The miss silvia is the most popular home espresso machine for purists The Silvia is a solid chunk of metal, with an 18-8 Stainless Steel chassis, a heavy brass brew head for good heat distribution, and a full commercial-sized 58 mm portafilter. It is truly a little tank. (Dimensions are 11.4″D x 9.2″W x 13.4″H.) … Read more
Is calibrated tamper worth it? The Espro Calibrated Flat Espresso Tamper is an excellent tool for achieving delicious, balanced espresso Not only is the calibration set for life by the manufacturer, but the build and overall design of the tamper are sure to go the distance and help you brew your best for years to … Read more
The puck is the used coffee grounds in the portafilter If your grind was right, the grind should stick together in a solid round ‘puck’. It should be firm and dry, easily snapping into 3-4 pieces. What does your espresso puck tell you? Any sign of channeling is telling you something about what’s going on … Read more
If you want to tamp espresso without a tamper, we recommend using either a shot glass (like the one you would use for espresso), a teaspoon, or a beer bottle All of these items will work fine for tamping espresso. But the more obscure an object you use to tamper your espresso, the more technique … Read more
A calibrated tamper has a handle that is separated from the base of the tamper. The handle and base will connect and ‘click’ when pushed to 30 pounds of pressure Calibrated tampers are perfect for beginner baristas or pros who want to be 100% sure they applied the correct pressure. How does a calibrated tamper … Read more
Any sign of channeling is telling you something about what’s going on inside the puck during extraction The surest way to spot it is by looking at the underside of your portafilter while your shot is pulling. Spraying, gaps in extraction, and the way the first drops come through the filter can all be warning … Read more
Most automatic espresso machines have 5 buttons. The last button on the right is usually for manual flow The buttons with 1 cup are usually set to 40 ml and the buttons with 2 cups are set to 80 ml. On the picture above this means that button 1 and 2 are set to 40 … Read more
Elevate your espresso setup from sc-amper sadness to stainless success with this delonghi coffee tamper! Designed to fit DeLonghi’s 51mm basket size , these small-format tampers make an excellent alternative to the plastic scoop/tamper combo that comes with most machines of this size. What size tamper do I need for DeLonghi? Elevate your espresso setup … Read more
The ideal tamper should be slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the portafilter basket so that the tamper does not bind while compressing grounds – essentially there should be a little extra space between tamper and basket. How do I know what size tamper I need? Measure the portafilter across the diameter (the centerline). … Read more
Baristas often recommend 30 pounds of pressure, but some do as little as 20 pounds. More and more are finding that tamping pressure is overrated—it’s hard on the wrist and cause an over-extracted, bitter brew. Can you tamp espresso twice? Tamp twice For the first tamp, apply a light amount of pressure to form a … Read more