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Espresso Tampers: Heaver is Better

There are a few little secrets about espresso and how to pull a celestial shot that is out of this world. In a word, espresso tampers. They are a sublime little tool that sits around looking inconspicuous if not shy and reticent. Baristas often use them to prepare the perfect shot if they are working with grounds. It feels like a paperweight, looks like a shrunken dumbbell, but what it does for espresso is beyond belief. Like I said, it’s a secret. You didn’t hear it from me and be careful not to stare at the tamper next time you see it sitting around. They can get self-conscious and fidgety. It’s because espresso tampers don’t work as much as the other parts of the espresso machine but are no less important.

Snug Equals Tasty

In the world of espresso shots, snug equals tasty. Closely packed coffee grounds under the right conditions can create the tastiest of espresso shots. But there is a technique to this. It just doesn’t happen. Coddle your grounds and tuck them in nicely. When espresso grounds are loaded into the coffee filter basket, a weighty espresso tamper can improve the quality of the shot. With a good quality tamper, push down, but don’t shove, the coffee grounds into the basket applying even downward pressure. Be careful. Too much pushing and shoving, and they will turn on you and resent you bitterly. Too much pressure and their nasty side appears and bitter coffee is all she wrote. But a little prodding and pressing is somehow exactly what they enjoy the most. It’s tucking them in snuggly that gets the sweet shot.

Are All Espresso Tampers Created Equally?

Some tampers say they are better than others, but don’t believe everything you hear. The proof is in the shot. While there are cheaper tampers available, the design impacts the quality of the shot. Higher-end tampers are works of art, let’s face it, and they get the job done nicely. Better quality espresso tampers are weighty, they know it, and like to push their weight around which makes your job easier. They are stylishly designed, can be pushed firmly with minimal effort.

Espresso tampers all have one feature that is presented in several different ways that determines the quality of the tamper. Flip that tamper over, and you’ll see it’s metallic bottom. Some are flat, some are round, and some are concave. The concave designers profess to having the superior espresso tamper design based on scientific research results. The evidence is that their shape forces water through the packed grounds more quickly than the other designs which creates a better shot as there is less chance of bitter oils going along for the ride.

Where are the Espresso Tampers

When you browsed through the ground coffee, the whole beans, and the espresso machines, there weren’t any tampers just sitting there waiting to go home with someone. So where are they? They are a bit shy and reluctant to take center stage in public life. You’ll find them in groups in small out of the way places, passing the time rather discretely. To garner a tamper to grace your home espresso center, you’ll need to go online and look around for that tamper with the design that sends you scrambling for the “buy it now” feature of the Web site. It’s like the love of your life. You’ll know it when you see it. Just remember: weighty is good and an awesome design is even better.

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