As much as i love lance and james, i really appreciate you taking the time to break down and share these hard data points rather than just telling the audience your own personal conclusion

I counted 65 shots pulled, totalling to more than a kilo of coffee. Now that's dedication.

I'm not a frequent viewer of you channel, but I must praise your work for choosing a sponsor that's coffee related and has something to do with our hobbies/passion! Not many (if any) do this on KZfaq, so please continue with it! It's not going unnoticed. Great job!

"...which depending on your palette can be debatable as a noticeable difference in the cup" was kind of my thinking across a lot of these. I have both the OCD and the little needle tool. Having so many shots from both I've driven myself mad with thoughts like "am I even really tasting the difference at this point?" and then you followed with "but if you're here on youtube watching videos on espresso distribution" and I felt that. Such a niche thing that few can truly appreciate and I'm glad I'm one of those people cause maximizing flavor in espresso is such a fun and rewarding task

Wow what an incredibly in depth video. Beautiful to watch. This stuff is why I abandoned espresso and moved to pour over. And why I shouldn’t be surprised most coffee shops produce revolting espresso. There is so much to know, learn and buy and I just wasn’t committed enough. Now my machine, grinder and a box of other accessories are paper weights now

Wow. Knocked it out of the park on this one. GREAT information. Thanks Spro.

You keep on hitting the spot with the content! Excellent work, well done. The internet will be coming back to this, the community will be super grateful for the numbers. Nice!

This is beyond dedication. Absolutely awesome.

I am deep in the rabbit hole! I am refurbishing my first ever espresso machine. A Gaggia Classic. I have yet to make an espresso but trying to educate myself so when the time comes I am ready. This was a great informative video. Thank you

I’m so glad you quantified this. I have all these tools and I’ve been messing around with each and combinations of them. I’ve settled on just the duomo and a calibrated tamp. I was at first on espcup+duomo but I didn’t taste any benefits over just the duomo that made the added workflow worth it.

My daily workflow is WDT, single tab on the counter with one hand on the PF to help absorb some of the vibration, and then tamp. I’ve tried the OCD and the stockfleth method and the WDT has given me the most consistent results. Loved the video, thanks for putting in all of the great work. Really enjoyed this one, Spro.

This is a great video and I have waited for something like this long time

I love your consistent and insightful methods. Very helpful.

Great video. In my opinion, ease of use and speed are absolutely key to making coffee accessible. I currently WDT with my setup but find it quite arduous, so if the duomo is almost as good, but much quicker to use (with less room for user error) then I'm going to give it a go

We use the Duomo Eight in our two cafes. Expensive tools, but no doubt super consistent and we get yields as high as 22% on some coffees. Thats also probably down to the E80 grinders we use.

Love the clinical data! Thank you for this great video!

This topic is probably the most important I have discovered after trying a bottomless portafilter and having endless channeling issues, thank you for sharing this video! After buying a Rancilio Classe 5 machine and a Compak E5 grinder from a local barista/seller, he never mentioned anything about puck creation and how to brew consistent espresso! I never realized there was a problem until trying a bottomless setup and observed espresso spraying all over everything during extraction! Recently I discovered the importance of leveling and distribution, but this issue was never mentioned by the seller of my equipment! After watching many different videos on this topic, I decided to order the Asso Jack Leveler. This unit will be delivered on 3-10-23 so I hope to finally resolve this problem! Thanks again for your help!

The dose of nerdiness I didn't know I needed. Useful info + dedication = great content. Almost made me regret buying a one touch machine.

Another professional analysis. I love your work👍

One of the best videos out there! Watching it the second time and will do a third time soon!

The way I see it, is that the duomo is theoretically the best because of shot consistency and removing human error, but due to the price- I’m much more inclined to recommend a WDT.

Always appreciate how much time and money you put in to making these videos.

Great experiment! 🔥🔥Thank you for your hard work. The WDT method is my favored.

WDT all the way; significant reduction in channeling, and I find the act of leveling the bed before tamping very satisfying. I have an HG-1 Prime on the way, very curious to see how the Craig Lyn shaker system works.

Thank you for the video! Nice to see the numbers compared

Thanks for your presentation. I'm always looking for ways to improve. You've convinced me that my cheap little WDT is as good as anything on today's market. This is what I do: 1. Grind into a dosing cup to weigh the ground coffee. 20 g. 2. Give it a good stir with the WDT in the dosing cup before I transfer to the portafilter & dosing funnel. 3. Do a second WDT distribution in the portafilter and then give it one tap on my rubber tamping mat to settle the grounds. 4. Remove the funnel and give it a final finger-leveling as necessary. 5. Tamp with a Pullman Big-Step. (I do think that a well-fitting taper matters) 6. Pull the shot. I shut it down at @ 34 g and end up with 36 g. of product after the last drop falls. I'm satisfied with my routine so I don't have any reason to change . Your satisfaction may vary. Is this a lot of hoopla for a cup of coffee? Maybe. But I can only drink so many cups of caffeinated beverage in a day. I try to make each one of my cups of coffee the best cup ever.

Thanks for the video and for confirming a feeling. Years, decades later. WDT still very effective relative to other options, simple, least expensive, and for many "best" workflow at least for home use.

Thank you, as always, great. I’ve made myself a distribuitor with needles in a cork adjusted into a 54 mm jar lid. (My filters are 54 mm) very much like the dome but with no frills… First I give it a good Aussie shake with the grinder’s cup over the filter, then I give it some turns with the distribuitor and finish it with a self made WDT… then I tamp. Et voilà, no channeling at all, ever!

Love the proper testing!

Wow what a detailed research! Definately an addition to the conversation.

Good job, I liked the video and how you put it together. I also like that you question everything and try it, to the point you are skeptical about everything, but I like that, others are different.

When I added in a WDT tool to tapping, OCD, and tamping regimen, the flavor and consistency increase of shots were extremely and blaringly noticeable. Before, the shots varied widely, no matter how much time and effort I put into trying to get the grounds distributed consistently. I rarely got a delicious (in my opinion) tasting espresso. I did have to grind just a little more finely to dial in. But once dialed in... WOW! Great results.

WDT and a cheapo OCD type leveler before the Normcore self levelling tamp seems to have upped my consistency. Recently tried the filter paper disc in the bottom of the portafilter and this combo produced my first channel free shot, its all learning through trial and error, which is half the fun of espresso nerdery ;-)

Great video, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for all the data. This info is MUCH better than just making one cuo each and standing there drinking it om video going "oh wow"

Interesting enough I’ve used them all. So yes, I’ve been deep down the rabbit hole at times. And currently the Duomo has been my tool of choice. One thing I’d like to hear is method of use for the Duomo…spin rate, number of spins, etc.

Thank you for the info you give. Knowledge is building understanding. I find my holdup is taste. Or how to tell roast level or brew technique to what im really tasting in cup.

Amazing information 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Great video again, thnx! I’m also into WDT and using 2 of them: 0.40mm and 0.25mm (Lance’s idea btw). First run of WDT I do with the 0.40 and start at the bottom and work my way up. 0.25mm is to finish the top layer. Yes I’m a nerd :) After the WDT, I always tapped, but reading your comment about the fines going south, I’ll try to avoid it. Another reason I do this, is to make the grounds ‘fall’ into the portafilter which have been trapped just below the funnel during WDT. Then I push my pre-heated Flair 58 puck screen on top and push it down to make sure it touches the grounds. Then I nerd again and put my 2nd puck screen on top of that. It’s thinner and has somewhat bigger holes (1mm & 150um).

Still loving my Sworks WDT tool! I am going to try removing the leveler from my flow and just tamp after WDT. Thanks for your work on these. Excellent!

Thanks, good video. Before I got my WDT my shots were much more inconsistent. Now that I've gotten used to using it I can count on shots that will be at least drinkable.

Good comparison, thanks! I’m using a WDT tool since a while. Works very well for me 👍🏻

Great comparison of the various tools available, I'm just upgrading my espresso machine and this is my next planned area to look into. I'd been trying to decide between the Sworks WDT, and the OCD (or potentially a cheaper version like Motta), or a combination of the two. Based on this I'll likely start with just the WDT

Love this one. This is an area of home espresso that I'm very interested in and an area where think noticable improvements can still be made as we all try to find the best balance between workflow and results. Also, seeing the results from the Espcup+WDT really confirms the good results I've been getting from my "fluff and rake" method. Basically, I fluff the grounds with a wdt in a dosing container to remove clumps before I carefully transfer the fluffed up grounds to the basket. Then I simply rake the surface flat with a wdt and it's ready to tamp. No need to go deep as the grounds are already clump-free and going deep will only risk creating internal channels (I believe that my inconsistency from when I just wdt partly came from internal channels that I created when I go deep too carelessly.)

I just replaced the sewing needles on my homemade wdt chopstick with the springy acupuncture needles and regret not doing it a year ago. The grinds really settle in and fluff up more and shots are instantly more consistent.

Hi Sprometheus. I love your clear honest and reasonably lengthed videos. I currently do RDT, WDT, distribution, level tamp and go. Your tests imply distribution may undermine WDT, but I've had more consistent shots combining them. Unfortunately, I still get a weird day once in a while where the coffee comes out totally different from the day before. Anyway, what do you think the impact of a puck screen or basket would have on the consistency of shots? (I know you have done other videos on them, but how much do you think they would add from the consistency standpoint?)

Awesome video Sprometheus, really appreciate your hard work. When I take a look at the data, the ESPCUP & DUOMO combo seems to have more variation and a slightly lower mean value for TDS % compared with DUOMO on it’s own. I’d be interested about DUOMO + tamp vs DUOMO + distribute + tamp. I need to test that our for myself now, curious!

Great video !! Thanks !!

Wow Great Video thanks for the effort

What I missed here is a breakdown of the difference between grinders, and more crude methods. We nerds all know distribution is pivotal, but I'd love to have seen you go into a reference set of results, and how, or if, flat/conical grinders affect how these tools work and if they are even necessary, I never tested it thoroughly, but I have noticed that as compared to the midrange conical I use for guests, WDT makes barely a difference when I'm alone and using my beloved EG-1. Would be interesting to know what factors are at play, I'd guess grounds size distribution is the main one? Great video though, keep it up!

very useful,thanks👌🏾✌🏾

Excellent video. I’ve had the greatest success using a Sworkdesign WDT followed by a cheap knock off leveler. I also have the OCD leveler which, unfortunately, produces a lot of static and coffee cling so I quit using it. I’ve also pulled shots without a WDT, and the difference was dramatic: lots of channeling and poorer shot quality. Note: I recently switched from a cheaper, stiffer WDT to the Sworkdesign, and was again surprised at the improvement in shot quality. the better WDT produced no channeling and noticeably sweeter, rounder shots.

You are good, amigo. Very fair and balanced.

This was so helpful, Sprometheus. I don't have access to 58mm portafilters, so I don't have opportunities to get into this sort of stuff anymore. Thanks for making this!

This is the content I'm here for.

I use a cheapy version of the OCD but have been contemplating the WDT. This seals the deal.. going to order one now!

The WDT method is my favoured routine. I find consistency and its simple use suits me. Love and peace. Tim

My biggest improvement was using the WDT. Now I also use a cheap leveler and my routine is now: knock down, stir with WDT, karate punches, know down, leveler, tamp and enjoy! I am having way (!) more consistent shots now. I might get a cheap weight calibrated tamper to control my tamping even further.

“But if you’re here on KZfaq watching videos on espresso distribution, I’m just gonna venture a guess and say you’re pretty deep in the rabbit hole…” A. Made me laugh out loud. B. I feel attacked, lol.

Very interesting data and results. I’d like to add a WDT tool, and maybe even an Espcup and Duomo to my collection of coffee making tools. 🤓

I think I’d love to see what’s repeatable at scale in a high-frequency workflow. I’m personally just desiring a tool that accomplishes the wdt with some more creative mechanics (and smaller needles) than what’s currently on offer. Ideally I’d love to see a dual dosing cup-wdt solution, but interested in 3 tiered solutions. I’d really be interested if you could get a GC/hplc up in there and test for consistent extraction of the same compounds.

I’ve been using a cheaper version of the OCD but contemplating getting a WDT. This settles it for me.. going to order one now!

I've tried a few different methods and I've landed on WDT and a 58.5mm tamper - it's definitely the more consistent, cost effective and time saving option.

After all this work and data the conclusion is you decided what is best for you bummer!!

Perfect video. I was looking for it. I use a toothpick instead of WDT tool, and then an OCD leveller (DUOS for the win) In case I can purchase this fancy ESPCUP in an Okay price, I could combine it with the OCD for the ultimate result

A declumper tool you didn't try is the Blind Shaker. I got one a long time ago, but don't use it for espresso. I do use it for pour-over tho. For espresso I prefer a s/s puck screen and occasionally the WDT if I'm going all in. Puckscreen results are great for my palette. Plus there's very little clean-up after. To clean the screen I rinse then jet blast it with the steam wand and it's back to pristine

WDT has been a game changer for me and is easily the cheapest tool I have. My process is: WDT -> knock it down -> Distribution tool -> Tamp (Force tamper)

brilliant brilliant brilliant brilliant brilliant 🤩

What an informative video! Now I have to get the espcup. You dismissed it as being too expensive in your oringal video, but apparently there is a huge price markup. WPM is selling it for only 47 USD (299 RMB) in their official taobao store in China. The cheapest I can find is 40 bucks. At that price point, it is an instant buy for me.

WDT = Yes, as I just wrote under your older video, I have found that the most useful and important tool in my process :)

I’ve been using another technique: fluffing. I grind into the standard Niche cup, but I don’t like the gaps it leaves at the basket edges, so I pour the coffee into a 10 oz Pyrex custard cup on my scale. I grab it with my hand covering most of the cup and “fluff” the coffee. This is gentler than shaking the cup harshly in a hard-edged cup. It doesn’t necessarily break up clumps, but I think it distributes the fines. I gently pour the coffee into the basket, and manually get the coffee to fill gaps, either with my finger or tapping. Finally, I use the OCD, but I “helicopter” it in. Using my fingertips, I hold it about 3/16” above the basket, rotate, and lower. The idea is to avoid smashing in dense spots when placing the OCD onto the grounds. It’s different, but it seems to work well, be clean, quick, and consistent. It’s just fluff, pour, initial level (as needed), OCD (with helicopter motion), and tamp. I don’t know why, but the WDT method is unattractive to me. Maybe it’s the needles. Maybe it’s that my initial attempts with a single, too thick needle were messy, slow and ineffective. The product I would like is an OCD that has a helicopter motion built in. It would turn and slowly lower, until seated.

Deep in the rabbit hole...I feel seen!

For now the best tools I have is my feet walking to the cafe across the way from my house so until I get it perfect I'm going to go to the cafe but I am so practicing thank you for your wonderfulness and have a beautiful day

Veeeery nice content, thanks! Now I need a WDT. Let’s find some thin needles

Enjoyed the video, thanks, but every time someone compares OCD or chisel etc to other distribution tools they don't vary the depth. The depth is very important and can change the TDS reading and/or taste. Too deep you get double tamping which may lead to fractures, too shallow and you get surface cracks. It would have been interesting to see the results at 5 different depths. My favourite combo is WDT and Bravo distributor with its self adjusting depth. Also puck screens or filter paper can also improve the risk of channelling

Dude... I am a subscriber, so I am in the rabbits ass deep into espresso.

After multiple tries, I have achieved the best results with WTD+distributor finished by a self-leveling spring tamper. I get 10/10 perfect shots now

Duomo may be definitely worth the price in commercial use but at home WDT seems to be the king.

I just made a wdt tool using needles and a cork. I slanted the needles at an angle to create a flower of needles. Distributing anticlockwise made my shots a lot better and I'm close to getting consistent 1:2 pulls in about 20 seconds(single shot) from my delonghi dedica and using a timemlre C2 set to 7 clicks and applying a fir amount of tamp oressure(I feel I should go lower on the timemore but the manual advises against that, it'll ruin the burra faster so I'm not taking a risk)

I have the same WDT tool and love it! As a newbie, I've rarely seen much channeling so far due to the very patiently distributing dedication. However, my tamping skill sucks that I could feel the surface is lopsided, which prompts me to get an NCD to get the surface even and flat. I know it's pricy, but it looks sooo sleek and will last forever, so why not?

KZfaq algorithm needs to help Spro out. Amazing work.

Great video! I guess I should drop the leveler and move to WDT only 😅 as to not complicate the process too much. Did you try WDT+Tapping?

One future test I’d love to see is using a paper filter on the bottom layer.

Please roast some more coffee. That last round of Yirgacheffe was amazing!

Done all you have tried here and some. If you get a glass jar of anything ground and start tapping on it you see a compacting occurring where you are tapping to, as well as a migration of fines. Just stirring the top of the coffee can create a problem if there is an unevenly distributed amount of coffee at the bottom, as can occur if you are single dosing with a dosing cup, like with the Niche grinder. A WDT can cause fine fluffy grounds to start clumping. Stirring the top can cause compression also as with the leveler. Your numbers are pretty much what I have seen. Also, the screen you are using has discrete jets. They can initiate channeling that would be lessened by some of these techniques more than others. A light touch, attention to detail, and consistency is probably more important than anything else. Make sure that you level to well above the tamp compression, i.e. that the tamping still compresses the coffee after levelling.

You have one assumption wrong. I do not have an espresso machine therefore, not leveling up my espresso game but your methods, transparency and attitude makes me crave.

Thank you.

It took a long time for distribution methods to be available for bbe. But i’v jumped on the wdt wagon. From stockfletch method the quality and clarity of shots is night and day. The wdt is also a lot mor affordable then most of the other tools.

I’m using WDT then OCD with puckscreen for months, works well for me.

I love the data, can we get standard deviation numbers next time. Maybe some graphs to get a visual representation of the data you collected. There's a lot of coffee channels on KZfaq but if I am not mistaken your's is the only one that is this data driven, and I am 100% for it. Great job, Im sure all this is very time consuming.

I use WDT and Leveler (Crema Coffee / functions like OCD but custom size), so far so good. Tried WDT only the coffee channeled like crazy. I am using Flair Pro 2 by the way

Which espresso cups did you use for these shots? Beautiful - Thank you

Hi, I wanted to purchase an breville dual boiler bes920xl espresso for its looks and features it has, but all the place to buy are temperature out. Is there another dual boiler that about the same price that I should be looking at.

"...I'm going to guess that you're pretty deep down the rabbit hole." 🤣. What I take fr this video is for the negligible cost of the WDT I'm pretty darn close to the top of the heap. Thanks for the insights!

Tap lightly > use WDT > use leveller with short depth > tamp Works every time.

Well done my friend, would like to have seen the Normcore in the running but can live w/out it. My best. And (w/ no affiliation) let's keep up our end with a like an comment even if brief (intelligible) to help the algo forwarding the vid and metrics in reward of efforts and value like this which do not come free.

thoughts on the lower end, Breville Oracle’s during-grinding-fan-distribution+tamping technique? And yes, massive amounts of retention!

I started out using an OCD tool I guess mainly because it looked so smooth and compelling and was super quick to use. I switched to using a WDT only these days. sometimes if after a gentle tap of the portafilter to settle the grounds I get a bit of an uneven bed I'll still spin the OCD over it but rarely

I bought the ESPCUP as I saw it on your chanel years ago . It’s so difficult to work with as there’s high retention and makes a big mess hard to clean. Or is there a technique I don’t know about?

Excellent vid , consider looking at Weber shaker please . Marketed as a possible replacement to wdt but have been suspicious about the shaken not stirred method 🤔. Quite interesting extractions combining both shaker and wdt , although makes me question whether I’m doubling down on similar methods . Thanks