This is why your coffee puck is coming out wet, and what to do about it

How To
By published

If a soggy puck is ruining your espresso, here's the easy fix

the breville bambino plus / sage bambino plus in stainless steel silver photographed against a blue background shown with its accessories including milk jug, tamper, portafilter, and shown in use extracting espresso
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

When you make an espresso, the puck you're left with inside your portafilter can actually say a lot about the quality of the coffee you've made. If you find it to be soft, soupy looking and overly wet, it can be a sign that something is wrong. Another sign, watery or bitter-tasting espresso.

So, if you're wondering, "why is my coffee puck so soggy?" you're in the right place for an answer. Here's what could be causing your soggy puck and what you need to do to fix it.

Why your puck is coming out wet

There's a few reasons that your coffee puck could be holding excess water and a TikTok from @sagestudios_uk, makers of the Breville Bambino Plus, helped me realize one of them is simply because you're not filling your puck up with enough coffee grounds.

To solve this problem, check the size of your portafilter and adjust your espresso machine's grind settings to match.

Additionally, it's also recommended that you can use a scale to weigh out specific measurements to suit your machine. It's around 7-10g for a single basket, 16-18g for a double and 20-22g for a triple.

Plus, it's worth checking how much pressure you're using when tamping, but ultimately even distribution of your coffee grounds is key.

But, grind size matters too. As explained by YouTube channel, Whole Latte Love, if you're finding too much water on top of your grounds after pulling your shot of espresso, your grind could be too fine. Simply coarsen your grind slightly and try again until you find the sweet spot.

Lastly, it can also depend on your machine. If you have a three-way valve espresso machine, it'll get rid of excess water so you should expect a dry puck. If you've got a two-way valve machine, some water can make its way into your puck.

So, it's worth checking what your machine is capable of before you expect it to drain the water from the puck!

Normcore Espresso Puck Screen
Normcore Espresso Puck Screen: $14 at Amazon

Puck screens, though not essential, help with even distribution of water and prevents channelling for a clean brew. Made from stainless steel, they also last a really long time since it won't rust. This screen is for a 54mm portafilter, but they sell a variety of sizes to suit your machine – just make sure you check.

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Does it mean my coffee is bad?

Cuisinart espresso machine

Bitter coffee? Time to make some adjustments (Image credit: Cuisinart)

Fortunately, a soggy puck doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get a bad tasting espresso. And after all, it's what your espresso tastes like that matters the most.

So, even if you're seeing water in your puck, it's always good to just try your espresso shot first to see if you enjoy it and don't be put off entirely if you've got a soggy puck.

The sogginess is a great indicator though that your coffee hasn't been extracted well, so your espresso, while fine, could taste even better. If you like the taste you've got, then great. But, if you're thriving for an even tastier espresso, try some of the tips above and make it work for you!

Grace Dean
Grace Dean

Grace is a freelance journalist working across homes, lifestyle, gaming and entertainment. You'll find her writing for Tom's Guide, TechRadar, Space.com, and other sites. If she's not rearranging her furniture, decluttering her home, or relaxing in front of the latest streaming series, she'll be typing fervently about any of her much-loved hobbies and interests. To aid her writing, she loves to head down internet rabbit holes for an unprecedented amount of time.

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