When it comes to brewing espresso, puck prep is arguably the barista’s most active step in the process. The grinder, once dialed in, just needs to be turned on and off, as does the espresso machine itself, so there’s relatively little to do on those fronts other than follow a laid-out recipe. But distributing ground coffee evenly throughout the portafilter and achieving a uniform tamp? That’s all hands-on work. 

Distribution in particular can make a massive difference to the quality of your espresso. An unevenly pressed puck can lead to significant extraction issues that can ruin your espresso. While obvious issues can be resolved with a few taps of the portafilter and maybe the use of your thumb and palm, distribution flaws can lurk under the surface of a seemingly well-prepped puck and still lead to channelling. If you want to ensure that your ground coffee is truly prepped and ready for tamping, you’ll want a wire distribution tool (WDT) like Presso’s.

Despite seeming like a pretty advanced piece of espresso kit, WDTs are easy to understand. When coffee is ground, it has a tendency to clump together due to static, particularly when it's ground really finely, like for espresso. If left unaddressed, these clumps will form uneven patches in your puck when tamped and can cause channelling, where water takes the easiest route through the coffee puck, causing a mix of under-extracted and over-extracted areas. This leads to an imbalanced and inconsistent flavour.

The idea is to use Presso’s WDT to rake through your ground coffee prior to tamping. The fine needles break up any clumps they course through, and the tool as a whole gives you a lot of control to distribute your grounds evenly throughout the portafilter (though we recommend using it in tandem with a dosing collar for mess-free ease of use). This allows you to prep your puck perfectly with consistency, leading to more even extractions and better tasting coffee.

Presso WDT features & specifications

• Breaks up clumps and distributes coffee evenly throughout the portafilter, leading to even extractions and tastier coffee
• Comes with a magnetic stand and a set of spare needles
• Materials: plastic (base), food-safe stainless steel (needles)