Do you really need a leveler?

In addition to the right degree of grinding, the perfect brewing time, and amount of water, there is another important factor for a really good espresso: The homogeneity of the ground coffee in the portafilter. In a perfectly brewed espresso, the water flows evenly through the ground coffee and extracts the coffee’s aromatic substances evenly. However, the surface is often uneven, sloping – or the ground coffee is looser in one place and clumps in another. To prevent this, you can tap the back of your hand against the portafilter and smooth the surface with your fingers before tamping. You can also use a WDT tool.

The Weiss-Distribution-Technique-Tool (yes, that’s what it’s called) looks like a mini whisk, but with needles, with which you stir the ground coffee. It breaks up clumps and the ground coffee becomes homogeneous. Then, the leveler is used. The small device with the rotating discs is placed on the portafilter, turned once or twice – it closes the tiny channels in the ground coffee and the surface becomes even. Then tamp, brew, done. This prevents the water from finding the “easiest” way around the edge of the portafilter or through other loose areas, the extraction is even, and the aromas are harmonious. Voilà, the outrageously delicious espresso.