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What is a tamper and why is it important?

An espresso tamper is used to compress your ground coffee into a compact puck. But why is that so important?

A compressed puck creates resistance in your filter basket, which enables proper coffee extraction.

If you don’t press the puck with a tamper, water will follow the path of least resistance, creating small channels in the coffee. This leads to an unbalanced espresso with (usually) too many sour notes.

Tamping also creates distance between the puck and your machine’s brew group, which is necessary for the machine to build the correct pressure (between 9 and 11 bars).

When to use a flat or convex tamper

Traditional barista tampers have a handle and a heavy metal base. They are designed to sit comfortably in your hand. The weight of the base helps ensure even, consistent tamping.

Many have a rounded top, allowing you to comfortably rest your palm during tamping.

Less well-known is the palm tamper. These have a flat top and often feature adjustable tamping depth. The advantage of a palm tamper is that you always tamp level because the edges rest on the rim of your portafilter.

We offer not only traditional tampers but also tamper-distributor combos. These combine a palm tamper with a coffee distributor.

A coffee distributor levels your ground coffee before tamping, making tamping even easier. Plus, our 2-in-1 tool saves space on your coffee bar.

What to consider when buying a new tamper

Most espresso machines come with a tamper. You can’t really make a decent coffee without one, after all.

However, the quality varies a lot depending on the brand (looking at you, Sage and DeLonghi…)

Some tampers are made entirely of plastic and lack a convex top, making it easy to tamp unevenly or with insufficient pressure.

If the tamper that came with your machine isn’t great and you’re looking to upgrade, here’s what to look for:

Tamper sizes

Not all portafilters have the same width, so make sure to choose the correct tamper size that fits your machine.

Most DeLonghi (such as Dedica) machines work with a 51mm tamper. Sage tampers are usually one size up: 54mm. For Sage machines (including the Sage Barista Pro) we offer tampers in 53.3mm, which fit perfectly in a 54mm portafilter.

Machines with an E61 brew group also have a standard size: 58mm. These are typically higher-end machines, like those from Rocket, Rancilio, Bezzera, or La Marzocco.

For these, we sell tampers and other barista tools in 58.5mm, just slightly larger for a perfect fit in your E61 portafilter (which usually has a 58.5mm inner diameter rather than 58mm).

One exception is Quick Mill machines. Their portafilters are truly 58mm, so we recommend our 58mm tamper for those.

Not sure which tamper size you need? Check out our size guide for a quick answer.

Tamper material and grip

As mentioned, a tamper should fit your palm comfortably and be made of durable materials. Here’s how to spot a quality espresso tamper.

We recommend using a tamper with a solid grip to help you tamp evenly and consistently.

You should grip the tamper as if holding a doorknob, pressing the rounded top against your palm.

Place your thumb and forefinger on the edges of the tamper and filter basket to check whether you’re tamping straight.

Ideally, the tamping surface should be made of metal (like stainless steel) which is both durable and easy to clean.

Are metal or wooden tampers better?

Both wooden and metal tampers can be excellent choices. It comes down to personal preference.

We sell tamper handles made of plastic, solid stainless steel, and rosewood. Each material has its own benefits:

Rosewood Stainless steel Plastic
Weighted ✓
Easy to clean ✓ ✓
Unique ✓

How much pressure should you apply when tamping?

Most baristas recommend applying between 5 and 20 kilograms of pressure when tamping.

For best results, stand sideways to your portafilter and bend your elbow to a 90-degree angle. With some practice, you’ll get a feel for how much pressure is needed to create the perfect coffee puck.

Which tamper fits my espresso machine?

We offer tampers in a wide range of sizes to suit many different machines:

  • 51mm: Ideal for many DeLonghi models like the DeLonghi Dedica
  • 53.3mm: Fits many Sage, Solis, and Breville machines, such as the Barista Express and Sage Barista Pro. These have 54mm portafilters, making our 53.3mm tamper fit perfectly.
  • 58mm: Especially suited for Quick Mill machines with three-winged portafilters (820, 835, 3000 series, etc.) and the Ascaso Steel Duo PID.
  • 58.5mm: The perfect fit for all E61 machines like ECM, Bezzera, Gaggia, La Marzocco, Rancilio, Rocket, and more.

Can I use any tamper with any portafilter?

Not all tampers fit all portafilters, because espresso machines vary in portafilter size. The tamper size you need depends entirely on your machine.

As explained, we offer tampers in 4 sizes, suitable for:

  • 51mm: DeLonghi
  • 53.3mm: Sage, Solis & Breville
  • 58mm: Quick Mill
  • 58.5mm: E61 machines