The Coffee Bloke

A Guide to the World of Coffee and Coffee Making by Michael Komorowski.

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Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Monday, June 19, 2006

Tampers

When I started working as a Telecoms engineer, I was told at the very start of my training the most important tool in your tool box is the pocket knife, always keep it sharpened. How true it was, as not a day went by when I didn’t find myself reaching for it to help me on the job. To a barista the most important tool to make that perfect espresso is the tamper. Tamping is the act of pressing and compacti
ng a bed of loose, finely ground coffee in preparation for brewing espresso.

The tamper is a small device that either made from plastic, metal, or metal and wood. The tamper’s sole purpose is to help firmly pack the ground coffee into the portafilter. The base of the tamper is measured in millimetre sizes, corresponding with the filter basket internal diameter of your espresso machine. Most commercial espresso machines use a 58mm tamper but other sizes are available, the most common being 49mm, 53mm, and 57mm.

A question I get asked a lot is how much pressure should be used to pack the coffee. Different machines require different tamping methods. Steam powered espresso machines require a relatively light tamp whose sole purpose is to level the coffee off. Piston lever, spring lever, and pump espressos, on the other hand, require much more compression and generally need a firmer action. The only real way to find out which is best is to experiment.

Tamping is more of an art than a science and the machine itself is not the only factor to consider. Quoting Lloyd Rainsford (Barista at Voyage Kitchen, Perth, West Australia Newspaper, 15 June 2006), ‘You have to take into account the grind of the beans and how much they need to be tamped down.’ He also goes on to mention that how much effort it takes to make a good espresso ‘I spend about 15 minutes before starting just working everything out and will make a few trial shots to get it right.’

Every time I make an espresso, I find that tamping the coffee is the most inconsistent thing I do. Sometimes levelling works better than compacting and vice versa. As many Baristas will tell you, it is really difficult to consistently pour a good coffee every time as there are so many variables to take into account but practice is the only way to get anywhere close to consistency.

Imperfection is an end. Perfection is only an aim.Ivor Cutler label, in the Guardian, 12 August 1999.

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