A WDT tool from Barista Hustle for breaking up clumps in espresso grounds, so the coffee bed is even before you tamp.
WDT stands for Weiss Distribution Technique. It means stirring the grounds in your basket with fine needles so they sit evenly and water can’t find an easy path through. Barista Hustle, the coffee education team behind this tool, has published research on the technique, and their guidance is that anything thicker than 1mm works against you. Fine needles are the point.
It suits you if your espresso shots run unevenly, or you see spurts and pale patches coming from a bottomless portafilter. It’s a quick step to add between grinding and tamping, and it costs you only a few seconds per shot.
Tip: stir gently and evenly, right down to the bottom of the basket. Barista Hustle found deep stirring gave higher, more consistent results than raking just the surface, and stirring too hard can leave dense patches.
