# Tampers for Sage DB



## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

Is the 58mm tamper supplied as standard with the Sage Dual Boiler considered any good?

It's all I have at the moment and I like the neat magnetic storage but it's not a particularly close fit in the basket - how critical is that?

Should I be considering an update to a newer, posher tamper? What is important in a tamper? Weight? Self-levelling? Nice wooden handle? Calibrated spring-loading for even tamp pressure every time? Shininess?

What sizes fit a Sage basket? 58mm exactly or 58.2 or 58.4 or 58.203568? Any specific recommendations?

TIA


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

It is the type of basket that dictates the size. I use vst that lets me use 58.4. I think the stock save basket is the same but others can confirm


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Upgrade tamper oh yes, upgrade at any cost haha not sure on size ok I use a Motta 58.4 I'm someone will be along soon @joey24dirt


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

58.4mm fits a sage stock and VST baskets if you ever upgrade. There's a whole range of ones out there that you can spend a little or a fortune on.

If your just starting out I'd recommend getting some training and have someone come to your house and show you how to get the best out of your set up.

You'll spend approx £100 but it will save you that on sinked shot and wasted beans (just my 2ps worth).

Where about are you based?


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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

We're in the south west in Zummerzet. I've contacted a local barista in Taunton who will do a basic training course for me and the Mrs using our own machine and grinder at a reasonable price but he said we'd probably get the best out of the course if we spent a couple if weeks trying the machine out first and then we could ask more intelligent questions, which I think is a good idea although in the meantime it means I bombard you lot with all my unintelligent questions


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

There's a tamper in the for sale section at the moment where you can set the depth. Might help with consistency in the early days.


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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

dfk41 said:


> It is the type of basket that dictates the size. I use vst that lets me use 58.4. I think the stock save basket is the same but others can confirm


does a vst basket fit a Sage portafilter?

I find the standard-but-not-quite works-in-some-not-others aspects of 58mm porterfilterdom a bit confusing


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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

ashcroc said:


> There's a tamper in the for sale section at the moment where you can set the depth. Might help with consistency in the early days.


Yes I saw that and it partly inspired this thread, although I have been looking at tampers in general for the last couple of weeks. I can appreciate the aesthetics of many of them but it's the practicalities I'm trying to grasp


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## joey24dirt (Jan 28, 2017)

At the risk of putting myself out of business, I think the Torrs are great. With a fancy pants skateboard handle of course haha


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Tampers, you need to read up a bit. There are flat, convex and all sorts of other styles that claim to achieve different effects! Sage will accept a VST. `ridge less are easier to take in and out than ridged.


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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

I know about flat and convex, flat will be fine convex sounds like snake oil surely the water will all dribble to the edge but then who knows? Did wonder about the ridged-vs-ridgeless debate I saw that so thanks for explaining, I assume my Sage default badket is ridgeless as I can pop it in and out ok without losing fingers or needing specialist tools


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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

joey24dirt said:


> At the risk of putting myself out of business, I think the Torrs are great. With a fancy pants skateboard handle of course haha


What makes a Torr great and why would I splash out on a @joey24dirt fancy-pants skateboard handle? I'm going to crush coffee with it not pavement surf round rural Somerset

Besides I'm an old git I prefer wenge or walnut or shiny


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## joey24dirt (Jan 28, 2017)

Greydad said:


> What makes a Torr great and why would I splash out on a @joey24dirt fancy-pants skateboard handle? I'm going to crush coffee with it not pavement surf round rural Somerset
> 
> Besides I'm an old git I prefer wenge or walnut or shiny


The Torr tampers can be shimmed easy to be a nice fit to your hand. Just gives you more control over the tamp ...... also, I do just have oak. Historic oak from the House of Commons according to the guy who gave me it


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

Greydad said:


> needing specialist tools


Teaspoon. Nice and simple. (From the owner of two very snazzy spanners that I need to find additional uses for- however they are not necessary for this application)


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Ive had at least 8 tampers since getting into coffee.

I now use a Pergtamp which was made by Pullman (who I also really rate). My other is a Torr Convex.


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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

Missy said:


> Teaspoon.


Teaspoon? For coffee? Is that even allowed? Is it not a Betrayal of the Bean?


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

Greydad said:


> Teaspoon? For coffee? Is that even allowed? Is it not a Betrayal of the Bean?


Coffee spoons are too small. It's a good use for the multitude of redundant tea spoons.

Just don't use it to scoop any granules out of a jar....


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## KTD (Dec 28, 2017)

Pavement surf around rural Somerset


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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

joey24dirt said:


> The Torr tampers can be shimmed easy to be a nice fit to your hand. Just gives you more control over the tamp ...... also, I do just have oak. Historic oak from the House of Commons according to the guy who gave me it


Umm, the Torrs look cool


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

Greydad said:


> What makes a Torr great and why would I splash out on a @joey24dirt fancy-pants skateboard handle? I'm going to crush coffee with it not pavement surf round rural Somerset


Not at the same time, no











> Besides I'm an old git I prefer wenge or walnut or shiny


I am quite old (probably not as old . . . ) and I have a fancy-pants Joey handle AND a wenge!


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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

MildredM said:


> I am quite old (probably not as old . . . )


just what are you trying to say Mildred???



> and I have a fancy-pants Joey handle AND a wenge!


ooh err missus!


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

Personally I like the Sage tampers. I had a bit of a problem tamping out of level and it's easy to check that with them. However I have been using one of these on the DB so far

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XQVG6GJ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bought to turn down to fit the BE baskets - never happened so thought I may as well use it. It will give consistent tamping.

Fancy shapes - I'm afraid i am inclined to think along the lines of fool and their money so wouldn't buy one to see if they really do anything useful.








When tamping don't forget to polish the puck - makes them look nice. I always do.

John

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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

I think the key from tamping is just a nice flat, even surface. So flat bottom tamper and a good fit are important to me. As was already said both the VST and Sage Stock double baskets accept a 58.4mm tamper.

I haven't checked but have read from multiple other people checking that tamper manufacturers weren't always producing strictly controlled size tampers. So some are more accurately measured to 58.4 than others and this has become more common in the last few years so you probably have more options. The way I recall it the barista hustle tampers, pullman tampers, torr tampers and push tampers were manufactured to quite tight tolerances. Some other tampers - though of course the names I've just written isn't exhaustive - are not manufactured as accurately.

Depending on the tamper then you may end up with less of the coffee tamped than you think. I'm thinking of this https://baristahustle.com/blogs/barista-hustle/pergtamp from Matt Perger when saying this. Of course he was also marketing his tamper and a subsequent line of cheaper tampers so you'll have to decide yourself how true it is:


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

Tampers of various diameters are about, just finding some quickly

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/torrtoys/?_dmd=1&_nkw=tamper

My trust mitutoyo's make the Sage tamper 58.15 and the one I linked to on amazon 58.01mm. Torr's may be the the size he states as he sometimes mentions specific ones for the baskets he sells. The Sage DB tamper has a noticeable rad on the edge, the amazon one is just short of a sharp edge. I'd guess that they are this size as baskets vary a bit on wall thickness and can also vary due to how a ridge is formed.

John

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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

Thanks both, I've been looking at all of them on the various links plus some others I've been checking out. I measured the DB basket with a micrometer and it's about 58.8mm dia at the top and narrows down to about 58.3-58.4 somewhere near the middle, so I guess the 58.4 size is designed to fit at the point where it's suitably tamped.

I'd noticed that the Sage DB tamper has a radius and this leaves a noticeable 'up stand' round the edge after it's tamped (see pic). No idea if this is significant or not but Matt Perger's article was interesting because that's exactly what I see - the Torr ones are very sharp and would presumably tamp more evenly and completely right up to the edge of the basket but whether I would ever notice any difference in the coffee as a result of this I have no idea. They look nice though.


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Have a look at coffechap for sale he as some Tor's for sale other than that the Motta form ebay at £24 posted


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

I've just bought a Torr from Coffeechap. The difference to my previous tamper was noticeable in ease of use and the feel in the basket.

Not had it long enough since exploding my machine to decide if it makes a difference in the cup... But it makes my work flow more enjoyable.


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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

Missy said:


> I've just bought a Torr from Coffeechap. The difference to my previous tamper was noticeable in ease of use and the feel in the basket.
> 
> Not had it long enough since exploding my machine to decide if it makes a difference in the cup... But it makes my work flow more enjoyable.


Thanks, I'll contact coffee chap when I've got money again


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