Is your espresso puck wet and soggy after making a coffee? Don't stress it's common, and it doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with your espresso machine.
There are several reasons you can end up with a wet coffee puck, but one of the first things to check is your coffee dose.
Check your filter basket dose
Every espresso filter basket is designed to hold a certain amount of ground coffee.
Depending on the basket, a double basket might be designed for anything from around 14 g to 28 g of coffee. Some baskets have their recommended dose marked on the side.
The important thing is to match your coffee dose to the basket you're actually using.
Can underdosing cause a wet coffee puck?
Yes. If you put too little coffee into the basket, you can leave additional space between the top of the coffee puck and the shower screen.
After extraction, this extra space can allow water to remain above the puck, leaving it looking wet, muddy or soggy when you remove the group handle.
As a starting point, aim for the basket's recommended dose. There's usually a little room to move, but consistency is key.
Does a wet puck mean bad espresso?
Not necessarily.
The appearance of the puck isn't the ultimate test of whether you've made good espresso. Your extraction, recipe and taste in the cup matter much more.
But if you're consistently getting extremely wet pucks, checking that you're using the correct dose for your filter basket is a simple place to start.
So before blaming your machine — check your basket, weigh your coffee and nail your dose.
Your puck might just need a little more love.
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