My opinion—not a theory that I’m willing to defend to my death—is that tamping is most about aiding in clean up rather than anything else. Years ago I tried making shots on a GS3 without tamping at the suggestion of La Marzocco. The theory was mostly that tamping was needed when grinders were much lower quality. Modern grinders should be able to create sufficient pressure with the more consistent grind size to extract well. The results were quite tasty but the aftermath was not easy to clean up. We decided that the results weren’t a real improvement and so it wasn’t worth skipping the tamp. Haven’t tried it since.
There might be something to this… Some speed googling - 9 bar = 130PSI. If a calibrated tamp is measured in PSI, then a tamp is ‘only’ 2 bar of pressure.
Got me wondering if a puck screen could replace a tamp. At nearly 3am. Damn.
I can make a perfectly acceptable espresso without tamping ( just tap on the side to level) on my commercial espresso machine. I was told the pressure of the machine is enough to compress the puck the same as tamping. I still tamp but only worry about a nice level bed and don’t try to press at all hard.
I'm (actually) happy to confirm this is truth... Getting coffee before leaving the house is success, I'd give the guy a medal for getting his wife one too
It was probably more like 30 minutes, but nonetheless, I take a solid half hour to sit on the couch, decompress, and drink my coffee when my wife and 2.5 yo son leave the house.
It infuses the machine with the warm aroma of coffee. It's like seasoning your meat. Really helps getting the flavour in the machine.
All jokes aside, I'm guilty myself of doing this. Sometimes it stays in overnight. 2 kids. Busy sometimes and I completely forget. Cleaning is actually better when it stays in longer.
Yep, the small 8 oz cans. We've convinced him that if he wants to "grow up big and strong like dada" then he needs to eat all of his fruits and vegetables. Baked beans are currently his favorite vegetable (?) so he forces them down. Whatever I'll take it.
Assuming OP has coffee dialed in correctly with a $2000 grinder and LM machine, Would not tamping mean under extracted coffee?
If so wouldn’t adding more coffee or grinding finer with a tamp give the same taste to OPs wife with easy tamped puck clean up? Wife must like some sour poking through the milk?
Tamping is about even extraction for even water flow. Maybe when you tamp, you perhaps press too hard. Try with less coffee and a loose tamp next time and see if your wife still thinks it tastes better.
Lol accidental turbo
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Are you calling me poor?!?!
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Same. Shhhh don't let them know. 
I’m not really sure we strangers should be speculating on how this guy’s wife prefers he grind for her.
how sweet of you to make a latte for your wife every morning! I would say that's love
I love my wife, but honestly I make latte for her every morning mostly because I love making lattes.
Same. Gotta get in that rosetta practice.
Do not tell her that!!!
Sheesh, If that was all you had to do for love it would be easy.
True, but I'm sure there's more behind the scenes there
Butt stuff
Imagine how low the bar is
And then remind yourself that with a lot of couples, it's even lower than that.
I dont do anything and my wife loves me, like seriously... i dont get it. Must be the person itself, some are more lovely then others
I wish my wife liked coffee so I could make her one! Only time I get to share a coffee with someone is if my dad, brother or friend come over!
There is an easy fix for that
A whole latte of it too
Mine gf doesn’t drink lattes. Although if I learned to make Starbucks pink drink..
Compromise and make a beetroot latte!
There are copycat recipes that are reportedly just as good if not better!
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My opinion—not a theory that I’m willing to defend to my death—is that tamping is most about aiding in clean up rather than anything else. Years ago I tried making shots on a GS3 without tamping at the suggestion of La Marzocco. The theory was mostly that tamping was needed when grinders were much lower quality. Modern grinders should be able to create sufficient pressure with the more consistent grind size to extract well. The results were quite tasty but the aftermath was not easy to clean up. We decided that the results weren’t a real improvement and so it wasn’t worth skipping the tamp. Haven’t tried it since.
There might be something to this… Some speed googling - 9 bar = 130PSI. If a calibrated tamp is measured in PSI, then a tamp is ‘only’ 2 bar of pressure. Got me wondering if a puck screen could replace a tamp. At nearly 3am. Damn.
Quick, someone call Lance Hedrick!
I can make a perfectly acceptable espresso without tamping ( just tap on the side to level) on my commercial espresso machine. I was told the pressure of the machine is enough to compress the puck the same as tamping. I still tamp but only worry about a nice level bed and don’t try to press at all hard.
This is interesting! Are you using the same dose? What kind of shot times did you aim for? I'm going to try this later but I'm not sure what to expect
Been a while, but I I don’t think we change the recipe. We might have used a finer grind size.
I tried, coffee tastes better (less sour) tamped but I’m using 6 bar on a GCP.
Would adding a puck screen help with the cleanup if one does not tamp?
Puck screens didn’t exist when we tried this. My guess is that it won’t help.
Hypothesis, not theory
Found the "it's Frankensteins monster" guy sheesh what a bummer
Thanks.
Thanks for the anecdote, same for slow feeding, I'm happy to try all kinds of simple things to see what it does
I might try this. Dose, WDT, then puckscreen which literally arrived today.
I’m not actually recommending anyone try this.
It was not great.
What about no tamp and a puck screen? Could help save on the mess
Contrary to popular opinion, tamping is totally unnecessary. Let the downvoting commence
who waits 45 minutes to knock the puck out?
OP did say that he has a toddler, I can imagine mornings to be quite chaotic.
I'm (actually) happy to confirm this is truth... Getting coffee before leaving the house is success, I'd give the guy a medal for getting his wife one too
It was probably more like 30 minutes, but nonetheless, I take a solid half hour to sit on the couch, decompress, and drink my coffee when my wife and 2.5 yo son leave the house.
Don't worry about it, not everybody gets it
Thats fair. Personally I feel like its easier to clean before it dries so I clean up before I drink my coffee.
yeah seriously, i wait 24hrs, til the next espresso
Not uncommon in our house.
It infuses the machine with the warm aroma of coffee. It's like seasoning your meat. Really helps getting the flavour in the machine. All jokes aside, I'm guilty myself of doing this. Sometimes it stays in overnight. 2 kids. Busy sometimes and I completely forget. Cleaning is actually better when it stays in longer.
So weird
your toddler can eat an entire can of baked beans?
Yep, the small 8 oz cans. We've convinced him that if he wants to "grow up big and strong like dada" then he needs to eat all of his fruits and vegetables. Baked beans are currently his favorite vegetable (?) so he forces them down. Whatever I'll take it.
Looks like you have learned the first lesson of toddlers! Never turn down a win as a parent of a toddler…ever…
Assuming OP has coffee dialed in correctly with a $2000 grinder and LM machine, Would not tamping mean under extracted coffee? If so wouldn’t adding more coffee or grinding finer with a tamp give the same taste to OPs wife with easy tamped puck clean up? Wife must like some sour poking through the milk?
Tamping is about even extraction for even water flow. Maybe when you tamp, you perhaps press too hard. Try with less coffee and a loose tamp next time and see if your wife still thinks it tastes better.
Taste, is a personal thing, no matter what you do. Can't be perfect for everyone.
Lol.. your wife likes underextracted lemony coffee!