I have a GS3 which comes with the 45 degree angled PF. I also bought a bottomless PF as well. I am having a bit of an issue when trying to tamp with the bottomless PF. Due to the angle of the PF it doesn't sit flush with the table top as there is a curve. I know I could just tamp on the edge of the table but I find this results in coffee being spilled all over the floor

I'm wondering if there is a tamping stand product on the market that would account for the curve to provide a straight and level tamping surface?

Thank you,

Rob

Put a mat on the edge of the counter and tamp on it.

Or google 'tamping stand'

I googled Tamping Stand and the only thing that came up was the Cafelat stand which is designed for a PF with spouts. It doesn't work with the bottomless PF.

Tamping on the edge tends to lead to coffee on the floor. I'm looking for an alternative to that approach.

Thank you just the same for your help.

Rob

It's a raised tamping stand, why doesn't it work with a bottomless portafilter? It's about 2-3 inches off the surface of the counter top which is more than enough clearance for you to tamp your bottomless 45 degree portafilter. I have done it many times.

ECM wrote:I googled Tamping Stand and the only thing that came up was the Cafelat stand which is designed for a PF with spouts. It doesn't work with the bottomless PF.

Tamping on the edge tends to lead to coffee on the floor. I'm looking for an alternative to that approach.

Thank you just the same for your help.

Rob

Umm, what? What do you mean it doesn't work? How doesn't it work?

I use that tamping stand daily. With angled, La Marzocco portafilters. Both spouted, and bottomless. The fact that there is a cutout for a spouted PF to fit, doesn't change its usefulness as a bottomless portafilter tamping station, one bit. IF it bothers you, turn it around so the cutout is facing away from you when using a bottomless.

I also own the "Classic Cafelat"(actually mine is a Bumper, the original), and its the same thing. Tamp the bottomless in the same spout you would a spouted, OR, turn the surface around.


Tamping stands are great. But IDK how tamping with the portafilter resting on the lip of the counter leads to coffee on the floor. Regardless, the tamping stands from Cafelat work with bottomless La Marzocco's just as well as they work with spouted La Marzoccos.

Click Here for Picture Examples. See?

Both tamping Stands, using bottomless and spouted angled LM portafilters. For completeness sake, using the Cafelat tamping stand, I spun it around, so the cutout was on the back, when tamping the bottomless. But on the bumper, I left the cutout in the front, tamping both the spouted and the bottomless in the same spot.

(Also showing off my sexy new RB tamper.. My first Reg, Im lovin it)

I suppose a hockey puck wouldn't be tall enough, right?

The OE slapshot is made out of a hockey puck, and a local cafe I go to uses just a hockey puck with their bottomless LM filters

Rob, another alternative that doesn't require a tamping stand is to prepare your baskets outside the portafilter. You can tamp well away from the counter's edge that way, then place the basket gently into the PF and away you go. It's much easier if you also remove the PF spring.

If you typically make more than one shot at a time, consider getting two or more baskets. Prep them and then run your shots back-to-back in series. Everyone gets served faster that way too, since there's no knock-clean-weigh-grind-dose-tamp project between every shot. Don't worry - your machine can run off a dozen shots in immediate succession with almost absolute temperature stability start to finish.

No, they can't really do this in a café setting - too bad. It's one of those luxuries only practically available to the home barista.

ECM -

Firstly, why not edit your post title to 15 degrees vice 45 degrees - I believe that is the angle that the LaMarzocco PF handle makes with the horizontal.

No, they can't really do this in a café setting - too bad. It's one of those luxuries only practically available to the home barista.

I do it this way every day as baskets are relatively inexpensive, especially the 14g HQ baskets from Espresso Parts at $6 each in small quantities. It makes everything so easy whether it be weighing your dose or good distribution within the basket.