Knock Box

A container with a bar used to knock spent espresso pucks out of the portafilter quickly and cleanly during service.

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What the barista is doing

What it means

A container with a bar used to knock spent espresso pucks out of the portafilter quickly and cleanly during service. A tidy station improves speed and reduces mess — small workflow tools matter more than people expect once drinks start stacking up.

Keep going

Where this leads

Each one pushes this into the cup, compares it, or helps you act on it.

What the barista is doing

Puck Preparation

Workflow matters most before the water hits.

Build a repeatable prep routine and protect it, especially when service speeds up.

What the barista is doing

Dial-In

Then see how the process adjusts over time.

Make one change, taste again, and keep notes. Dialing in rewards discipline more than speed.

The numbers that define the shot

Dose

Good workflow protects consistency.

Use a scale for every dose when dialing in. Precision here saves time everywhere else.

Tools that help you see mistakes

Naked Portafilter

Use tools when workflow breaks down.

Use a bottomless portafilter when dialing in or training, even if you return to a spouted one for service.