leveller from Amazon (£16.99) to see what difference it makes. Although I still seem to get slight channeling from time to time (the occasional squirt sideways, nothing major) the difference it's made to the flavour is undeniable - fuller, more complex and less bitter than using the tamper alone. I can't imagine how or why a leveller costing the 'lifestyle' price of £90 would do a better job than my cheapie, so I'd say if you want to try one for yourself, save some money and go for a cheap one.
you must distribute the coffee evenly by tapping the portafilter and letting it settle naturally. if you ignore this step before using the leveler, then only the top of the puck will appear level and channelling can sill result......
I noticed your using a rancilio Silvia. Great little machine 👍 However, since we are being as scientific as we can in a home environment 😉, you could argue that a higher level, volumetric machine would never produce a shot in a 23 second period that would be differ in amount of liquid, as the. second shot you pulled did. Simply because thats exactly what a volumetric machine does - measures volume 😉 It would be interesting to repeat the test with a volumetric machine and se how much time would be added to the different shots pulled 👍🤔🙂 Thanks for a good video 👍👍👍
If you used a scale, you could stop the pull earlier for a consistent extraction weigh. I guess changing the psi/atmospheres could slow or speed up pull too. 🤔🤯
Been using distributor tool and tamper and are feeling that I don't get so much crema as i see on videos could be me who does something wrong but will try only distribution tool tomorrow
Good job. I do think you should do a wee bit of finger distribution before using the tool. Gaps on the side, even with a tool can be problematic. Just my .02.
Hola ... Solo unas observaciones de lo que no debe hacerse: girar el tamper antes, durante o despues de presionar (para eso esta el distribuidor de lo cual trata el video) ~ mover lateralmente el tamper mientras se presiona ~ se debe calentar todo el conjunto: ducha, portafiltro y filtro ! ...
As someone else noted, the extraction times vary. First was 15 seconds, second was 20 seconds, third was 15 seconds. You preferred the second pull (distribution tool only) in which you said you got slightly more coffee, but wasn't that just because you extracted 5 seconds longer?
It might have been the editing, but perhaps you're right. I'm working on another video about extraction timing so maybe I'll talk about how that affects flavour 😉
It seems to me that the distribution tool is only leveling and smoothing the very top layer of the grinds, leaving the low layers of the puck undistributed and hence prone to channeling..
Watched a video today on distributors and basically the shots pulled after using distributor performed the worst, with hand tapping performing the best!
My cheap adjustable distribution tool is not even it has a high side seems to work ok just need to make sure I spin it fully around a few times. Will be buying a better one soon.
HELP! Ive got the same distrubution tool, with tamp on the other side of the same tool. I've set the distribution level(height) adjustment to the sage thin metally thiny that came with my machine and then the tamp to the 'line' on the supplied tamper with my machine. Is this correct? As my distrubution and tamp are about the same depth so I dont think i'm getting compression. Any help appreciated
I used this then I found that the flow in the middle is much slower than the edge. Use bottomless portafilter I can see it. Now I don't use it. I found use funnel and shake in a circular motion is much better.
Hello, do you need to still WDT the grounds if using a distribution tool. I have seen videos where the tool scrapes all the way to the bottom and the sides when doing WDT. The distribution tool would only do the top part?
Great question! Currently, I'm thinking that the WDT is just as important as the distribution tool. When I made this video I wasn't using a WDT at all, but now that I have one, I noticed much better extraction when using WDT in combination with the distribution tool and tamp. They do different jobs, where the WDT breaks up boulders and redistributes all the way to the bottom, and the distribution tool spreads that out.
Good video. I have the same distribution tool and espresso machine. How deep do you set your distribution tool? When I tamp after using it, I clearly am able to compress the coffee further which implies that the distribution tool could be set deeper if desired. Hopefully that makes sense.
Totally makes sense. I wouldn't advise going too deep with the tamp, as it isn't designed to get a flat surface like a tamp is. I'd say go low enough that it levels out the puck completely and no lower than that!
An OCD tool is only useful for getting the bed level. It does not in any way shape or form "distribute" the coffee evenly all the way to the bottom, which is the best case scenario. My own method is WDT, 2 knocks to flatten, OCD, Tamp (one press down, no spinning or polish or anything, then lift up slowly)
Good process. Once you get a process down that works for you, no need to change it just cos of a TH-cam video. This is mostly for people who have issues with channelling and struggling to dial in 😉
I use a Mr. Coffee espresso machine, I make lattes. For years I've been instinctively tamping and rocking in a circular motion to give an even distribution. Works for me. Seems a waste of money for what I've been doing for decades. Yes, I've gone through a few generations of Mr. Coffees in my time. For me it's not about the speed to the end product, it's the process in doing it. A day doesn't feel right if I miss that ritual. On a side note. I've used a TDS meter on my water to the bin. After coffee extraction I used the meter again on the coffee water and had a lower reading. So naturally the coffee acts as a water filter.
If you have a process that works for you, that's awesome and you don't need to change it because of what some guy on TH-cam says 😉 In the couple years since I released this video, I realised that this tool is mostly useful to make distribution faster and more hygienic. At home, this is less important, but I still use mine every day as that is my habit now
3:41 Dist + Tamp : Really Good
5:01 Dist only: A little more liquid, cleaner taste than Dist + Tamp
6:31 Tamp only: More bitter and sourness.
Thanks for this. I couldn't quite remember which he liked best.
Reduce the coffe powder
There's so much knowledge involved in making coffee these days that it makes learning to play piano look easy
Espresso is like music! ❤️
No it not.
As an intermidiate piano player who is learning both, trust me coffee is MUCH easier lol
Cheaper too
As a professional pianist trying to get into coffee: yup.
I love my distributor. I'm not an expert barista, but the tool helps with consistency. That's the key to keeping customers coming back.
Let me share my experience (for home baristas, not top-end professional ones):
You can leave the tamper behind providing you have the adjustable height DT.
If your DT is not tall enough to compress the ground coffee, you will end up seeing a flat surface in the basket, which looks totally fine, but with the lack of compression, so because of the air bubbles/packets, you will see a faster but less dense extraction.
First of all, you MUST NOT press the tamper too hard. A little pressure will be fine.
So, do this try and error until you find the sweet spot: you use your DT and tamper to press down your coffee, note the softness of what is beneath the tamper. Is it too soft? That you hand goes down somehow? Therefore increase the height of your DT.
Then try again, press it. Is it rock solid? That you cannot feel a millimeter of moving? There you go. That's the sweet spot and you can ditch your tamper from now on
Extremely satisfying watching naked portafilter extractions!! 😍 Especially that close up!! Beautiful!!
Thanks! Got a new camera so might as well use it :D
I use my distribution tool only with no further tamping and consistently pull excellent shots. Thanks for your video.
It depends on how well you can put the ground coffee into the portafilter. My skills on putting the ground coffee evenly into the portafilter were inconsistent and I find the distribution tool helps a lot so I kept using it. It helps a lot for me giving consistent results ever since using it.
I just bought the same exact distribution tool and combined with my automatic tamper have been pulling perfect shots ever since. Love my naked portafilter too. My theory is it takes out a number of variables, so quality is more determined by grind size, making for better consistency. Combined with my Rocky Rancillio and Europiccola. La Pavoni's, 51mm double basket, holds 17g. Great analysis!
Loved seeing the 3 shots as a comparison at the end. For me the middle shot (leveling only) looked the best as it appeared to have a far better extraction & colouring in the cup at the end. Even though you only leveled the puck and the extraction time was longer, you probably should have changed the grind a bit on that shot to keep within your timing to see if it even came out better.
Normally coffee has a sweet spot or a variability of about 4-5 sec around that sweet spot. To early comes out sour, to long and a more bitter weaker tasting coffee.
I did see a study 3-4yrs back suggesting the tamp pressure done at 5-10-15kg and analysing the shot using a refractometer it had no effect on the TDS coming through at the end.
I did just order a leveling/tamp combo tool. So I’ll be looking forward to using that to see what I get out of my Wega at work.
Hey man I know this is a few years ago.. but could you point me in the right direction to get a set of distribution tools?
@@JamieD247 aliexpress is a great place for those
@@craigs902 I live in the Uk shipping is a lot 😂
@@JamieD247 sorry bud can’t help with that.
@@JamieD247Amazon
The camera angles really make the video shine! Nicely done!
I just received the DT today from Crema and will be using it tomorrow. Your video re-affirmed the reason I purchased it. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Great start, good to see the side-by-side tests w/limited variable modifications. However...I would love to see this done as a proper blind experiment...i.e., someone else prepares and pulls the shots, then you taste not knowing which ones you are tasting and render judgement. That's the only way to eliminate bias based on internal expecations (conscious and subconscious) that affect our responses.
Great point!
indeed, it would be awesome !
Agree, but I thought the more important part of the experiment was the flow of the extraction. Not many will be able to tell the taste difference; especially if they add milk.
I find the distributor allows more consistency when pulling shots. Definitely less room for error.
I have a DT and like the consistency it provides.
I use the distribution tool only method which gives consistent results. When I tamp it after using the distribution tool, it all goes wrong.
Good video thanks
Distribution tool makes the process easier. I never had a problem in extraction since I started using distribution tool. Using tamping with distribution tool gets me best results in taste and texture.
With the tamp the coffee becomes more compressed. i.e less air pockets. Water will always flow faster through anything that has a lesser rate of density/compression, that’s the only reason it forms a line faster. Also, the heavy the density or compression, the greater flavor is extracted. Water is being held or stored longer before finding a way out to drain through the bottom, thus flavoring and extracting more.
hedonisticmind yes when the excellent host, who did a great job by the way, did fail to mention the real reason he got more liquid in the cup.
You can pull the distributor out more. so, you can distribute and "tamp" at the same time. been doing this for awhile and I've been getting good result with almost zero channeling. tastes very clean and balanced too which I like.
Nice! Yes adjusting the distribution tool is a MUST. Perhaps I'll do a video on that too
I'm so glad I watched this video! I was gifted a Breville Pro and I was ready to give up on the bottomless portafilter bc I always had channeling, no matter how much tamping and such. I tried just my distribution spin-amabob only and I was finally able to pull shots without channeling at around 25-30 seconds! Thaaank youuuuu
out of curiosity, what is your dose ? what type of coffee are you using : light, med,dark ? how many sec. are you pulling your shots ?
@Zzzzar I've adjusted my whole procedure since this video, but it depends on the size basket you have. I measure about 21 grams (it can fit more. There are different sizes, so check the basket and it's limits) , give or take. I manually level by gently tapping w/ my hand, ODT tool, gently tap on table or counter twice to level grounds, then a distributor, then tamp (I have a spring-loaded hand tamper), then I put on a metal screen. Sometimes I use a paper filter before the grounds bc it helps mitigate channeling when it comes out. On average my outputs are about 42 grams at 25-35 seconds. I like my coffee strong. I can usually tell if I need more beans by how the puck comes out. (Bc different bags of beans and roasts look different on the scale). If my puck is soggy and wet and coming apart then I need to add a little more to my basket (or adjust the grind size to finer), but if it's a literal puck and looks firm, I'm good.
I prefer the taste of dark roast so I usually get med dark-dark
Please ditch the music at least while you are talking.
Amen. So many ruin the otherwise excellent vid with silly * annoying music.
Personally I think the music is fine. It could maybe lower the volume a bit, but otherwise its not bad.
Thank you for the straightforward and really easy to understand demonstration!
I just bought my first espresso machine (rancilio Silvia) for Christmas for my girlfriend. I am still not very great at pulling a shot, but distribution tool I got is a HUGE help.
I use a distribution tool, set at the espresso "blade" level, and it produces a pleasant resultant ...
I think you'd have amazing results if you use DT only, but with it set a little deeper. So it also compresses the puck a bit more as it levels it.
Was about to write the exact same thing.
It seems like other factors have a lot more influence (like dosing, grind) but frankly the distribution tool for me is all about the satisfaction of seeing the puck nicely leveled off after months of tap-tap-tap, stick the finger in and move the grounds around, tap-tap-tap some more. It's enough to drive me somewhat crazy and this little tool very satisfyingly fixes my process.
Haha yeah I think espresso people are detail oriented, so something like this just makes us all feel better 😊
I had one posted this morning, I went from a cheap plastic double end tamp to the distribution/tamp tool the difference is night and day.
This is a great video. I bought a distribution tool and only in the past couple of days have I started getting nice even extractions with my naked portafilter. So it was great to watch your experiments as I have been wrestling with these questions myself. It has given me some ideas to try tomorrow!
I've purchased a distribution tamper. It's actually a longer distribution tool, where you can distribute and pressurize at the same time.
Which make/model?
@@austinphillips04 it's a custom model from South Korea. You should look for any company that offers custom made tools
This is one of the best home barista videos I’ve watched. So clear. So thorough.
Thank you so much ^^
Rancilio is the best, I bought mine in 2002 and it's still making perfect espressos!
Thank you for this...i know it's a bit older but it's really good for some of us who are new and don't really know how to tamp well. Appreciated!!!
The focus on that crema. So beautiful....
Beautiful camera work. Made my mouth water....
I think it makes my espresso pulls better and more consistent. More than that though, I find it helps speed things up. That may not be important to some, but there are times I need to get drinks made for my wife and I in a short amount of time, and being able to set depth and give it a quick spin before tamping is really handy.
Thank you for the video. Please ignore the mean and haters comments. Your video teached me a lot. I have adjusted the height of my dt with the ruler that comes with the breville barista express. Than i only adjust the grind size and dose. I have a lot more consistence results this way
Hi yes. I do distribute and tamp but only light tamp is enough to make the shots better!
Making good espresso is an expensive hobby, but so worth it in the end.
The main problem with home espresso is that I am now dissatisfied with most all coffee shop product
Yep
not wrong. i must say though i had the best coffee oyr of my new machine yesterday, so nice.
Breville Barista Express and purchased a distribution tool as I’m new to pulling shots. Lavazza super crema, grinder #4, tool and soft tamp to play the part.....and it’s really good. The distribution tool helped me. Amazon $25 for 53mm size
I've been seeing more and more people with the Barista express say that using the distribution tool only and no tamp works best. To the point they no longer tamp anymore and the shots taste better and are consistent. I just got my machine so I plan on buying the tool to test this for myself.
If you use Barista express with distribution tool, you dont need to tamp. Just level it and take a shot. That it.
I got the 870 xl and ive been using Lavazza but I have been unable to get a decent shot. I bought a distributing tool today and it still doesnt help. I honestly have no idea what to do. The coffee is underextracted everytime. Hitting 18 -20 sec max even on the finest grind setting. Never in the espresso pressure range.
Does anyone have any pointers? Ive watched so many videos. The grind is painful but Im gonna keep at it.
@@majinraptor So I went thru a bag of beans to try other brands. Beans make a big deal on the shot. People were right. The Lavazza is good coffee. Keep in mind everytime you change the grind the machine only will allow the grinder to change levels while running. So its good practice to clear out the grinder. This is why you lose a lot of beans. Last point to try, you may have too much coffee to smooth out choking the extraction. A few good videos on that....A seattle company, lady online shows under / over extracting. Sounds like you are tamping too fine or too much coffee.
@@vinnyc5300 I have seen a couple of videos Seattle company have put out. I'll check out more. I have tried lowering my dose from 18g to 16g. I still seem to have the same issue but the pressure gauge is even lower now.
Gonna keep trying. Thanks for your input.
This is a very informative content... This was one of the best videos Iv seen. Spent a whole afternoon watching video on this subject.
Neil {Lochness Scottish Highlands }
I'm glad you liked it Neil 🤗
I do that too!! Fascinating luv a great espresso ☕️
These last few years coffee "experts have moved away from the 30 pounds of pressure tamp. Our friend Marc at Whole Latte Love has left his tamper behind and uses only his OCD leveler. He turned out a solid puc without tamping.
the dt only looks yummy. tamp and dt loos good to. like the sound of clean coffee.
I found distribution (not tamping) with one of those metal basket filters is best.
I use one of those. It works good for me
I used to use a distribution tool only but now I also use a leveler tamper which pushes the puck down about another 1mm. To be honest I can't tell the difference. I simply grind slightly coarser to get the same extraction time.
I think I should make another video on this, cos the extraction time might be the same, but if the particle size of the coffee grinds is different then it will extract differently. I wonder how that affects the taste. Maybe, like most things coffee, it's just another variable you can adjust to hone in on that god shot
Excellent video almost scientific based tests, really helps me decide getting a distributor tool
I use a DT in conjunction with a tamper. In my case, at least, it helps with the prevention of channeling.
Yeah I'm updating my view of this and thinking about making a video digging more into this topic.
I bought the Motta DT to use before my Motta Tamper. Very noticeable improvement in my Open Portafilter shots. Highly recommend using both.
I no longer tamp, I purchased a cheap one on eBay and have adjusted it so I get even consistent pressure each and every time.
Pancakeninja Which one did you get? How are your shots?
Respect for the research!!!!
I think the reason is that with your tamper you can not apply an even pressure. You evened the coffee with the distributor but then changed it with your tamper which can not press the coffee evenly. Because it completely gets inside of the portafilter. If it had a frame sitting on the portafilter, you could be sure of even distribution. That’s the thing that makes the difference I believe
I got my first machine a week ago, with one weeks worth of practice I don't notice any spurting or baldspots with my extraction
I use tapping and vertical collapse for distribution , and a 58.4 mm Motta flat tamper.
I tamp slowly and deliberately
Hello Charlie
Thanks for this very informative video, I've decided to go ahead and get a distribution tool and give it a whirl.
I've been making espresso at home with a Mazzer Mini and a Fracino Cherub w/ bottomless PF and VST basket since early 2010.
I've finally got a little fed up with the waste and retention from the Mazzer, and I've a Niche Zero on the way. I'll be looking to revisit many of my old workflow habits with a view to improving quality, and thanks to your content this will be one of my adjustments.
All the best
So glad it was helpful for you!
Enjoyed your "tutorial"...as it happens, just today, Amazon delivered an order to me which included an OCD tool...they say timing is everything...gonna see how my shots look and taste with this new device...thanks again...
I hope it helps you. Make sure to adjust the level so it doesn't go too deep.
As a newbie it made a huge difference I have the 2 in one. It’s a distributor + tamper. I tried doing it manually and it was bad. For some reason one side is higher than the other
Thanks for this video. It's very helpful. On a different note (and I'm sure someone else has mentioned this, lol), I'm surprised you're not concerned about your peeling chrome coating flaking into your espresso. I'm sure by now (since this was 5 years ago), you've gotten yourself a new espresso machine.
At the time I was very poor and living in Japan where espresso machines cost 2-3x as much as anywhere else 😉
I think you need to do a fourth one - neither tamping nor using a distribution tool - instead just knocking the portafilter to give an even surface. The Dt seems to only do the surface.
I definitely need to do an update of this video - I've learned so much since I made it and have a better idea now of how to properly test if it works how it says it does.
@@homecafecharlie Thanks. That'd be great.
Thanks for the video! You answered what I wanted to know!
Great review! Thank you
LOVE the flag in the background!!! I have one. it is a coffee bag we use to stock/transport
Leveller only works best for me. Took some practice, initially. 🙂
This experiment needs to have multiple samples of each configuration, to help rule out the inbuilt variance between shots.
I recently bought a low-cost leveller from Amazon (£16.99) to see what difference it makes. Although I still seem to get slight channeling from time to time (the occasional squirt sideways, nothing major) the difference it's made to the flavour is undeniable - fuller, more complex and less bitter than using the tamper alone. I can't imagine how or why a leveller costing the 'lifestyle' price of £90 would do a better job than my cheapie, so I'd say if you want to try one for yourself, save some money and go for a cheap one.
Yeah I got the cheap one too 😎
i saw on another channel that it's not advised to spin the tamp to "polish" the puck, because you can cause channeling.
If you press down yes. It's a small detail but I now avoid doing it.
One thing that was not mentioned in the video was that the distribution tool can and should be adjusted for depth of tamp.
I’ve got a Dt and love it. I was having trouble getting consistent pulls prior to using it.
you must distribute the coffee evenly by tapping the portafilter and letting it settle naturally. if you ignore this step before using the leveler, then only the top of the puck will appear level and channelling can sill result......
Yes, definitely tap and distribute first!
I was going to buy a Puqpress, but I shall try this first! Thank you!
Honestly I would recommend not to use this anymore. A WDT (the pins tool) is better for even distribution, though a bit more faff.
Thanks - very helpful. Appreciate the thoroughness of your investigation!
Why dont you also use a WDT ?
I do now. When this video came out WDT wasn't a thing 😅
I'm in the market for a distribution tool. Looking at "The Jack" which tamps while levelling.
Thank you. Very convincing. Appreciate the content.
I usually load my 14g basket with 15.6g, but I always get a nut mark in the pick. Need to find a bolt that sits flush with the screen.
You're overfilling. Use less and grind finer if you're not getting a good shot, cos that mark will promote channelling 😉
I noticed your using a rancilio Silvia. Great little machine 👍
However, since we are being as scientific as we can in a home environment 😉, you could argue that a higher level, volumetric machine would never produce a shot in a 23 second period that would be differ in amount of liquid, as the. second shot you pulled did. Simply because thats exactly what a volumetric machine does - measures volume 😉
It would be interesting to repeat the test with a volumetric machine and se how much time would be added to the different shots pulled 👍🤔🙂
Thanks for a good video 👍👍👍
Really good point! I would love to test this on a variable machine like the Decent DE1+. My dream machine for the future!
If you used a scale, you could stop the pull earlier for a consistent extraction weigh. I guess changing the psi/atmospheres could slow or speed up pull too. 🤔🤯
Still learning how to make perfect espresso tnx!
Loving the consistency I get using a bottomless portafilter and my DT. So much better than the plain tamp that came with my Breville Bambino 🙏
Been using distributor tool and tamper and are feeling that I don't get so much crema as i see on videos could be me who does something wrong but will try only distribution tool tomorrow
Good job. I do think you should do a wee bit of finger distribution before using the tool. Gaps on the side, even with a tool can be problematic. Just my .02.
Good point, I'm sure there is some compression in the middle even if I don't press down.
Hola ... Solo unas observaciones de lo que no debe hacerse: girar el tamper antes, durante o despues de presionar (para eso esta el distribuidor de lo cual trata el video) ~ mover lateralmente el tamper mientras se presiona ~ se debe calentar todo el conjunto: ducha, portafiltro y filtro ! ...
Tampoco se agita el espresso revolviendo la taza! ...
BRA x COL x ETH beans together sounds amazing which ration please?
As someone else noted, the extraction times vary. First was 15 seconds, second was 20 seconds, third was 15 seconds. You preferred the second pull (distribution tool only) in which you said you got slightly more coffee, but wasn't that just because you extracted 5 seconds longer?
It might have been the editing, but perhaps you're right. I'm working on another video about extraction timing so maybe I'll talk about how that affects flavour 😉
Got the distribution tool a few months or so ago and never looked back and hardly ever use the tamp anymore, I just love it!!
Are you still just using the distribution tool? Have you ever tried the palm tamper and distribution tool in one?
I haven't tried one, but will see if I can pick one up!
It seems to me that the distribution tool is only leveling and smoothing the very top layer of the grinds, leaving the low layers of the puck undistributed and hence prone to channeling..
There should be 4th experiment. Distribution tool only but shorter time to make the same volume of coffee as with DT+T
DT is adjustable.
So it can do both
Distribute
And
Tamp.
I'd advise getting a better grinder such as the Breville/Sage smart grinder pro
Now I have a DF64!
@@homecafecharlie great
Awesome video! What grind setting did you use on the Baratza encore? Is it recalibrated or stock?
It's stock and I'm not sure as the settings changed depending on the coffee. Usually somewhere between 4 and 8 clicks from the left.
Does your experiment repeatable ? I mean does the distribution tool only cups always give you the most clarity coffee ?
Maybe this was already pointed out to you, but try increasing the depth of the distributor to increase the compression of the puck.
I find leaving the distribution tool set a bit higher allows it to do its job of "spreading" the grind a bit more evenly, then the tamp can set it.
How does one know if a portafilter will fit the Rancilio Sylvia? The Sylvia is 58 mmm but not E61.
Watched a video today on distributors and basically the shots pulled after using distributor performed the worst, with hand tapping performing the best!
Interesting. I've used mine for a long time but I should do a new test on it, maybe more scientific with a refractometer.
Hi, Charlie great channel. I was wondering where you bought your coffee storage jar?
My cheap adjustable distribution tool is not even it has a high side seems to work ok just need to make sure I spin it fully around a few times. Will be buying a better one soon.
HELP!
Ive got the same distrubution tool, with tamp on the other side of the same tool. I've set the distribution level(height) adjustment to the sage thin metally thiny that came with my machine and then the tamp to the 'line' on the supplied tamper with my machine. Is this correct? As my distrubution and tamp are about the same depth so I dont think i'm getting compression.
Any help appreciated
I used this then I found that the flow in the middle is much slower than the edge. Use bottomless portafilter I can see it.
Now I don't use it.
I found use funnel and shake in a circular motion is much better.
Might be good to distribute a little with taps on the counter and your finger before distributing with the tool.
Hello, do you need to still WDT the grounds if using a distribution tool. I have seen videos where the tool scrapes all the way to the bottom and the sides when doing WDT. The distribution tool would only do the top part?
Great question! Currently, I'm thinking that the WDT is just as important as the distribution tool. When I made this video I wasn't using a WDT at all, but now that I have one, I noticed much better extraction when using WDT in combination with the distribution tool and tamp. They do different jobs, where the WDT breaks up boulders and redistributes all the way to the bottom, and the distribution tool spreads that out.
Good video. I have the same distribution tool and espresso machine. How deep do you set your distribution tool? When I tamp after using it, I clearly am able to compress the coffee further which implies that the distribution tool could be set deeper if desired. Hopefully that makes sense.
Totally makes sense. I wouldn't advise going too deep with the tamp, as it isn't designed to get a flat surface like a tamp is. I'd say go low enough that it levels out the puck completely and no lower than that!
An OCD tool is only useful for getting the bed level. It does not in any way shape or form "distribute" the coffee evenly all the way to the bottom, which is the best case scenario.
My own method is WDT, 2 knocks to flatten, OCD, Tamp (one press down, no spinning or polish or anything, then lift up slowly)
Good process. Once you get a process down that works for you, no need to change it just cos of a TH-cam video. This is mostly for people who have issues with channelling and struggling to dial in 😉
I got mine brand new with even the blue wrap on the bottom for $1 so it was a steal lol
I use a Mr. Coffee espresso machine, I make lattes. For years I've been instinctively tamping and rocking in a circular motion to give an even distribution. Works for me. Seems a waste of money for what I've been doing for decades. Yes, I've gone through a few generations of Mr. Coffees in my time. For me it's not about the speed to the end product, it's the process in doing it. A day doesn't feel right if I miss that ritual.
On a side note. I've used a TDS meter on my water to the bin. After coffee extraction I used the meter again on the coffee water and had a lower reading. So naturally the coffee acts as a water filter.
If you have a process that works for you, that's awesome and you don't need to change it because of what some guy on TH-cam says 😉
In the couple years since I released this video, I realised that this tool is mostly useful to make distribution faster and more hygienic. At home, this is less important, but I still use mine every day as that is my habit now