I'm right-handed, so naturally I started my amateur barista career using the tamper in my right hand. But after a few years of this, the daily tamping aggravated an old wrist injury. The morning pain was getting excruciating.

So a while back I tried tamping with my left hand. The pain soon ended! But something just wasn't working properly -- my left-tamped shots were always frustratingly inferior to the right-tamped shots that I used to prepare.

I have finally figured out the problem! Like the vast majority of you, I was originally using a right-handed portafilter (see photo below).



But the other day, I received a left-handed portafilter from EPNW (see photo below), and the shots are now coming out just heavenly! I can't believe that I didn't discover this earlier.


Many thanks to Dave and Terry Z for making the left-handed portafilters available.

another_jim wrote:Do they also make an ambidextrous portafilter? I switch hands halfway through to improve the distribution.

Good question, Jim! I hope Terry or Dave chimes in with the answer.

You know the trouble with this whole left and right thing has created polarization of not only our nation but now it seems it has infected the specialty coffee industry.

Our work on the ambidextrous portafilter had to wait until now, but we have been able to source some other fine coffee tools




This particular device was found online and we feel that it solves a big problem for roasters that have little or no time to cup. Now they can do it in half the time!

Ahh, the famous dual-bowl cupping spoon! News spreads quickly!

Don't forget to drain the antifreeze from your car as we go into summer. You need to put coolant in it, then drain the radiator in the fall and replace the coolant with antifreeze. It is also a good idea to vent out all of the summer air in the tires and refill them with winter air for the cold months.

And don't forget a collection of cups for your left handed guests

Jacob wrote:And don't forget a collection of cups for your left handed guests

Wow Jacob, great idea! All my cups seem to be right-handed. Where do you get yours?

Speaking as a lefty, the lefty cup thing is actually not completely a joke. All the logo espresso cups I've seen have their logos on only one side--the side that faces a righty when drinking a shot. We lefties get to view the blank side while enjoying our shots, only getting to appreciate the logos we've chosen to embrace while they sit on top of our machines or during shot pours--or by holding the hot cup backwards without using the handle.

Something should be done about this! Either put logos on both sides of the cup (let's let the issue of inside-the-cup graphics slide for now), center the single logo opposite the handle as Gimme! does with their David Pier Lux-Delux mug, or get me help for my psychosis. Lefties of the world, unite! Something about this is sinister.

On the other hand, I've gotta say that the Intelly Winged Demis that I have look as if they've provided a guide for righties as to where to put their mouth on the cup.