I've heard from people who claimed the puck screen helped resolve their channeling issues on their machine, (maybe their machines shower screen was very uneven). I never noticed it affecting taste or channeling personally, but never compared back to back really. I didn't find it did anything detrimental which is what most people I've asked have also found, but DOES keep your espresso machines group much cleaner for longer, which I believe is why most people use them. I think if you tamp with insufficient force it can also work as a secondary tamp due to water pressure pushing down on the puck screen and the coffee bed. Which is also why you generally get a cleaner more solid and dry puck after extraction. On lever machines like the Europiccola which has a more violent spraying of water from the shower screen (high flow rate) puck screen is beneficial to prevent the puck from getting a crater in the top from the water digging into it.
thanks for the video! I started slamming my puck screen in my hand or a second microfiber ever since switching to an in countrt knock box. The magnetic tool would be nice, or something like a fishing magnet. Cheers
Into your hand sounds like it would be uncomfortable heh. For a fishing magnet to work you need a magnetic puck screen. I have some that are slightly magnetic but not sure if its enough I ordered a magnet I'm waiting for in the mail so I'll see.
IMS has a puck screen with a nice tamper shaped magnet. Pretty nice. You should check it out. Not sure of how clean it keeps the group and exit path👍🏾👍🏾☕️
Mentioned on the video briefly I kinda just tap the portafilter on a silicon mat and it usually falls out. Sometimes with the puck too though. With Some portafilters or puck screens knock out easier than others depending on how tight of a fit and their mass. The traditional mesh heavier ones seem to come out easier because they're heavier. I have some slightly magnetic lighter screens I'm getting some neodymium magnets to test if that works as a easy retrieval tool.
I've heard from people who claimed the puck screen helped resolve their channeling issues on their machine, (maybe their machines shower screen was very uneven). I never noticed it affecting taste or channeling personally, but never compared back to back really. I didn't find it did anything detrimental which is what most people I've asked have also found, but DOES keep your espresso machines group much cleaner for longer, which I believe is why most people use them.
I think if you tamp with insufficient force it can also work as a secondary tamp due to water pressure pushing down on the puck screen and the coffee bed. Which is also why you generally get a cleaner more solid and dry puck after extraction.
On lever machines like the Europiccola which has a more violent spraying of water from the shower screen (high flow rate) puck screen is beneficial to prevent the puck from getting a crater in the top from the water digging into it.
thanks for the video! I started slamming my puck screen in my hand or a second microfiber ever since switching to an in countrt knock box. The magnetic tool would be nice, or something like a fishing magnet. Cheers
Into your hand sounds like it would be uncomfortable heh. For a fishing magnet to work you need a magnetic puck screen. I have some that are slightly magnetic but not sure if its enough I ordered a magnet I'm waiting for in the mail so I'll see.
IMS has a puck screen with a nice tamper shaped magnet. Pretty nice. You should check it out. Not sure of how clean it keeps the group and exit path👍🏾👍🏾☕️
How do you remove the screen from the puck? I'm always messing around with it so I don't use it
Mentioned on the video briefly I kinda just tap the portafilter on a silicon mat and it usually falls out. Sometimes with the puck too though. With Some portafilters or puck screens knock out easier than others depending on how tight of a fit and their mass. The traditional mesh heavier ones seem to come out easier because they're heavier. I have some slightly magnetic lighter screens I'm getting some neodymium magnets to test if that works as a easy retrieval tool.