I'm using Silvia at home for one year now and would like to improve my shots in general.

After reading a lot on this site, I experimented and discovered my tamping is not good at all. I am using a Lava convex tamper and my tamps are generally not leveled and top of puck is always leveled with water after the shots. I use WDT technique before tamping.



I really think I need something better to get level tamps. Unfortunately, this is the only tamper I have found locally and I don't know anybody having something to try. I decided to buy it one year ago because I believe it is still better than the plastic one coming with Silvia.

So, I wonder if a flat tamper is recommended over a convex tamper with Silvia (Lava has a deep curve)? Anybody has experiences with both?

Is this kind of rosewood tamper available on eBay at low cost, anything good? Would you buy it?



I'm also ready to buy a naked portafiler and ridgeless basket because I how to read extraction problems with the standard portafilter. Am I guessing right? Any suggestion on it?

Thank you taking time to answer my questions.

Deny

It's not the tamper. They all work the same.

Try concentrating on a straighter arm. After that, it'd just a matter of practice.

Naked portafilter is useful for finding problems in technique. Actually, that's all I ever use (it's just plain fun to watch).

lgxiii wrote:I really think I need something better to get level tamps.

I have a tamper like yours among my collection. It's not much on durability/craftsmanship, but it's certainly serviceable as a ground coffee masher. If you aren't tamping level, a different tamper will not help. Instead, focus on your technique:


Matt Riddle from HB Tamper Roadshow

Note how he's grasped the tamper like a doorknob and the elbow is directly above the portafilter, ideally at a near 90 degree angle. Use your fingers along the perimeter of the basket / piston interface to judge if the tamper is canted. Pay attention to placement and angle. If those aren't right, the quality of the tamper won't matter.

lgxiii wrote:I'm also ready to buy a naked portafiler and ridgeless basket because I how to read extraction problems with the standard portafilter. Am I guessing right?

Yes. Chris Coffee sells a modified Rancilio portafilter. The machining is done by Lino Verna and is top-notch. Or you can do it yourself.

Endo wrote:It's not the tamper. They all work the same.

Try concentrating on a straighter arm. After that, it'd just a matter of practice.

Effectively, I have noticed my arm was not straight over the basket. I'm only 5'-6" tall and the kitchen counter is a little high for my size. I should try to tamp over the kitchen table (6" lower than the counter) so I could be more comfortable and have a better arm position. But the kitchen table is far from the machine.

Note how he's grasped the tamper like a doorknob and the elbow is directly above the portafilter, ideally at a near 90 degree angle. Use your fingers along the perimeter of the basket / piston interface to judge if the tamper is canted. Pay attention to placement and angle. If those aren't right, the quality of the tamper won't matter.

I grasp the tamper the same way but I doubt my elbow is not in the right position. It explain the unleveled tamps. I'll have to pay more attention on where the tamper is canted and compensate the elbow position accordingly.

If, flat tamper will not help to feel or keep the tamp leveled, would a it makes drier puck? As I said, the top of my pucks are always wet and the curvature is filled with water after shots. From what I understand, I guess my shots suffers of side channeling, except some recent ones when I tamped leveled. I taught the flat tamper would better seal the side of the puck and would match the flat shower screen of Silvia. Also the Lava is quite loose in the Rancilio basket. A different one would fit tighter. Would it improve something else?

lgxiii wrote:If, flat tamper will not help to feel or keep the tamp leveled, would a it makes drier puck? As I said, the top of my pucks are always wet and the curvature is filled with water after shots.

If you prefer dry pucks, add more coffee. For the longer answer, search on "puckology".

A different one would fit tighter. Would it improve something else?

The first tamp pictured below has a 7mm of slack (51mm piston, 58mm basket). Both pours look pretty good to me.


From Tamping Twaddle

RapidCoffee wrote:I expected to see some shot degradation with the smaller 51mm tamper piston used with a 58mm basket (most likely a donut extraction). The pour was a bit too fast, on the lungo side. But no spritzies, donuts, or other evidence of an uneven extraction.

Thanks you very much for the answers. Dan, the pictures are very convincing!!!

I will have a naked portafilter shortly, this is a must for improvement.

You guys are fast to answer, thanks again.

Deny

Hi Deny,

I'd just like to echo Dan and recommend the bottomless portafilter from Chris Coffee. Verna does a superb job on the cut. I had one of my original Quickmill portafilters cut out and it just wasn't as nice (again the Quickmill isn't quite as thick walled which may be the only reason). But I've seen Rancilio portafilters cut that don't look near as nice as the ones Verna does (I don't like a real sharp looking bottom).

Also the tamper you have is very similar to one I have and frankly it's probably my favorite. Like Dan noted it's not the most durable thing (lightweight) but I really like the feel of the handle in my hand (subjective thing) and it tamps just fine. Hone your tamp technique for consistency it surely isn't the tamper.

I'm waiting for a shipping quote from Chris Coffee before to place the order. Shipping fees to Canada are always exorbitant!

Find a picture of my last shot. This was my best sink shot ever
Look at the channel pit at the lower left corner of the puck. The shot poured too fast. I took care of the elbow position and checked the level before pouring. I had to correct the level with a second tamp. This may not be a good idea to do so. Should I tamp once only? What should I do with unleveled tamp?

You can also order it from Caffe Tech in Edmonton (they are the Chris Coffee distributor in Canada). No customs charges or border delays.

By the way, your puck looks fine. I don't see any obvious channeling. Just grind finer.

Don't try correcting a unlevel tamp. It never works. Just disturbs things.

I tamp in one shot. Most people use two tamps with a pause or tap in between. My theory is the second tamp just introduces an extra unnecessary variable (trying to make the tamper land flat on the compressed puck). But like I said, this is just my theory. Both are known to work.

By the way, your puck looks fine. I don't see any obvious channeling. Just grind finer.

I forgot to say this ground was weighting 14 grams on scale and Rocky is set at +6 over the zero. This is pretty fine, isn't it?

The channel pit is right on the rim of basket, just a little let of the bottom tab. Sorry I have nothing to draw arrow on the picture.