The goal is to create a pellet of coffee through which the hot water from the espresso machine will penetrate evenly. Since the water from the espresso machine is under pressure, the espresso pellet must be hard and evenly tamped. The water only knows how to go from a region of high pressure to a region of low pressure. Therefore it is important to prevent paths of least resistance in the coffee pellet and force the water to evenly permeate and extract the coffee. Distressso tool helps baristas of all levels in pursuit of consistent espresso perfection.