# Is this tamper lost on me?



## Wombat (Nov 12, 2013)

Hi all,

I bought a Mini Vivaldi from Mark L last year and among the accessories that came with it was a custom Tor tamper that fits exactly into the 53mm (rounding up) basket. I think I recall Mark saying he'd payed in the region of £100 for it.

Here's the thing: the Vivaldi baskets taper slightly, and I'm finding if I dose less than around 19g the tamper binds and I end up with an uneven tamp and a battle to free it from the basket. If I dose more than 18g into a 20g basket the puck starts to hit the screen when I lock the handle in.

I didn't want to bother Mark - he sold me a coffee machine not a fundamentals course. So I've been using a cheap Motta tamper instead!

I'm thinking either a) I'm just doing it wrong or b) this is an individual thing and the Tor tamper just isn't for me.

I'd like to give it a chance before I sell it. Is this a common beginner problem?

Thanks for reading,

Will


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## lake_m (Feb 4, 2017)

Hi Will, how you getting on with the La Spaz? Must be a couple of years now?

The tamper is a Torr Sharp Edge 53.6mm custom made tamper supplied by @coffeechap - one of a kind with an African black wood handle.

I used it exclusively with the IMS competition 12g /18g basket and I dosed 18g always - it was a lovely tight fit. I don't think I ever used the 20g basket.

If you really want to use it with the 20g standard basket you could take to a machine shop a have 0.2mm skimmed off it.

Unfortunately basket options for the La Spaz are few and far between due to the odd-ball group size.

Andy.


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## Wombat (Nov 12, 2013)

Hi Mark, good to see you're still around! Wow, time does fly.

Me and the machine are getting along great - it keeps its consistency when I just want to tick over and focus on other obsessions, which is exactly what I was looking for.

I'll dig out the 18g basket and give that a whirl - I've got a bit more time to get reacquainted with the details at the moment, so perhaps I can level up a little.

..before spring hits and my garden demands attention


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## Wombat (Nov 12, 2013)

Ah yes, this was the issue - and it's an issue I've had with other machines too.

If I dose to the basket spec, the puck hits the shower screen when I lock the handle in. I've always had to go one or two grammes under 

Good news though, the tamper doesn't bind!


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Wombat said:


> Ah yes, this was the issue - and it's an issue I've had with other machines too.
> 
> If I dose to the basket spec, the puck hits the shower screen when I lock the handle in. I've always had to go one or two grammes under
> 
> Good news though, the tamper doesn't bind!


 The exact fit tampers are designed with straight wall baskets in mind, a lot of standard baskets have a slight taper, shame the manufacturers just don't take a leaf out of the precision basket producers book!


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## Wombat (Nov 12, 2013)

Mark has given me new appreciation for this one of a kind wonder. I'm going to see if I can find a sweet spot where I can use the tamper but dose below the shower screen.

I wonder why I'm having issues.. is there such a thing as voluminous coffee, or could I be grinding too coarsely and somehow still ending up with correct ratios?


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Different coffees have different densities and roasting darker than lighter will make them take up more space. You'll probably need a smaller tamper for stock/not vst or ims baskets by the sounds of it.


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## Wombat (Nov 12, 2013)

Thanks Rob. I might go back to the drawing board a little bit.

Even on the 18g IMS there is a taper and the tamper will bind when 'fully submerged' in the basket.

Unless I'm mistaken, there must be a sweet spot where there's enough coffee in the basket that the tamper won't bind but not so much that it hits the shower screen.

Dosing down a little might even improve my shots


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Are you talking hits the shower screen before you start the pump or you see an imprint afterwards? Yeah they have a slight taper right at the bottom but you're not dosing down there are you...


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## Wombat (Nov 12, 2013)

Yeah hits before I start the pump and demolishes the puck.

The taper appears to start quite high up with the LS baskets, even precision baskets - the tamper gets about 6-7mm into the basket before it binds.


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## lake_m (Feb 4, 2017)

Hmm. Sounds like it needs the tiniest amount skimming off then. I was using James Gourmet Simply Brazil at the time and it may have been a fluffier, more voluminous coffee. I'm not sure.

If you can find someone local, I'm sure they would do it for a tenner. Take the basket with you and tell them how far into the basket you want it to go.

It would be a shame to not be able to use the tamper as it's a lovely thing.


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## lake_m (Feb 4, 2017)

@joey24dirtare you still in the game.? Not heard from you for a while.


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## Wombat (Nov 12, 2013)

Yeah I think it'll need a little bit trimming off. Here's the 18g basket, tamped until the tamper binds and there's still an indentation in the dry coffee


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## Wombat (Nov 12, 2013)

Oh boy, do I have egg on my face.

I think I've been using the wrong basket for the last 18 months/two years. The IMS baskets don't accommodate the tamper but the two un-marked baskets do...

There isn't a facepalm emoji strong enough...


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