Espro tamper/58mm basket leaves edge of loose grounds

[IMAWriter]

Hi...I've noticed that my Espro tamper (flat base) leaves a 1mm in circumference edge of loose grounds.....would a slightly convex tamper help?
I've read other posts here on complicated techniques to compensate, but I'd rather believe Malachi's "simple is best" axiom fits my lazy lifestyle!
My baskets are an OEM double that came with my Anita, and a triple that Chris (Coffee) included with their beautiful "Lino" built bottomless...the triple is straight sided...
TIA

[HB]

Convex or flat? Tap or not? Questions of the espresso ages that will never be settled. The thread Does a good center tamp take care of the sides? is a recent attempt to treat the issue. The closest thing to a consensus of that discusssion could be summed as "there are bigger problems to worry about."

You do however give me an excuse to show this nice photo of the Espro:


My first attempt at fancy photography on a budget

I'm a four-corner / Staub tamp guy myself. If I have a preference for piston shape, it would lean towards convex. Even in that case, my answer would be "it depends." For example, both Ken Nye and I noticed the Elektra A3's extractions seemed to improve slightly with a convex. Before closing out the review on it, I ordered a "Euro curve" convex piston for the Reg Barber tamper to test the extreme. Stay tuned to the Bench forum for reports of the effects of prominently buldging tamper pistons.

That said, "keep it simple" is my short-term recommendation. If you've got spare coin and see a new shiny tamper that grabs you attention, settling the convex versus flat debate in your own mind isn't an outlandish expenditure.

[IMAWriter]

Dan...I read the thread you included in your post...
Chris (Coffee) suggested I visit the Espressocraft.com website....i've been there previously...Chris said they were manufacturing a convex for him...one on the website was a "Chris Coffee" branded beauty...not sure if he was referring to it, though it looked flat bottomed....
I'm hoping the tampers are fitted to the baskets I own...

[HB]

Maybe Chris referring to his logo'd version of the EC tamper? I considered Espressocraft for the official HB logo'd tamper, but opted for the Reg Barber because it's an all-around great tamper and the logo looks fantastic (the laser etching on the EC is barely legible).

The Espressocraft tamper bases come in flat or convex and several shaft lengths. Fitting your machine's basket is easy since it's a standard 58mm. If you want to get uber precise, Reg Barber will size the base to 0.1mm for a small fee, either by ordering the size directly from his website (e.g., 58.2mm) or sending him the basket. Of course, a quick tap / four corner tamp is cheaper than a new tamper. Like I'm one to talk...

[IMAWriter]

Thought I couldn't do a 4 corner with a flat bottom....I tried, and got (if you'll pardon the expression) the "squirts"
Where might I find a description..hopefully with pix... of the staub tamp?
Thanks, and go to bed!
Oh...Anita is fun, just starting to get smoother with the routine...frothing another matter.....

[HB]

Some fret about a four-corner tamp with a gently convex tamper base. In practice, I've used both without problem, although a flat bottom is recommended.

I don't know of a great photo tutorial, but the mechanics are pretty simple: Tamp four times (NSEW), each time removing the tamper from the basket. Lowering the tamper into the basket should scrap the sides and compress the edges / loose grounds nicely. If you're an out-of-the-portafilter tamper, the Staub tamp is even easier. Lower the tamper into the basket scraping the side nearest you. Remove, rotate the basket one-quarter turn, repeat.

PS: Remember to feel along the gap between the basket edge and the tamper when tamping. That will give you a much better gauge of the levelness than visual inspection.

[IMAWriter]

How many #'s per tamp?...thanks

[HB]

Thirty pounds of tamp pressure each time.

[IMAWriter]

egad!.....concrete

[annp]

hey Rob..

I found that tapping the side of the portafilter when the coffee was leveled but not tamped yet, eliminated the squirty shot bizness with Anita.

Now I do this in a way that would make Malachi make me drink folgers, but it works for me.

I have lots of baskets and use a naked portafilter. I keep the baskets on top of the cup warmer. I've got 2 doubles and 2 triples up there.

I weigh, grind and dose my warm dry baskets before I flush or steam or anything. I then steam my milk. Then I flush. Then I load a basket in my portafilter, level, tap with the hand side of the tamper, tamp, blow the untamped coffee off the top and pull my shot. Lather, rinse repeat.

Since I'm the doubley, double or tripley, triple kind of girl this works for me.

Oh, my tamper is an elcheapo, flatbottomed, stainless no name 58mm. I don't get perfect shots every time but things look happy on the underside of my bottomless when I make 'em - nice even, not squirty, brown to stripey to starting to blonde - so I'm doing something right!

I did drag out the bathroom scale when I started with this to figure what 30 lbs felt like.

Ann

[richardtempura]

Here's my technique:

I overfill the basket, level north-south then east-west with my finger to fill in all the gaps.
I put tamper in the basket.
I rotate the tamper clockwise without putting much weight on it. Maybe two cycles.
Remove tamper, light hit on the side of the portafilter to loosen the edged coffee.
Shake the loose grounds towards the middle.
Final tamp.

Always worked for me.