In 2025, we launched a Barista Kit in collaboration with the iconic Italian brand Rancilio, filled with home-barista tools designed by us.
This kit was created especially to give home baristas with a brand-new Rancilio a flying start on their journey to great-tasting coffee at home.
Here, we share the story behind this special collaboration.
The beginning
In 2023, we received the email from Rancilio that set the whole adventure in motion, asking whether we were open to a collaboration.
Of course, we’re always happy to explore ideas like this, to see how we can strengthen each other. So later that same year, we flew to Italy to meet the people behind that email.
At HostMilano, the idea of a Barista Kit was born, as an addition to the new Rancilio Silvia and Rancilio Silvia Pro X.
The goal was to help Italian home baristas with a Rancilio instantly take their espresso to the next level, with the right tools, right from the start. With that goal in mind, we got to work.
The match
The collaboration between us and Rancilio made sense in every way. As experts in barista tools, we support Rancilio’s move into the home-barista world.
And as an iconic espresso machine manufacturer, Rancilio gives us the opportunity to test our tools on their new machines, something we always love to do when a new model is released.
We also quickly agreed that our tools and the new Rancilio machines are a great visual match.
By that we mean: no loud colors, no shiny chrome, but understated and modern, clean and minimalist, designed for home baristas.
Designing the Barista Kit
After Milan, we immediately started designing and putting together the Barista Kit.
Throughout the process, we kept asking ourselves one key question: How can a home barista get the best possible start with their brand-new Rancilio? Which tools do they really need?
The final selection was made together with Rancilio. These six barista tools made it into the kit:
WDT Tool
With a Rancilio Silvia, you work with freshly ground, high-quality specialty coffee. To get the most out of these beans, there are a few extra steps you can take during puck preparation.
One of them is using a WDT tool to break up clumps that form during grinding.
Grinding coffee creates static electricity, causing grounds to stick together almost magnetically. A WDT tool solves this.
A WDT tool is a universal upgrade for your home espresso setup. No sizing needed, just install the needles and you’re ready to go.
Tamper–Leveler Combination
A coffee distributor is one of the first upgrades we often recommend for any coffee corner, which is why it was a logical addition to the Barista Kit.
The three stainless-steel leveling surfaces help you create an even coffee bed before tamping. This prevents uneven tamping and uneven extraction (in other words: unpleasantly sour espresso).
We chose not to include just a leveler, but a combined tamper-leveler. This 2-in-1 tool also helps you tamp straight and consistently.
Dosing Cup
With our dosing cup, you can easily weigh your ground coffee and pour it into your portafilter without making a mess.
To fit the Rancilio portafilter perfectly, the Barista Kit includes a 58.5 mm aluminum dosing cup.
Tamping Mat
If you’re serious about puck preparation, a stable surface is essential. That’s why the Barista Kit also includes a tamping mat.
A good tamping mat protects your countertop from scratches and keeps your portafilter firmly in place while tamping and leveling.
Barista Cloths
A barista cloth is used to clean your portafilter and steam wand after use (just not with the same cloth, gross).
You can also use the cloths to clean your espresso machine and the surrounding area. That’s why every kit includes two barista cloths, perfect for your Rancilio setup.
Coffee Brush
A rosewood coffee brush completes the Rancilio x Barista-Essentials Kit.
It allows Italian home baristas to easily sweep spilled coffee grounds off the counter straight into the knock box.
Knock Drawer (optional)
Our classic stainless-steel knock out drawer, bringing a true espresso-bar feeling to your kitchen, is an optional addition to the Barista Kit.
And conveniently, the Rancilio home grinder fits perfectly on top of it.
Looking back
We (Jasper and Hugo) are incredibly proud to have designed this kit together with Rancilio, and we hope to add a second chapter to this awesome collaboration in the future. To be continued!
Curious how we help home baristas move closer to their best coffee at home?
Read the full Barista-Essentials story here.
