How To Tamp Coffee The Right Way!

Tamping might seem like one of those small, simple steps in espresso prep, but in reality it can make or break your coffee shot. I’ve pulled thousands of espresso shots over the years, and I can confidently say that a consistent tamping technique is just as important as your recipe and the coffee that you use. After all, there's no pointing using the best possible coffee if it isn't brewed right.
 If you’re getting uneven extractions, bitter or sour tasting shots, or just can’t quite seem to get it espresso dialled in, your tamping could be the culprit.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to tamp correctly, share some insights I’ve learned from my own experience, and cover the different tamper sizes and what they actually refer to.

Why Is Tamping So Important?

Tamping compresses the coffee bed evenly and creates resistance for the pressurised water to extract your espresso. If you tamp unevenly or too lightly, you’ll likely get channeling, where water finds the path of least resistance and shoots through certain parts of the puck, leading to an imbalanced shot.

The goal? A flat, even, and consistent tamp resulting in great tasting coffee.

How Much Pressure Should You Use?

This is one of the most common questions I get, and I totally get why it’s a bit vague. The general rule of thumb is to aim for around 15–20kg of pressure (roughly the weight of your body through your arm). But instead of obsessing over the exact number, focus on being consistent with the amount of pressure you use and your technique.

If you want to know exactly what 15-20kg of pressure feels like, use a kitchen scales. place the tamper on top and apply pressure until you reach the weight.

In my early days, I’d try way too hard to push as hard as possible, thinking more pressure = better espresso. Not the case. These days I focus more on a firm, controlled press, making sure the puck is level, and not stressing about crushing it with all my strength. (Saves my barista wrists a lot of pain).

How To Hold A Coffee Tamper Correctly:

There are many ways to do things that result in the exact same outcome, tamping coffee is one of those things that most people will argue about. Instead of telling you the 'correct' way to tamp coffee, I wan't to share with you some tips that I found to 

Most people will tell you to position your thumb at the rim of the tamper edge with your index finger so that you can position and line up the tamper to the edges of the portafilter. 

But if you're using a Self Levelling Tamper you don't need to pay attention to the angle or how hard you push down, just apply as much pressure until the coffee tamper is pressed down as far as it goes.

Espresso Routine Step-by-Step:

1. Distribute coffee grounds – Whether you use a WDT needle tool, NCD Pulse or any type of coffee distribution tool, make sure the coffee bed is nice and level before tamping with no clumps or mounds of coffee grounds.

2. Grip your tamper like a doorknob – Keep your wrist straight and elbow at 90 degrees, wrap your hand around the tamper with your thumb at the edge of the tamper to feel for the rim of the portafilter.

3. Place the tamper flat on the coffee bed – Make sure your coffee tamper is perfectly level before applying pressure.

4. Apply firm, even pressure – Press down until you feel the puck compress, then stop.

5. Polish if you want – A slight twist at the end can help smooth the surface, but it’s optional.

How Do You Know If You Did It Right?

Here are a few signs that your tamp was solid:

• The espresso puck is flat, smooth and even.
• No coffee grounds are stuck to the side of the basket.
• You see a nice, even flow from the spouts during extraction.
• The espresso tastes balanced (not overly bitter or sour).

If you’re seeing fast or uneven flow, channeling, or a slanted puck after knocking it out—your tamp might need some tweaking.

Common Tamping Issues and How To Fix Them

Problem: Uneven flow from the portafilter.
Fix: Check that you’re tamping level, use a tamper with a base that helps guide you or even better, consider using a self-levelling tamper.

Problem: Channeling or spurting
Fix: To avoid Espresso Channeling distribute your grounds more evenly before tamping. Even the best tamp won’t fix a clumpy puck with varying density coffee grounds. For this a WDT tool is best or any of these Coffee Distribution Tools.

Problem: Puck sticking to the shower screen
Fix: Try using a slightly lower dose of ground coffee or a lighter tamp. An Espresso Puck screen can also help with this.

Problem: Wall of coffee grounds around the edge of basket.
Fix: If you're noticing your tamper is missing the edge of your coffee basket and these aren't being tamped this means your tamper is too small.
Most 58mm baskets are slightly bigger than 58mm and a 58.3mm or 58.4mm tamper can reach the walls of 58mm basket.

Let’s Talk Tamper Sizes

This is where it can get a bit confusing. When you see numbers like 52mm, 53mm, 54mm, 58mm, 58.3mm, they refer to the diameter of the tamper base in millimetres. The correct tamper size depends on your espresso machine’s portafilter basket.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• 52–54mm – Common with smaller home machines (like some Brevilles and DeLonghis)

• 58mm – Standard size for most commercial machines

• 58.3mm – A snug fit for VST and precision baskets (what I personally use most of the time)

If your tamper is too small, you won’t be tamping the whole puck evenly. If it’s too big, it won’t even fit into the basket. You want that nice “piston” fit where it just slides in smoothly and tamps the entire bed evenly.

Tamping might feel minor compared to grind size or brew ratio, but I promise it makes a huge difference. It’s one of those skills that feels awkward at first, but with some practice, it becomes second nature.

Got questions or want to see a video on this? Leave a comment bellow or DM us on Instagram @basicbarista_aus I’d love to help you get that espresso dialled in!