what kind of tamper do you use?

askthecoffeeguy · June 2007

Well... including my work ones I've got 3 coffeelab tampers, a reg barber radical pro, a bumper professional classic, and a protamp proffessional, all with a flat base for updosing, and all have been scaled down to 58.15m to custom-fit my machine!

And they're not just for looks either, as having a range and variety of tampers means that my staff can choose the instrument that suits them best, and by varying the equipment used, this reduces the likelihood of RSI occurring, which can ony be a good thing.

What are you using?

P

rellwood · June 2007

Being new to the espresso making at home, I was using the tamper that was attached to the grinder. Then after some research and a few post, I ordered a Pullman Tamper along with a new basket to insure a good fit. Both arrived the other day and so far after using it only a few times, I think it was well worth the investment. R

askthecoffeeguy · June 2007

hey nice work it's amazing what a difference good equipment can make to your coffee!

Lovey · June 2007

I've got 2 tampers for home use. An aluminium coffeetraining.com tamper which I got when I bought my Silvia. Later on I bought an Espro, which is currently in use the most.

askthecoffeeguy · June 2007

espro - nice!

tommy · June 2007

coffeelab all the way! ive got a red & blue.... ive used many others but these are the only ones i would spend money on, aside from being super sexy they are great to use

kiwibarista · July 2007

I purchased a coffeelab tamper (blue, may i add!) for work about two months ago, and its worked a treat. im so stoked i bought one, fits perfectly in my hand and seems to take alot of the strain out of tamping. thinking bout getting a pullman, any thoughts?

rellwood · July 2007

I have been using my pullman tamper for about a month now. It has a great feel. I like the fact that it fits the basket and is easy to use. It also has grooves in it so it I can tell if the tamp is level or not. It is well worth the price. R

john · July 2007

I have a small collection of tamps and like Lovey recently retired my coffeetraining.com tamp for the Espro. It is spring loaded, but so what, it is well balanced and fits my hand like a glove. I have found that in using it I have had less RSI type aches. John

gregpullman · September 2007

I purchased a coffeelab tamper (blue, may i add!) for work about two months ago, and its worked a treat. im so stoked i bought one, fits perfectly in my hand and seems to take alot of the strain out of tamping. thinking bout getting a pullman, any thoughts?

It depends what your needs are. The coffeelab is a great unit and I know Steve's put a lot of work into it. I've used one and was quite impressed, though obviously it's quite a different unit to the Pullman Deluxe. Coffeelab: * Very good ergonomics * Rubber compression areas * Anodized aluminum handles only * Size and decoration off the shelf only * Height adjustable handle * Baskets not available * Lighter than Pullman, more even weight distribution * $95 including postage Pullman Deluxe: * Different shape to CL, preferred by some, but ergonomics not as suited to high volume commercial use * Compression on wood / metal * Hand-turned hardwood handles only * Fixed height handle * Custom base sizing and handle engraving available * Baskets available to fit base perfectly * Heavier unit, more bottom heavy * $89.95 (regular handle, no custom engraving) - $114.90 (fancy handle with custom engraving), including postage Hopefully that's a fair comparison. The Pullman's qualities generally appeal to fussy home users rather than commercial operators who don't care so much about attractive woods. I find a heavier base assists in getting the balance right; however commercial operators who have to put up with undersized bases will generally need to do a portafilter knock with the handle, and a heavier base makes it harder to invert the tamper for this purpose. Commercial users generally prefer the CL on account of its ergonomics and height adjustability. Like a lot of things, one unit is not universally better than the other; it depends on personal taste and projected usage. Greg

askthecoffeeguy · September 2007

I find at work that it's good to have a variety of tampers, as, especially if you're doing high volume, using one or two tampers repetitively tends to put strain on your wrist. So by having a variety of tampers, including the excellent Pullman, you can help eliminate this strain Also, Pullman offers the option of 'made to measure' - by measuring your baskets and then making a perfect fit, or by supplying you with the larger (and more ergonomical) La Marzocco baskets, to go with the tamper. I find these larger baskets work especially well on my home machine (a Bezzera Domus Galatea) - to produce an espresso with greater depth an body. Cheers, Pat

mattyj · September 2007

I'm a pullman user and lover. My wife got one in Red Gum for our first anniversary, with a nice engraved message on it for me. Silly me - I got it made to fit my double basket, which I no longer use. It's a millimetre or so smaller than my triple basket, which means more effort in tamping. Oh well. I still love it.

gregpullman · September 2007

ATCG: Just about to shift to Synesso for filter baskets which seem to give slightly better results; unfortunately some QC issues with the LMs have meant their below our standard and they don't seem to be able to guarantee it won't happen again. As you'd know the tolerances we work to make it important for the baskets to be consistently up to scratch. Mattyj: You can easily send the tamper back and we can change it over for one with a larger base. Bit of a shame to get it custom made and then have it sloppy again! Email us if you're interested. Greg

askthecoffeeguy · September 2007

actually I've heard that about the LM baskets and have seen photos of the different perforations and base sizes. So good on you for going with the Synesso. Cheers, Pat

gregpullman · September 2007

LM have a great history but the manufacturing / QC side of things seems to be letting the side down at the moment. I used Synessos when I was working at Epic for a while; the baskets look really good and solid, and they're bringing great results from initial testing. Greg

mattyj · September 2007

Mattyj: You can easily send the tamper back and we can change it over for one with a larger base. Bit of a shame to get it custom made and then have it sloppy again! Email us if you're interested. Greg

Thanks for that Greg. For now, I'm really happy with it - I'm getting very tasty results, having to focus that bit more on my tamping (NSEW method). But maybe sometime in the future, if consistently sized baskets become available. The triple baskets seem consistently wider than LM doubles, so it's fine for now. But thanks!

Coffeebean · October 2007

Hey Guys ... I read the comments with considerable interest . I am using a Pullman with my ECM Giotto and seem to be getting better results all the time . Question ....the ECM basket would be standard ( and the tamper is a snug fit ) but I am wondering if there is a better basket option ? .....and whether there are any special tricks I need to know with this machine ? I notice that most coffee shop " baristas" do not use a hand tamper , rather the one bolted on to the grinder , ( some if which are spring loaded ). Thanks , Coffeebean

psaigh · October 2007

I think you'll find most decent barista's will use a hand tamp. Those spring lever one's are generally reserved for cafe's with little to no knowledge about coffee and just do what their mass produced, average at best, coffee roaster tells them to do.

askthecoffeeguy · November 2007

Hey coffeebean, you may want to speak to your supplier about different baskets for the ECM, or email the manufacturer direct. I'm pretty sure that the larger La Marzocco baskets (40ml?) will fit, but a few users have complained about lack of uniformity with these baskets. I believe that Compak are also making some larger baskets, which have less individual variation. You could try contacting Greg Pullman, of this forum, coz he seems to know everything there is to know about tampers and baskets - as you would expect, given that its his stock and trade. For the record, I'm enjoying using a Reg Barber Radical Pro tamper at work, for its lightness and flexibility, and its extra long handle, which suits my grip, and at home I'm using the Espro tamp - for an even tamp every time!

gregpullman · November 2007

Coffeebean: ECMs baskets are 'standard', but no more consistent in size than most other peoples', which means up to 0.75mm variation can exist. Baskets ain't baskets! We've been so impressed with Synesso filter baskets that we've decided to start selling them ourselves. The LM ones were good but I never really got the polygonal profile to work for me, and there were a lot of size variations too. Synessos are solid, consistent in size, generous in capacity without being excessive so they still fit nearly every portafilter out there, and with the ridgeless ones the pucks knock out very cleanly which never happened with the LM's. I couldn't recommend them more highly. Greg

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