Coffee Tampers

The one that matches your basket, with a close fit around the edge. A tamper narrower than the basket leaves a ring of loose grounds that water races through.

Check your basket size against the diameter listed on each tamper; the specifications reference explains how we publish it.

A flat base is the standard and the easiest to learn on. A slightly convex base can help if your technique tilts, by compressing the centre first. Neither fixes a bad dose.

Consistency in the grind matters more than base shape; see commercial coffee grinders.

A coffee tamper press with a spring stop gives new staff a consistent pressure, which is useful in a venue with high turnover. Experienced baristas usually prefer the feel of a plain handle.

Either way, level matters more than hard. Pressure that varies is less damaging than a bed that is not flat.

Stainless steel, and 304 is the food-safety grade used across Australian commercial kitchens. It stays flat, it polishes clean and it does not corrode from the acids in coffee.

Plated or alloy bases pit over time. See the wider stainless steel equipment range for the same specification.

One per group head run plus a spare, so a dropped tamper does not stop service. If two baristas work the same machine, two tampers avoid a handover every shot.

Keep the spare with your coffee knock bins and the other tools on the bench.

Wipe the base after each service and wash it properly at close. Coffee oils build a film that affects how the bed releases, and they go rancid.

Detergents are in commercial kitchen cleaning supplies.

Grind, dose and water temperature, roughly in that order. A good tamper will not rescue a grinder that is drifting or a machine holding the wrong temperature.

See commercial coffee machines and commercial coffee grinders for the equipment that sets those.