Tamper - Espro Calibrated Tamper, 58mm - Travel and Lottery

[Tex]

I agree - people spend way too much time measuring this and that - the way I make espresso it's like trying a different kind of coffee every time.  Variety is the spice of life, so they say.

As to the tamper, I wish I could use a 58mm but my filter basket is too small.  I will enjoy reading what others think though - I believe Espro makes a 53mm too.

With all the self serving posts my desperate cry for help has gone unnoticed.  I do not even have a machine with a standard size 58mm portafilter.
This site should hold me an intervention like that home make over show.  I can see it now - I roll on in the drive greeted by cameras, news crews, and a a spokesperson with a microphone leading me to the new espresso shrine in my house.  This Espro tamper (58mm) is there too in my dream. 

Count yourself fortunate that you don't use a 58mm PF.  53's have much better articulation of flavor, more depth and complexity. 

And being smaller, they're cheaper to manufacture.

[ecc]

Not me; I just said no!

...

No controversy, I just like things nice & tidy, everything in its place and accounted for. I also believe that after certain minimum standards are met, one takes happy accidents in stride.

Some of my best shots happened after I'd screwed something up - like yesterday when I dosed the filter with the proper amount of ground coffee then put it in the machine and pulled a shot; not realizing I'd neglected to tamp until the shot was ~60% done. Turned out I had a very nice cup of coffee even with the mistake.

[Tex]

 

[ecc]

 You had the last laugh anyway Tex.  I tried it, just to make sure.  Even tasted it.  :tard:   :icon_puke_r:   

[BoldJava]

Muscle memory.  I am learning muscle memory. Taking tai chi and learning muscle memory.  Using the Espro tamper.  Learning muscle memory.  It will come.

Used the Espro this morning and realize I was over-applying pressure.  After one sink shot -- air was very dry in the house and had to tighten the grind (look at the arrows Milo).  Nailed two in a row and did a happy dance in tai chi form.  Tamping from the dan-tin<?>.

The Espro fits my hand beautifully.  Like the feel.  All of their products have that substantive feel to them.

B|Java

[ecc]

Thanks again Dave, this was really interesting. I have definitely changed the way I tamp after using it.  My tamp is now much slower and lighter, with the grind a little finer.  Not a huge difference, but better...

If I didn't already have a nice tamper, I would certainly entertain the thought of using this one permanently.

I seem to be the last of a short chain, you guys have until Monday to check it out and get on the list, otherwise it goes home!

[BoldJava]

Thanks again Dave, this was really interesting... you guys have until Monday to check it out and get on the list, otherwise it goes home!

You may send along the optical whatchamacall it and I will play with it and write up my experiences.  Do you have a thread or a review to which I might post?

B|Java

[BoldJava]

Since the clicker returned home, that is all I have been using.  I note:

_ I use much less pressure.  Clearly, I was overtamping,
_ Less squirters (one in the last 10)
_ More horizontal tamps, rather than the inclines that I invariably did with the lighter tamper that SM's used to sell.  That tamper is much lighter and the tamper segment is not as tall
_ Less sink shots

Really like it. B|Java