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  1. Home/
  2. Glossary/
  3. Channeling

Roast & extraction

Channeling

A defect in espresso where pressurized water forces a path through a weak spot in the coffee puck — leading to uneven, sour, under-extracted shots.

  • Availability: Specialty

Channeling happens when the puck is unevenly distributed or tamped, leaving a low-density spot that water rushes through under pressure rather than passing evenly through the whole bed. The visible signs are jets shooting out of the bottomless portafilter or one part of the basket spitting darker liquid late in the pour. The shot tastes both sour and bitter — under-extracted in the channeled area, over-extracted everywhere else.

Related terms

  • Espresso
  • Tamping
  • Distribution Tool / WDT
  • Bottomless / Naked Portafilter
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