> Sure stirring grounds to break up clumps seems like a good idea.

I definitely stir my espresso grounds after grinding for this reason, but the symptom of not doing so is very evident in how long it takes to pull the volume of the shot I'm making. A distribution tool may help do it faster, but I'm not at the point where I'm willing to invest in more than the toothpick I currently use.

I do it too, also with a toothpick.

What is the technique name you're referring to?

I'm pretty sure he's talking about Weiss Distribution Technique/Weiss Distribution Tools (WDT).

Well isn't that wonderfully pretentious.

similarly awful is "RDT" (Ross Droplet Technique: spray water on your beans before grinding to reduce clumping)

I can't believe I'm about to defend this, but unless you have an anti-static grinder spraying water does cause a lot less mess and ground coffee flying everywhere. I had to do it with my Wilfa Svart grinder (and still do when I use it) but I don't need to do it for my Niche Zero. When I use my Wilfa Svart without a spray of water (or just a droplet of water stirred in with the handle of a teaspoon) I notice the coffee is a lot messier coming out of the grounds container.

No idea if it impacts taste though.

meh, it's arguably the most important new technique in espresso making in at least the last 20 years. I think John Weiss deserves some credit for that.

Would that be the same Weiss as this $10k+ DAC? https://weiss.ch/products/highend-hifi/dac502/

Weiss Distribution Method

I believe they are referring to "Weiss Distribution Tool". I have a manual lever espresso machine that I used daily for a decade. The idea behind WDT is real. Distributing the grounds evenly makes much more consistent shots. If the grounds are not evenly packed, the water under pressure breaks through a channel and the shot tastes like garbage. It's not quackery, just fluid dynamics. One can argue that grounds can be distributed by other means as well. Stirring with a needle (WDT) is the quickest for me.

[1] https://coffeechronicler.com/wdt-tools-technique/

It's the scientific method, but without any rigor on the quality of experiments. Subjectivity will take you to ridiculous places. It's exactly the same root cause as the fringe audiophile stuff: the dictionary definition of pseudoscience.

I don't think there was some grand concerted effort to self-promote by the WDT guy, it's just a legitimately helpful and (at the time) novel technique for getting decently even flow when using cheap(er) home coffee grinders. It requires like 5 seconds of time and something like a toothpick or cake tester. This is not the same as the audiophile magic cables or whatever, the results are measurable and replicable by anyone with a toothpick and a home espresso setup.