HB Roadshow - Espresso Tamper Reviews - Page 5

[ThaRiddla]

This is totally off subject but what I wonder is this: why do everyone's photos look so darn nice and mine are so darn "so-so"? Did you (& Dave/Cannonfodder & Fr. John, et al) use professional photographers? Is my Casio digi camera that "poopy"?

Anyway, thanks for taking the time and spending the effort to do this...WELL DONE!!!

Thanks Len,

There's a few reason i have decent looking pictures:

That was my major in college
I was shooting with a Nikon D70
I had lots of light.


In most homes, there is VERY low light with regards to taking pictures. If you have some shop lights or other source of higher than 100W illumination it will help you out greatly. You can still take great images with a "poopy" camera. Light is your friend.

[cannonfodder]

Nothing too fancy. While I wanted a Canon D30 so I could use my existing lenses. I had to settle on a Canon 2S IS.

Photography was not my major in college (architectural engineering), but I was a serious hobbyist. I built a darkroom in my closet. Use to use a friends color lab after college.

High shutter speeds >60 and low F-stops are a good thing, unless you have a tripod to go lower on the shutter. Natural light works wonders as well. Use a strategically placed mirror to bounce sunlight onto a diffuser (thin white sheet). That does away with hot spots that would throw off your exposure.

Personally, I did not think my photos were all that good, too high of an ISO setting to compensate for the light, or lack there of. So they show some grain, but thanks for the complement.

[Psyd]

In fact, I have a couple of new designs in the works. The profile will be much different than the one in the roadshow. My current standard design is a newer generation than the one in the roadshow. This new design has been beta tested and two of the new tampers should be on the way to Paul at Barefoot in about a week.

I have suddenly found myself with a bit of spare time on my hands after a ninety day 'trail of tears' (in which the cats and kittens at Barefoot brightened up one small part of the journey) of serial shows, in the Orange County/Bay area/Tucson vicinity, left me with little more than a half-a-dozen days off. With my newly found free time, I'll offer to test anything you turn, Les! ; >

[luca]

It's nice that this roadshow has resulted in a lot of new ideas. As well as Les, both Greg and Steve (Pullman and Coffeelab) are working on new designs!

[Ron_L]

The tamper kit is heading to the UPS store in a few minutes. I wanted to document my thoughts while I could still hold the tampers to refresh my memory. I apologize for not having any new pictures to include. My wife and daughter were too busy laughing at me to take any pictures for me!

My approach to the tamper selection was to try all of them, and then pick out three or four that stood out for one reason or another. Since I had plenty of Black Cat (Thanks, Matt!), I started pulling shots. I spread this out over Saturday, Sunday, Monday and this morning to avoid caffeine overload

My setup

I am using an Isomac Millenium with a bottom-less PF from Espresso Parts. My normal basket is a LM triple, which I used for these tests. My normal tamper is a Thor Hammer that was a gift from my wife a couple of years ago. Since I use a Thor every day I didn't use the Thor in the kit.

Here are the ones that I picked out of the bunch that stood out to me, and the reason that each one stood out.

EPNW Compressore

I have fairly large hands, so the Compressore caught my attention immediately because of the large bulb. When I picked it up it felt good in my hand. It's a heavy tamper, but it is well balanced, The shiny black handle fit my palm well, but the overall length was about 1/4 inch short. The piston has a bevel that starts right where the handle joins, and this seemed to fit well with the tips of my fingers when I gripped the tamper. In use, the Compressore did a good job. I had no issues with channeling and my extractions were very even (I use the WDT, so this didn't surprise me). The Compressore in the kit has a flat bottom, and my Thor is convex, but I didn't see any significant difference between the two.

Cafe Kultur TORR

The TORR grabbed my attention for a couple of reasons... I like wood and the dark wood handle has a rich look to it, and it has a longer handle than the Compressore, but the bulb isn't significantly smaller. The TORR is lighter than the Compressore, but it still has a nice heft to it and a good balance. The piston has a mildly convex base and a flat top where it meets the handle. In use, I found that the longer handle was just about perfect for my hand. My finger tips were firmly on the top of the piston while the top of the bulb fit nicely into my palm. I don't know if it is because of the better fit, or because I was feeling particularly strong that morning, but I had to back off on my grinder one step with the TORR. My shots were all taking 8-10 seconds longer than normal. Once I made the adjustment, I didn't see any quality issues in my espresso. Channeling and shot distribution were good and the shots were all drinkable.

Reg Barber Radical Pro

I grabbed the Radical Pro since the handle was so different than any of the others. When I first picked it up, I noticed that it was not as balanced. The piston end was much heavier than the handle end. Also, because of the long handle, I had to change my grip to one that is more like the way I would grip a golf putter or a fishing rod handle. This put my arm in an awkward position when tamping. It just didn't feel right to me. Aside from that, the workmanship is excellent and the transition from the wood handle to the piston is smooth. Once I figured out my grip, I found that the tip of my thumb and the side of my forefinger rested comfortably on the top of the piston. It felt good until I actually used it! That is when I noticed how awkward it felt on my arm. I just didn't feel that I was getting as good of a tamp with it. I also noticed this in the shot distribution. I was consistently getting uneven pours that were biased on the same side of the PF (the side away from where my arm was, if that makes sense. It appears that I was putting uneven pressure into the tamp due to my arm position.

Pullman

The mushroom-shaped handle caught my attention with the Pullman. The wood handle didn't hurt, either The Pullman has a shorter handle that the Compressore and the TORR, with a unique shape to the bulb. The piston is also deeper than the others and it has decorative rings around the piston. My first impression of the rings is that they would catch some coffee in them, but I didn't see this in use. I think that they are high enough on the piston that they were out of the coffee. There is a small metal collar on the top of the piston where the handle attached and the piston has a flat area before it tapers off. For my hand, the collar on the piston was in the way of my finger tips and the edge of the mushroom on the handle weren't comfortable on the inside of my fingers. Neither was a major problem, but it wasn't as comfortable to my hand. In use, these small issues didn't effect the espresso. I didn't see any problems with channeling or uneven extraction.

La Forza

I grabbed the La Forza because it's just so pretty . The large bulb and longer handle were also a draw. I really liked using this tamper. The looks are great, but the most important thing to me is how it performs. A large part of that is comfort in the hand, and the La Forza felt very good to me. The large bulb fit into my palm securely and the length was just right. My fingertips were securely on the beveled piston. The piston on the La Forza in the kit is convex, and has a deeper curve to it than some of the others. It's nicely balanced and may even be slightly heavier at the handle than at the piston. Tamping with the La Forza was easy and the results were great. As before, I didn't have any issues with channeling or uneven extraction, but I did have to back off my grinder one step like I did with the TORR.

CoffeeLab Design

I am going to contradict myself in a couple of areas with this one! I said I like wood, and this tamper doesn't have any wood. I said that I like a larger bulb, and this tamper has a an average-sized bulb! But... The CoffeeLab Design is my favorite in the kit. It has a high tech sort of look that appeals to the geek in me, so that's why I first grabbed it. When I first picked it up, I wasn't too impressed. It's not quite as heavy as some of the others, but it does have a nice balance, but when I gripped it with my normal grip the bulb was about 1/2 inch short of my palm. I had to bend my finger to the point where I was putting more pressure on the tips of the finger nail rather than the meaty part of the finger. It didn't feel right. So, I started playing around with my grip. I found that if I put the bulb at the base of my middle finger and my fingertips and thumbtip on the rubber piece at the base of the handle, it felt very good. The rubber on top of the ball and the rubber at the base of the handle gave me a very secure grip. Once I made this adjustment, I enjoyed using this tamper very much. So much that I am playing with it while I'm typing this message (Yeah, I am a geek! ).

My top three:

1. CoffeeLab Design - I had to adjust my grip, but once I did I couldn't put it down.
2. La Forza - Great looks and a good fit for my hand
3. Cafe Kultur TORR - this was a close one. The TORR or the Compressore could have fit into this slot, but I chose the TORR because it felt a little better in my hand.

So... Thanks to Home-Barista and the folks at EspressoParts for putting this together. I may have another tamper in the stable soon! I love my Thor, but the CoffeeLab Design is cool enough to have on hand.

[ThaRiddla]

Oh, and anyone know why the Radical Pro is so radical? Was it just a whim? Was it a new concept in tamping? I'm guessing that the radical new design means a radical new approach to tamping, or that the radical design was supposed to address some issue, but I'm just stabbing in the dark.

This is from what I understand...

The Radical Pro was designed to eliminate the ability to hold the tamper incorrectly, meaning you have to hold it like a bat or a golf club instead of a rubber stamp (sorry, that's the only thing i can think of that is held similarly). Forcing to hold like a golf club greatly increases the baristas' chances of forming a straight line with the tamper > hand > wrist > forearm > elbow. This cuts down on stress and getting carpal tunnel.

Like this:



The only problem is that if your counters are too high or you are too short, you are forced into an uncomfortable position. You also might have to adjust how you position yourself and the pf in relation to the counter to get a level tamp.

I think it's a great idea, I just didn't prefer it over many of the others in the set. Much like the clicker tamp, I think it is a great training tool.

[Ron_L]

Matt... Thanks for the clarification on the Radical Pro. I'm tamping on a kitchen-counter height surface, so it may be too high for a straight line in my arm. I found that my elbow had to be cocked out to the side, and that put my wrist in a strange position. The theory makes sense, however.

[HB]

The Roadshow participants have a private forum to discuss the logistics of shipping and administrivia. I've merged the two follow-up comments above that came up there into this public thread. Another comment was about the Coffeelab Design tamper. One of their innovations, apart from the groovy feel and retro look, is the tamper's height adjustability:

You can remove those little aluminum washers between the base and knob to change the height. The result is noticable and the handle doesn't shimmy at all. The Espressocraft tamper is available in different heights, but you must replace the handle, not just slip out a washer or two like the Coffeelab Design.

[HB]

Paul Pratt was inspired by the Roadshow feedback and decided to try some more glamorous handle shapes:




He also teased us with pictures that just happen to have a new portafilter stand in the background. Here's the full-frontal version:



That's almost enough to convince me to go back to double spouts.

[Psyd]

Paul Pratt was inspired by the Roadshow feedback and decided to try some more glamorous handle shapes:

Ya know, I was just checking the e-mail where Paul and I were discussing a few of these things, and wondering when I'd hear about the new toys he was planning! Thanks, Dan.

[cannonfodder]

I bet a single spout would work nicely. I have put the bottomless in the right group and my single spout on the production group. I found myself paying more attention to the extraction at the expense of the rest of the process.

Paul, are you going into production on those? If you are, I will be first in line for that portafilter stand and bumper box. That round handled tamper looks like a good fit based on my preferences with the road show kit as well. The stand looks like easy construction, some 16 gauge stainless, couple of bends, slotted base and hard rubber mat. One of those, 'why didn't I think of that?' parts.

[Paul_Pratt]

Actually the stands have been ready for a few months, I just wanted to make a few changes to the top rubber mat which has been done now and I am just waiting for the new ones to arrive. In the pic you will see a prototype the real one covers the end edges as well. It was designed for both regular spouted pf's and naked pf's.

The stand looks like easy construction, some 16 gauge stainless, couple of bends, slotted base and hard rubber mat. One of those, 'why didn't I think of that?' parts.

I'd like to think it was harder than that each component is simple but pulling it all together is tricky. I expect to ship off stuff to EPNW within a week or so.

Paul

[cannonfodder]

I will definitely have to keep an eye out for their arrival. Maybe Terry can post something in the Marketplace forum. Are you shipping out some bumper boxes as well?

[Worldman]

Paul Pratt was inspired by the Roadshow feedback and decided to try some more glamorous handle shapes:

Paul!!! I hereby offer my services for free for any "alpha testing" of these designs!!!!

He also teased us with pictures that just happen to have a new portafilter stand in the background. Here's the full-frontal version:

image:

That's almost enough to convince me to go back to double spouts.

LOL!!! I kinda' think the same thing...but there is nothing convincing me to go back to ANY spouts! "Give me nudity or give me death."

Len

[rjkramek]

Overview
Here's a photo of my espresso setup as I'm getting ready to test the tampers I've selected for review. I have a Solis SL70 which really got a workout for a couple of days (reminded me of "The Little Engine That Could")! In addition, you see my MACAP MKXR conical grinder.

I use a naked PF along with an aftermarket 53mm double basket. Regarding tamping, I tamp to about 40+lb and then follow that with a lighter NSEW tamp and finish with a polish tamp. My standard dose is about 14.8 - 14.9 grams of coffee. For this review I weighed all the baskets prior to tamping to ensure I was consistent.



Selection
My selection process required that I use something that came with 53mm pistons. Luckily, several of the EPNW tampers which were still "un-reviewed" came with one. Also since my standard home tamper is a Reg Barber Short Bublinga I was also able to try both of the Reg Barber tampers by utilizing my 53mm piston.

So, for my "fifteen minutes of fame" tamper review I selected the Reg Barber Radical Pro, EPNW Pro, and EPNW Lava. Here they are pictured along with my home tamper which is a Reg Barber Short Bublinga.



My standard piston is flat and the included 53mm for the EPNW tampers was flat as well so my review comments are based on that. (Ignore the fact that in the photo the tampers don't all have the same size or type pistons on them.)



Reg Barber Radical Pro
Appearance - I happen to have liked the simple appearance and to my eyes the contemporary look of the Radical Pro. I definitely have a design bent probably due to some early art training and having designed a lot of web applications, so simple clean lines appeal to me. I was also drawn by the Radical Pro's unique look compared to that of the other tampers.

The grain in the wood handle is beautiful with a very nice finish which is smooth (i.e., no raised grain here!), and the fit to the piston is perfect. However, the finish did appear to be wearing off slightly. This surprised me somewhat because even though I'm sure this has gotten a fair amount of use while on the "road show" my everyday Reg Barber tamper in comparison still looks almost brand new and I've had it awhile since it's the only (real) one I've ever owned.

Feel - I found the feel to be very comfortable and the grip somewhat second nature. As others have mentioned it's more like gripping a golf club. When I tamp I like to have the pressure distributed between that applied by my fingers and that of top of the tamper handle. When using the Radical Pro since the handle is tall the pressure of course is placed near the wrist (versus the soft part of the palm) which I found acceptable and comfortable. I didn't have any issue with most of the weight being in the piston, but because the handle is long it obviously isn't one you can "cradle/palm" in your hand when tamping.

Usage - Alas, I secretly was hoping this would be my favorite, but in practice I never could become "in tune" with it. I liked the fact that it forces you to apply pressure straight down and this should result in a very even tamp. And since I'm fairly tall (6') and use a naked PF (so the PF is lower to the counter) I should have been a perfect candidate for it. While I could get level tamps while using this tamper it seemed to take more concentration and I didn't feel as confident about it. I think in my case since you are forced to be more "above" the tamper when you look down to check your tamp I had trouble looking on the right side of the basket to ensure the tamper was level. I think if you are someone who rests their fingers on the basket to ensure a level tamp then this probably would work fine. I can definitely say I didn't have any "bad" shots while using this, but it definitely took more effort than any of the rest.



EPNW Pro
Appearance - Once again a very contemporary look which I liked. Being all metal gives it a modern sculpture like and functional appearance. The satiny finish is nice and seems to have held up very well given all of the use it's probably has gotten during the road show. The black accents on the top of the handle and base of the handle nicely provide some contrast to the rest of the metal.

Feel - It seemed a little heavy for me, but not by much. Also the top of the handle was a little small and made grasping it a bit more difficult. But the beveled piston and the slightly rounded area where the handle and piston meet are very comfortable and provide a nice area for your fingers when tamping. This certainly would be a good one if you like to "cradle/palm" the tamper.

Usage - While I liked using this tamper it wasn't my favorite mostly because the top of the handle was a little small for me (if it had a slightly larger handle top like the Bumper it probably would have been perfect). Even though this wasn't my favorite I wouldn't have any problem with using this as my everyday tamper. It seemed pretty easy to ensure the tamper was level and I didn't any problem pulling good shots while using it. Also because it's all metal you don't have to worry about it as much as say the La Forza.



EPNW Lava Deluxe
Appearance - While I don't think this tamper looks bad I will admit I definitely didn't like the looks of it from the beginning. Only the EPNW Import Lava was lower on my initial impression list. While the green handle and top accent on the handle just happened to have gone well with the green flexible cutting board I place under my grinder when making espresso to allow for better cleanup I thought the green looked a little "weird". Also the top of the handle is shiny which not only gives it a slightly "cheap" appearance but also ends up showing nicks and marks easily. I think if it was more satin or brushed in appearance the overall appearance of the tamper would be improved and any use wouldn't be as obvious.

Feel - For me the weight was near perfect. It has some heft but still light enough where you feel like you are controlling the tamper versus the tamper controlling you. While I think the top of the handle could have been just a tad bigger for my hand it still felt comfortable and the length of the handle is near perfect. And like the EPNW Pro the beveled piston and the slightly rounded area where the handle and piston meet are very comfortable and provide a nice area for your fingers when tamping.

Usage - As much as I initially didn't like the looks of this tamper and think it looks a little "cheap" it eventually won me over! By the end of the road show whenever I just wanted to pull a shot (versus test a tamper for review purposes) it was the one I reached for. It was very easy to get level tamps and the weight was near perfect for me. Because it isn't too heavy or the handle too tall it's an easy one if you like to "cradle" the tamper and use more "finesse".

At first I was convinced I was getting better shots from the EPNW Pro and the EPNW Lava (versus the Radical Pro and my everyday Reg Barber tamper). While I'd have to do a lot more shots to really verify that was true, I think that any difference was probably more related to the piston size than the handles. It turns out that the EPNW 53mm piston is slightly smaller in diameter than my Reg Barber 53mm and it also has a slightly lower height. So it may be because I like to do a NSEW tamp that the smaller piston helped make that easier. And because the EPNW 53mm piston has a slightly smaller height the piston was actually level with the top of my basket which probably made it easier for me to determine that I was providing a level tamp.

Conclusion
At first I was drawn to the tampers which had "heft" and size. These included the tampers like the Pullman, Compressore, and the Clicker for instance. When you picked those up you knew they were serious and in many cases beautiful as well. But in practice for me if the tamper was heavy I felt like they were controlling what I was doing versus allowing me to control them. The lighter ones were easier to "finesse" and feel what you were doing.

For me the tampers which were the easiest to use were ones which had handles which fit my palm and were short enough so that they were easy to "cradle/palm", as well as apply pressure using both my fingers and palm. Lastly, the tampers which had beveled pistons and rounded areas where the piston and handle meet also were the most comfortable for me.

Lastly, it quickly became apparent that my everyday tamper didn't fit me very well (it was a present from my wife so I didn't select it!). As you can see in the photo the handle is too short for me. Slightly taller it would just fit in the area at the thumb joint. For comparison you can see how the Espressocraft fits nicely in my palm. And even for the Radical Pro the handle actually fit nicely at the top of my hand. So using either of those it was easy to apply pressure using both the palm and fingers.






I've always had some problems in getting level tamps using my everyday Reg Barber. So it was easy for me to determine that because it doesn't fit well I sometimes apply more pressure on the left side of the PF. And when you factor in that being tall I have a tendency to apply more pressure away from me anyway I will definitely be in the market for a new tamper soon (which will be an EPNW Lava Deluxe)!

Overall Favorites
So to close out here are my favorites selected from the entire collection.
EPNW Lava Deluxe
Espressocraft
Bumper

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to try all of these tampers! Special thanks to EspressoParts! I think I'll be ordering my EPNW Lava Deluxe (probably black) soon!

[rjkramek]

In addition to my regular Tamper Review this is an informal mini-review. While conducting my review I was able to "share" the tamper collection with a couple of other espresso-minded individuals who work in the coffee industry. So here are some comments and conclusions from that review. Pictured are Jim Saborio from Cafe Zola in Ann Arbor, Allen Leibowitz co-founder and roaster at Zingerman's Coffee, and Josh and Zak both from Ugly Mug Cafe in Ypsilanti (in case haven't figured it out those are all in Michigan). Everyone enjoyed and appreciated the rare opportunity to try some many different tampers.



General Comments
Everyone was intrigued by the Radical Pro. There were some general thoughts that it might be providing more evenly packed coffee (which was checked by tapping out the pucks while dry and examining them). Also some thought that it might really help beginner baristas in keeping their arms/wrists straight while tamping.

Overall everyone liked the Coffeelab Design. The rubber on both the handle and thumb area were a big hit. Here's a photo of Zak showing me his tamping style while using one.



Most were attracted by the Pullman because of the beautiful wood, but because of the ledge in the handle and that fact that where the handle and piston meet aren't more rounded it wasn't judged as comfortable. Also the piston size was over 58mm which made fitting into baskets very tight.

Here's photo of the Pullman, Coffeelab Design, and the EPNW Lava. You can see the rubber areas which everyone liked and the beveled area where the handle and piston meet on both the Coffeelab Design and EPNW Lava versus the Pullman.



I got the sense that in a commercial setting having something that is robust (both Zak and Josh use a Bumper), comfortable, and somewhat lightweight were the main criteria.

Here are some of Allen's comments taken verbatim:

If I were to buy only one tamper, I'd go with the Coffeelab Design tamper.
The HB Tamper Roadshow helped me realize that I like a sloped area where my thumb rests. I also like the idea that it is adjustable for length. I'd prefer a thicker middle.

I liked the upper body shape of the Clicker for the same reason - the tapered area for your thumb. They should sell it in a non-click.

I still like my Vivace tamper best, although it could be that it is simply what I'm used to. I like its light weight, size, fit in my hand, and the lines on the side which are a good teaching tool.

The La Forza fit my hand just right. It won hands down for beauty!

I also liked the EPNW Lava Delux for feel. It would be number 2nd pick if I were buying a new one.

I had high hopes for the Pullman because of weight and the large palm area. It didn't work well for me and immediately felt like a bad fit in some of the baskets. We got out the caliper and found it was actually 58.25 mm.

Favorites
Jim - Torr, La Forza
Allen - Coffeelab Design, EPNW Lava, La Forza
Zak and Josh - Bumper, Coffeelab Design

Lastly, here's a photo of yours truly writing down Josh and Zak's favorites.

[TomP10]

Hello All:

The tampers arrived late on Friday afternoon. The package and kit are in very good shape. As other participants have mentioned, some of the tampers are showing a bit of wear and tear --- all are still perfectly usable, but they certainly would not be mistaken as new.

A couple of preliminary comments. First, let me say thanks to Dan, TerryZ, and all others who organized this RoadShow. I am sure it has been a pain, but I am also sure all of us lucky enough to be involved are very grateful. I know I am. I was as excited opening the kit as the day I unpacked Silvia and Rocky. Can we all remember the feeling of our first real machine?

Second, my wife asked what was in the box. I explained I was getting a chance to experiment with some tampers. She gave me a puzzled look and said, "that thing you use with your coffee?--- can't you just use a soup can?!" As you can tell, the espresso machine is my domain. But, perhaps I should check, has anyone used a soup can to tamp?

I am fairly new to this obsession. Last fall I mentioned in passing an interest in getting an espresso machine. To my surprise, my wife gave me a thermoblock espresso machine last Christmas. I love that lady! But, after 17 years of marriage I felt confident to do what I had to do... I promptly returned it and got a Silvia/Rocky combination (1st line is pretty close to me in NJ). (Yes, I told her... I really did need a grinder.)

I think my place in this RoadShow is to represent the "new user".... many of those that have preceded me in this RoadShow are champion baristas or pretty darn close. Their opinions and views are really great.... and I have tried to learn how to evaluate these tampers from their write-ups. Me --- I pull 2-4 shots on most days. I have pretty much the classic starter set-up with Rocky/Silvia. For some reason I don't imagine Matt Riddle being asked if a soup can can be used a tamper. That being said, I have learned enough to know what good espresso tastes like --- which means my friends and neighbors are now saying I am a coffee-snob.

In conjunction with my Silvia purchase Jim gave me a good deal on an espro tamper. This is important to remember as you read my reviews because prior to this roadshow the espro was the only tamper I have used. I like the espro's size and subtle "click". On the other hand, at times I have struggled to maintain a level tamp with the espro. I always assumed it has a lot to do with my newbie-ness. However, I have already realized in the past two days that some of my problem is likely due to the espro. The "click" might contribute to a slight shift in the coffee. And, as you all of heard, Silvia does not do well with an uneven tamp.

I was immediately drawn to three tampers. The EPNW click, the classic Reg Barber HB, and the LaForza. I really wanted to compare the EPNW click tamper with my espro. After a half-dozen shots I would say I prefer the espro for two reasons: size and the subtleness of the click. The EPNW is a bit too tall for my taste and the click is too loud. That being said, either one is great for learning --- I heartedly recommend either tamper to someone new to quality home espresso. Both are flat bottom tampers and (from what I can tell) both are well made. Choosing between them is basically a matter of taste.

The Reg Barber HB tamper is wonderful. I was leaning toward getting a RB tamper but Jim's deal on the espro made it tough to turn down. The RB fits my portafilter basket perfectly. It is truly amazing how the size of one 58mm tamper differs from another. I would not have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes. I am talking small differences -- but enough that the gap in the basket is visible to the naked eye. I am not sure how other users can use this little fact that 58mm is not the same from tamper to tamper... I mean... in the best of all worlds, you would walk into the local shop with your favorite baskets and test fit of few tampers and buy a new one. But, outside of Seattle, where can you do such a thing? My guess is most people buy tampers online and just assume a 58mm tamper is a 58mm tamper. Your thoughts?

The RB has a slightly rounded based (US curve?). Between yesterday and today I pulled about 10 shots and all but one were gorgeous. I think the curve base might have something to do with the great pulls. I also think the great fit helps too. I hated pouring the shots down the drain but it is early in my week with the tampers and I need some sleep. I will experiment with other rounded bottom tampers later this week to see if my success is related to the RB or the C curve.

Finally, I just had to try the LaForza. It is a work of art. Truly. That being said, it just doesn't feel right in my hand.... I think the bulb is too big (rounded). Also, the particular color/artwork on the RoadShow tamper does not enthrall me. As with the click-volume mentioned above, this comment is purely one of taste. For someone looking to give their special home barista a gift, the LaForza would be both a piece of art and also an espresso tool.

One negative --- I just hate the feeling of the RB radical. After a my initial trial period (e.g, the first half an hour of holding one after the other), the RB radical is the only one I don't want to try again. Sorry Reg!

Well, that is my first impressions. I will spend some time with a few others on Monday and Tuesday before honing in on the three I will formally review.

Between my kid's sugar high due to Halloween, and my caffeine high due to the Road Show, it is going to be a wild week in Jersey!

- Tom

[TomP10]

Hello All:

I had a great week with the tampers. I ended up using five tampers quite a bit - the Bumper, the Reg Barber (HB logo), the Clicker, the Espressocraft, and the LaForza. I am disappointed that I did not get a chance to spend more time with each of the 15 tampers. But, I would have needed six months with the kit. I don't think Dan would have approved.

A couple of opinions. First of all, I briefly played with all the tampers - and they are all very, very nice. The Roadshow made it clear to me that even the most budget conscious home barista can own a very nice tamper. There is no reason to stick with the junk plastic tamper that came with your machine. Secondly, the week reminded me of a phrase I learned in high school Latin many years ago: "De gustibus non est disputandum" - which translated means something like "in matters of taste, there is no disputing". There really is no best tamper. I would not be surprised to hear that another person did not like my favorite (the classic Reg Barber) but loved the one I disliked (the Reg Barber radical pro).

In my formal review I will discuss three tampers - the Clicker, the Bumper, and the classic Reg Barber. Here is a picture of the three tampers next to my espro click tamper (http://www.espro.ca/).



Let me begin with the Clicker.


The Clicker and espro tampers are similar in that they both are great tampers for learning. As you can see from the above picture, the Clicker looks quite a bit different than the other three tampers. It stands out. Many espresso pros will likely shun the Clicker on looks alone, but it really is a great tamper when one begins with quality home espresso. One might say it is the Silvia of tampers! (I say that as a proud Silvia owner!)

There are the three key differences between the espro and the Clicker: (1) size (Clicker is taller), (2) the audible click (Clicker is a lot louder), and (3) the subtleness of the feel of the spring when you hit 30 lbs (due to its taller size Clicker is more dramatic feel when it moves). On all counts I prefer the espro. I am the first to admit that this likely has a great deal to do with my comfort and experience with the espro, but what can I say? I like the espro! If I had to recommend a clicker-style tamper, I would probably say go with the espro. That being said, my daughter (who is more involved in espresso making than my wife!) loved the Clicker.


As the week went on, I began to grow more and more enamored with the bumper tamper.


It has a great feel -- clearly, the rubberized handle has something to due with it --- but it is more than the rubberized grip. It simply felt right in my hand. The weight and balance felt great. I guess the folks at La Marzocco had a good idea when they came up with this basic tamp shape (which I believe is the basis for the bumper shape). If it were not for the classic Reg Barber (which was the clear winner in my book), I would be buying a bumper tamper. The one thing I did not like about the Bumper was the thickness of the base. Look at my picture of the four tampers. As I hope is clear, the Bumper base is about twice as thick as the Reg Barber base and about 1/3 thicker than my espro. For some reason, I found the thickness a problem for my tamping! Is this just in my mind? Who knows? All I know is that I had some difficulty getting level tamps. I fully believe that this problem is something I could have adjusted to had I had some more time with the tamper. Bottom-line: I can recommend the bumper tamper to anyone. Great product.


My favorite tamper was the classic Reg Barber.


The one in the roadshow features a tall bubinga handle with a slightly curved base (a US curve, I think). In my first posting I thought the tamper's tight fit in my portafilter basket was due to a slight size difference... maybe 58.1mm vs 58mm As the week went on my thoughts changed. I now think the fit is a result of the curved base. On my first day of using the tamper (a Sunday) I pulled shot after beautiful shot. My success continued throughout the week. I am not saying that every shot was perfect, but found myself reaching for the Reg whenever I was going to drink the shot, not just play around. The size, the looks, the weight all felt right. I also became a fan of the curved base. My espro has a flat bottom so this was my first exposure to a curved tamper bottom. Also, RB's relative thin base worked great. The thin bottom gave me a visual indication that my tamp was right as it came just about level with the basket edge. By contrast, the bumper base stood far above the basket edge, leaving a bit more to my judgment. Not only would I recommend a RB tamper to anybody, I am going to buy one for myself!

Two other "awards". First, the good. To my taste, the two best looking tampers were the Espressocraft and the LaForza.


I loved the look of the Espressocraft... I wanted to like it. But I never could get it to feel right in my hand. I could see someone else falling in love with it, but I'll stick with the RB. The LaForza is a work of art. But, as with the Espressocraft, I never got fully comfortable with it. The ball was a bit too big.


And, now to the bad. The only tamper in the whole kit I would not recommend is the Reg Barber radical pro.


I understand that its shape was something to do with the proper way to hold your hand, arms, wrists, etc., but I just didn't get it. Didn't like it at all. With so many other great tampers out there, I can't see encouraging someone to spend money on the radical pro. Sorry, Reg!. On a somewhat related note, the solid wood Thor tamper is beautiful, but it did not look like it would be durable enough (even for home use). I felt like I would have to be overly careful with it -- which probably explains why I only played around with it (check out its size, weight, etc.). I want to tap the side of my portafilter without worrying about the wood.


Thanks to all who made this roadshow happen. - Tom

[hbuchtel]

Paul Pratt was inspired by the Roadshow feedback and decided to try some more glamorous handle shapes:

Dang, I wish I'd seen this post when it was written. I got my 'bulbous' style tamper from Paul about two weeks ago, it feels great.

Funny thing is I hadn't unwrapped the second handle till this evening and didn't realize the two were different! But I'll keep using the rubber encased one in this cold weather.

Henry

[coffeedirtdog]

Top three in no particular order. We got 5 barista together and here is the better part of the consensus.


Handle: The bumper handle was surprisingly comfy though the looks didn't lead to that conclusion. I was trained with a flashlight style grip with the EPNW ProTamp, so this was my top pick. I would have liked to try a bit longer version than the one included in the case. The one thing with the rubber is that you need to learn to not tap or do so ever so lightly. The rubber dulls the tap so much you can easily break the puck by overcompensating with a harder tap. I would like variations of the handle to try. Something gently influenced by either the pullman grip or the Espressocraft grip.

Base: The base has a comfy taper. Allows you to spread your fingers and not put too much pressure on them. The base height is a bit thick for my style of dosing and affected my feel a lot, but it's easy to adjust to over time.

Summary: Durable and no problem in a cafe long term. Bumper base is nice to set the tamper in.



Handle: The brushed metal handle had a nice grip. The way your middle finger fits just under the curve and the taper follows the curve of your thumb is so sweet. Effortless. Probably the best grip of any tamper for most of our group. The lack of variable sizes in handle though means you are screwed if your hands are too little or too big for it.

Base: The base was a letdown. The angle forces your finger tips into a central location that can be very uncomfy if you put any pressure on them. It is hard to spread your fingers as the base is so flat. A more sloped base would be a lot more comfy. The height of the base was also very short. Most of us dose more volumetrically so the base was always a bit too far under the rim of the basket. The joke with us came to be that it was designed for the updosed triple ristretto.

Summary: Nice cafe tamper but I would seriously think about getting a different base design. While very balanced, I like the base to be a little heavier and of more height.


Handle: Durable steel handle. Capped so fine for the tap happy barista. Grip is utilitarian but fine for long term use with no real drawbacks using proper technique. Several of us have this tamper so there is a lot of bias towards this one.

Base: The slope of the base is just right for not putting too much stress on the fingers. Height is very nice for those of us who level and don't updose at all. (I like the c-flat version as a base though)

Summary: Clean and utilitarian. A great cafe tamper for long term use. I love the heaviness of this tamper, but don't drop it on your foot. I may be in the minority in saying we enjoy a good heavy tamper.

-Most controversial-

Only one person in our group liked the radical pro tamper. He has very long fingers and could actually get back on this tamper that he wasn't leaning forward too much. The grip was very uncomfortable to most of us. You almost end up putting more pressure in your fingers to compensate. We use flashlight grip style tamping but this was too far forward to stay level and put pressure on it consistently. At first it seemed very comfy but after repeated use, you would overtamp to one side, usually the front. So often at your thumb or index finger, you would be slightly uneven and not quite level. If you eyeball the last two photos of this tamper in use, you can see why. The finish also seemed to be fading a bit at this stage in the game. The base was nice but it was hard to stay level.

Notables:
The reg barber was the epitomy of a good home use tamper but most of us are averse to wood in a cafe setting. Most interesting were the Pullman and Coffeelab designs which both had some unique parts we liked.

It was great to play with these and we will be putting in a round of orders soon. thx to everyone who made this happen.- Jaime in Cambridge