We often get questions from our customers about coffee distributors, such as: What is it? What are the benefits of using one? How do you use it? And which size fits my portafilter?
Read on to find all the answers.
What is a coffee distributor?
This tool goes by many names: coffee distribution tool, coffee distributor, coffee leveler, or simply espresso leveler. While many home baristas don’t immediately think of using one, it’s actually a popular, frequently used, and incredibly handy tool among coffee enthusiasts.
A coffee distributor is used before tamping to evenly distribute the ground coffee in your portafilter.
What does a coffee distributor do?
Below, we explain the main benefits of using a coffee distributor, so you can enjoy a balanced and flavorful espresso.
1. Prevents channeling
You may have heard of channeling. It happens when small channels form in the coffee puck during extraction. This occurs because water always follows the path of least resistance.
Channeling causes under-extraction in tightly packed areas of the puck, resulting in a sour taste, and over-extraction in looser areas, leading to bitterness. The result: an unbalanced espresso.
You can prevent channeling by distributing your coffee evenly and level, allowing the water to flow with consistent pressure through the entire puck.
💡 Tip: To minimize channeling even further, we always use a combination of a WDT tool and a coffee distributor. First, use the WDT tool to break up any clumps, then use the leveler to evenly distribute the grounds.
2. Brings out the full flavor of your coffee
As a home barista, you’re probably brewing with freshly roasted coffee beans from your favorite roaster. Naturally, you want to taste the flavors described on the bag, notes of chocolate, caramel, or floral tones.
As mentioned earlier, channeling often disrupts these flavors. A coffee distributor helps you eliminate inconsistencies and truly taste the full flavor profile of your coffee.
3. Suitable for everyone
An espresso leveler is a tool that fits into every barista setup whether you’re using a Sage, DeLonghi, La Marzocco, or another espresso machine.
It’s important, though, that you already have the basic barista tools at home, such as a tamper and a WDT tool. The leveler is easy to use, improves consistency, and always enhances the taste of your espresso.
After using an espresso leveler, you’ll notice that the balance between acidity and bitterness improves significantly compared to distributing the grounds by hand.
How to use a coffee distributor
Using an espresso leveler is very straightforward:
-
Adjust the leveler to your preferred height.
-
Place the leveler on top of the ground coffee in your portafilter.
-
Rotate the leveler a few times over the basket to evenly distribute the coffee grounds.
Now your coffee is perfectly and evenly distributed!
☕ Tip: When grinding your beans, many baristas use a dosing ring to make sure all the coffee ends up neatly in the portafilter. After grinding, give the portafilter a few gentle taps to let the coffee settle before leveling.
Which size espresso leveler fits your portafilter?
Espresso levelers come in different sizes, and that’s a good thing, since espresso machines do too.
To make it easier for you, we’ve listed the most common brands and sizes below:
Also known as the DeLonghi leveler, since almost all DeLonghi espresso machines use a 51mm group head.
Suitable for most Sage, Solis, and Breville espresso machines. For the larger 58mm machines from these brands, you’ll of course need a 58mm leveler.
Designed for espresso machines with an E61 group head, the more professional setups from brands like ECM, Expobar, La Marzocco, and Gaggia.
But this size also fits the 58mm Sage, Solis, and Breville models.
