The 4 Greatest Espresso Tampers of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

For these simply beginning their espresso journey, there’s quite a lot of gear to contemplate. Selecting the finest espresso machine in your wants is a should, together with buying an espresso grinder. Enjoyable demitasse cups and espresso beans are additionally apparent decisions. However tamping, which is arguably crucial step in espresso brewing, is routinely missed.

“The aim of tamping is twofold: firstly, to compress the grounds tightly collectively, and secondly, to create a mattress of grounds of constant depth and levelness,” explains Madeline Jones, account supervisor and coach at Uncommon Breed Espresso. Correct tamping ensures that the pressurized water exerted by the espresso machine flows by the grounds evenly. “If the grounds will not be compressed sufficient, the areas between the grounds might be inconsistent in measurement,” Jones says. “This permits water to circulate extra shortly by some areas of the mattress of grounds and extra slowly by others, which impacts how a lot taste is pulled from the grounds.”

Many dwelling espresso machines come pre-packaged with a tamper. Typically, they’re made out of flimsy plastic and don’t correctly match the portafilter. If you’d like a very good tamper, you’re going to have to purchase it individually. I took on the duty of discovering the most effective ones, testing just a few totally different kinds at quite a lot of value factors. 

The Winners, at a Look

This high-end tamper is a favourite amongst dwelling baristas for good motive: It’s trendy, sturdy, ergonomically designed, and pleasantly weighty. Better of all, the deal with size is adjustable. It’s expensive, however with a easy system like a tamper, the little particulars matter and the Pullman BigStep will get every part proper.

Calibrated, spring-loaded tampers apply constant stress by simply pushing within the deal with. The Normcore’s construct high quality is top-notch with a contemporary, matte black end and a sturdy, ergonomic, tapered deal with. It contains a number of calibrated springs that let you modify the stress.

We’ve really helpful this tamper earlier than. The 2-in-one leveler and tamper delivers completely leveled espresso and takes quite a lot of the guesswork out of the tamping course of. For the espresso nerds on the market, you possibly can nonetheless tweak the depth of the tamp and the leveler utilizing the inner threading mechanism to dial issues in as exactly as you’d like.

This tamper from LuxHaus supplies a extra reasonably priced different to the Pullman BigStep, however sacrifices little or no by way of construct high quality or design. It’s hefty and durable with a deal with design that makes it comfy to make use of. In our exams, it produced constant outcomes, with degree pucks, no channeling, and scrumptious espresso.

The Assessments

• Construct High quality Take a look at: Whereas utilizing every tamper, I assessed its construct high quality, noting its dimensions, form, supplies, and weight.
• Tamping Take a look at: I used every tamper to tamp after which brew a shot of espresso, weighing the grounds pre-tamping to make sure consistency from mannequin to mannequin. I famous how lengthy it took to drag the shot and whether or not the water flowed by the portafilter on the proper price. I additionally taste-tasted every shot.
• Again-to-Again Shot Take a look at: Following all the similar parameters because the above tamping take a look at, I tamped and pulled back-to-back pictures utilizing my profitable tampers. I needed to see if they may ship the identical outcomes each time.
• Ergonomics Take a look at: I famous how simple every tamper was to make use of and the way comfy it was in my fingers. Although not more likely to occur at dwelling, accidents of the wrist and hand will not be unprecedented amongst skilled baristas because of the repetitive movement of tamping. An ergonomically designed deal with helps stop this. 
• Cleanup Take a look at: For essentially the most half, cleansing tampers is an easy matter of wiping dry espresso grounds off of the bottom, however when testing, I famous any design nuances or flaws that made cleansing tougher. 

What We Realized

Consistency Was The whole lot

Tamping is without doubt one of the most important variables in brewing espresso and by far the best step to mess up. One of the best tampers constantly and uniformly degree and compress pucks each time. Any fashions which can be cumbersome or don’t match the portafilter nicely can result in an uneven tamp and poor extraction. For instance, tampers with uncomfortable handles made it tougher to evenly apply stress to the portafilter, which generally results in channeling. Spring-loaded tampers keep away from this by having a lip that retains the tamper degree with the portafilter’s partitions.

Which Tampers Had the Greatest Construct High quality? 

If used commonly, a tamper goes to be subjected to quite a lot of drive and desires to have the ability to maintain up. The deal with receives many of the stress, so make sure that to decide on one which’s strong and durable. Throughout my testing, I discovered that the most effective tampers had stainless-steel bases. Not solely did they’ve vital weight to them, which helped with making use of the correct quantity of stress, however they had been much less more likely to bend, warp, or break. “What to keep away from is plastic or aluminum. They’re too flimsy and light-weight,” Jones says. 

Tamper Kind Is a Matter of Desire

Of the three kinds of tampers I examined, every had their very own professionals and cons. Finally, you need to resolve which works finest in your wants and espresso machine, however there listed below are some issues to bear in mind:

• The traditional fashion of tamper is straightforward. It’s principally a deal with hooked up to a large cylindrical base and is essentially the most extensively used kind. Due to its simplicity, it takes a little bit of observe to make use of appropriately. You should make sure that the tamper is degree with the portafilter and apply the correct quantity of stress (30 to 40 kilos of drive) by hand.
• Spring-loaded or calibrated tampers are constructed with an inside spring that, when compressed, delivers a exact, predetermined quantity of stress. Like a traditional tamper, it nonetheless must be used appropriately to get a wonderfully degree tamp, however it removes the stress guesswork. Nonetheless, if used improperly, it’s attainable to push previous the place the spring stops and over-tamp the espresso. With heavy use, the springs may break or dislodge. Due to their inside springs, calibrated tampers additionally can’t be washed with water.
• Palm tampers are newer to the house espresso scene. This fashion works by tamping to a predetermined depth within the portafilter as an alternative of a calibrated stress, which makes them very constant. They usually have a leveler on one aspect that helps make sure the grounds are even earlier than tamping. Their tamping depth is adjustable.

Approach Was (and Is) Vital

Finally, no tamper is foolproof. Studying use your tamper correctly at the side of your espresso machine and grinder will enable you pull constantly scrumptious pictures. Listed here are some suggestions:

• Use correct type to stop pressure accidents. Preserve your wrist straight and your elbow bent at about 90 levels, making use of stress by your shoulder and triceps reasonably than your wrist. 
• Make sure the tamper is degree with the espresso mattress earlier than making use of stress to keep away from uneven extraction. 
• Concentrate on reaching constant tamping stress reasonably than measuring precise kilos, however a very good rule of thumb is to shoot for 30 to 40 kilos of stress per sq. inch
• If you want to modify the extraction time, modify the grind measurement as an alternative of altering tamp stress.

The Standards: What to Search for in an Espresso Tamper

Since they’re used to use stress to portafilter baskets, the most effective tampers are sturdy and have ergonomic handles. Most significantly, the highest tampers ship constant outcomes repeatedly.

Our Favourite Tampers

What we favored: The Pullman BigStep tamper is the Ferrari of traditional tampers. Its construct high quality is top-notch and it’s ergonomic, with a terrific heft and balanced weight distribution. Better of all, it produced constantly tasty espresso over a number of exams. It additionally has spacers you should utilize to regulate the size of the deal with to fit your wants. 

What we didn’t like: At about $130, this tamper is more likely to be too costly for some. However, I wouldn’t suggest it if it was something lower than stellar all through my testing.

Key Specs

• Supplies: Stainless-steel, rubber, aluminum
• Dimensions: 3.5-inch deal with (adjustable with spacers); 53.3-millimeter base
• Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Cleanup: Wipe down with dry fabric

What we favored: Like most spring-loaded tampers, the Normcore is constructed with two springs and a lip that applies a gentle, constant quantity of stress each time. It additionally avoids spring-loaded tamper’s greatest weak point: It retains the grounds degree with a lip that matches over the portafilter and prevents the person from pushing previous the place the spring stops when tamping. The Normcore comes with substitute springs calibrated to fifteen, 25, and 30 psi so the person can choose which stress works finest with their espresso machine. 

What we didn’t like: The stress utilized to the bottom portafilter is determined by the springs and isn’t a variable you possibly can management. For some dwelling baristas, that may be a draw back, however with a little bit of dialing in, the consistency is price it.

Key Specs

• Supplies: Anodized aluminum deal with with stainless-steel base
• Dimensions: 3.3-inch deal with; 53.3-millimeter base
• Weight: 1.08 kilos
• Cleanup: Wipe down with dry fabric

What we favored: In terms of consistency, this fashion of tamper is as reliable because it will get. This tamper has a distributor software on one aspect, which can be utilized to degree the highest layer of the bottom espresso. As soon as flattened, simply flip the tamper over and press right down to compress the grinds into a wonderfully leveled puck. For espresso snobs, you possibly can tweak the depth of the tamp and the leveler utilizing the inner threading mechanism.

What we didn’t like: After utilizing customary tampers with handles, palm tampers take a little bit getting used to. They compress the espresso within the portafilter basket to a particular depth as an alternative of utilizing stress, so it’s attainable to over- or under-tamp in the event that they’re not calibrated correctly. Fortunately, as soon as dialed in, it produced the identical outcomes each time.

Key Specs

• Supplies: Stainless-steel and durable plastic
• Dimensions: 2.75-inch diameter by 2-inch top, 53.3-millimeter base
• Weight: 1.19 kilos
• Cleanup: Wipe down with dry fabric

What we favored: For an reasonably priced tamper, I like to recommend the LuxHaus. The deal with is well-shaped and feels sturdy and cozy. All through my tamping exams, it created constant, degree pucks that pulled scrumptious espresso pictures.

What we didn’t like: Though performing nicely, the load distribution felt a little bit off, although it’s solely noticeable when evaluating the LuxHaus side-by-side with different tampers.

Key Specs

• Supplies: Stainless-steel, onerous plastic
• Dimensions: 4-inch deal with; 53.3-millimeter base
• Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Cleanup: Wipe down with dry fabric

The Competitors

• The Drive Tamper: This spring-loaded tamper labored nicely in my exams, however at practically 5 instances the value of our high choose, I didn’t discover a marked efficiency enchancment.
• MATOW Espresso Distributor & Tamper: Nearly similar to the highest palm choose, the MATOW tamper carried out equally, however I discovered the Crema was barely simpler to regulate correctly.
• IKAPE Espresso Tamper: Very similar to the Normcore tamper, IKAPE’s double spring-loaded produces even, degree pucks of espresso. The Normcore carried out barely higher in subsequent style exams, however this tamper is a strong different.
• Rhino Espresso Gear Black Tamper: Although sturdy, I discovered the deal with on this Rhino tamper to be cumbersome and top-heavy.
• FusedLine Sage Barista Tamper: This strong stainless-steel tamper is constructed to final, however the deal with was brief and awkward to carry. 
• CreativeWerk Espresso Tamper: I liked the ergonomic wood deal with on this one, however the weight distribution felt bottom-heavy. It might be a terrific match aesthetically in sure kitchens.

FAQs

Do you have to tamp twice? 

If executed correctly, tamping twice is pointless. “Positively don’t tamp, knock the aspect of the portafilter with the tamper, and tamp once more,” Jones explains. “Not solely are you disturbing the evenly distributed espresso mattress, you threat damaging the portafilter and tamper within the course of.”

What measurement of espresso tamper do you have to purchase?  

Completely different espresso machines require totally different sizes of tampers. The dimensions of the portafilter basket determines what measurement of tamper you want. “It is very important match the tamper to the grouphead, in any other case it received’t match or might be too small to correctly compact the espresso grounds evenly,” Jones explains.

Do you have to twist whereas tamping? 

No, twisting can disrupt the grounds and trigger an uneven mattress. “Twisting whereas making use of stress creates sheared layers contained in the portafilter,” Jones explains. “The purpose of tamping is to take away air pockets and create a uniform mattress of espresso.”

Why We’re the Consultants

• Dylan Ettinger is a Severe Eats contributor who makes a speciality of espresso, spirits, cocktails, and barware. With over a decade of expertise within the specialty espresso trade, he has spent the final 4 years testing and reviewing espresso grinders, espresso machines, pour-over cones, and different dwelling espresso home equipment for quite a lot of publications.
• For this piece, he mixed his expertise within the espresso trade with that of Madeline Jones, account supervisor and coach at Uncommon Breed Espresso, in an effort to decide what qualities make the most effective espresso tamper. 
• Dylan examined 10 espresso tampers for this evaluate.