# New Tamper (big improvement)



## Jack-Jones (Mar 23, 2016)

I ordered a new tamper from Happy Donkey just before Christmas, as my wife said she would pay for it as one of my stocking fillers.







I liked the look of the "Espresso Gear high quality 58mm flat Barista tamper" they were selling, although would have really preferred a slight convex tamper, so I was happy when I received an email saying these tampers 'were' actually slightly convex. (website still states they are flat)

Anyway! Previously, I'd been using one of their flat based Italian tampers (bought as 58mm but is actually 57mm) and I've been happy with it, except when using it with my open PF, where it always spattered coffee in an 8" radius of the PF no matter what I did. You'd think changing the group head seal would have sorted it, but no way, so I returned to using my standard Gaggia basket and PF (blaming the open PF as being slightly warped or something) and all was nice and clean again.

Well, my new tamper arrived just in time for Christmas. 'Tis a lovely looking thing! Fits the hand very well with its large, bulbous handle. The stem is even extendable by about a half inch with optional shims that can be fitted, although I find it perfect as it is, as I can easily reach the top of the filter basket with my fingers while my palm is on the handle when tamping. It's even customisable with different coloured hand grips if required, though I won't bother.

The tamp head is a lovely mirror finish and gives no resistance whatsoever while tamping and yet still manages to give lots of feedback through the slim stem to the handle. The convex curve extends down from the base of the tamper by approximately 2mm so not a large convex, but still noticeable when you look at the coffee in your basket after tamping, and there is a nice depth line around the top of the tamper base to align with the rim of your basket. The Tamper weighs in at 290g, feels great in the hand and somehow doesn't require as much tamping force as my previous tamper to achieve the same tamp. The diameter of the head is precisely 57.96mm and after the tamp and two or three turns, there is now no need for me to go back around the basket edges, as everything is nice and compacted.

I thought I'd try it out on my open (problematic) PF first and was amazed, that I was now no longer getting any more spatter from between the group head and PF, so I'm back to using the open PF on a regular basis, with very predictable consistent results every time. I can't believe what a difference this tamper has made and all for less than £31 +p&p. I think I'll try one of those nice, engineered baskets next. Thanks for reading if you lasted this far and no, I don't have any affiliation to HD in any way, other than being a happy customer.


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## Grahamg (Oct 24, 2013)

Jack-Jones said:


> I think I'll try one of those nice, engineered baskets next.


Don't do it - you'd need a new tamper!


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## Jack-Jones (Mar 23, 2016)

Grahamg said:


> Don't do it - you'd need a new tamper!


Well if that was the case, the basket would be going back before the tamper.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

What Grahamg said is close to the truth, I have just measured 2 V S T baskets = 58.6 mm. If you use the deep baskets you may have to use your naked P/F to fit them in.

With your new tamper (very nice) you may still have to do N.S.E.W.

I would suggest you try to borrow a VST and see how you find it before you buy one.


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## Jack-Jones (Mar 23, 2016)

Thanks for the advice.

I'm happy with the results I'm getting, so anything from here is just experimenting in the hope of gaining small improvements.

I am indeed using a deep basket, the original basket (original AFAIK) measures 58.35 internally and requires no work at all after the tamp, so anything other than that would be a step backwards. In light of what you've said about the VST baskets (good info) I may keep an eye open for one in the FS&W section, but it will be pretty low on my list.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Jack-Jones said:


> Thanks for the advice.
> 
> I'm happy with the results I'm getting, so anything from here is just experimenting in the hope of gaining small improvements.
> 
> I am indeed using a deep basket, the original basket (original AFAIK) measures 58.35 internally and requires no work at all after the tamp, so anything other than that would be a step backwards. In light of what you've said about the VST baskets (good info) I may keep an eye open for one in the FS&W section, but it will be pretty low on my list.


See if anyone near you has one you can borrow.


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## dan1502 (Sep 8, 2012)

A 58.5mm tamper (or between that and 56mm) is ideal for VST baskets though if the fit is too close there can be a detrimental vacuum effect on removing the tamper.


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## MrP (May 18, 2015)

Being the retard I am, I can't seem to find the tamper. Do you have a link please?


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

Great review, Jack-Jones, thanks for sharing your experience. It looks a really neat tamper!

Try Coffee Hit, MrP. Not sure who else stocks them.


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

@MrP

Found in the Coffee Accessories section of the Happy Donkey site:

https://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd0826a-espresso-gear-high-quality-barista-58mm-flat-based-coffee-tamper.html

Hope of help

John


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## the_partisan (Feb 29, 2016)

@Jack-Jones I am curious what dose are you using for the Gaggia stock basket? I also have the same tamper, but I would say it's more convex than flat, unless there are two different variants?

Is it this one? https://www.espressogear.com/Barista-Tamper


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## Jack-Jones (Mar 23, 2016)

the_partisan said:


> @Jack-Jones I am curious what dose are you using for the Gaggia stock basket? I also have the same tamper, but I would say it's more convex than flat, unless there are two different variants?
> 
> Is it this one? https://www.espressogear.com/Barista-Tamper


 @the_partisan

Yes, that's the one and you're quite right, the tamper is slightly convex. As I mentioned in my original post, I was looking for a good convex tamper at a reasonable price when I found the Espresso Gear Tamper on HD. At the time, it stated it was a flat tamper "probably still does", so I thought "what the hell" and ordered one. The next day I received an email from Scott telling me, "it was in fact slightly convex and not flat", so I was even happier with my find, as that's what I wanted!

Prior to my new tamper, I was using one of HD's own flat tampers, which, as it turns out, are only 57mm. When using it with my bottomless PF and the included double basket "also a HD purchase", I would always get spatter from the group head, no matter what I did. Changing to the original basket in the bottomless PF helped some, but didn't entirely do away with the problem, so, I put it down to a badly fitting PF, or basket. At the time I was putting between 17g and 18g in the basket, no matter what PF/basket combination I was using. When the new Espresso gear tamper arrived, I thought I'd give the Bottomless PF and included basket another try and straight away, there was no spatter and has not been since.

I've upgraded my setup quite a lot since Christmas, now I'm using the bottomless PF along with double and triple IMS competition baskets. I've settled on the triple for the time being and dosing that at 19g-20g (I don't always weigh) which suits my requirements.


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## Jack-Jones (Mar 23, 2016)

MrP said:


> Being the retard I am, I can't seem to find the tamper. Do you have a link please?


Sorry for the delay @MrP, didn't notice your request until now. HERE'S the link. The photo on their site isn't the best and they are STILL saying it's a flat tamper, so probably worth dropping them an email or phoning tomorrow just to confirm. I don't think Espresso Gear make a flat bottom version. They're still less the £31+p&p, so a bargain at that price, as I've seen them elsewhere around £50.


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## Jack-Jones (Mar 23, 2016)

MildredM said:


> Great review, Jack-Jones, thanks for sharing your experience. It looks a really neat tamper!


Thanks @MildredM. It is. I'm impressed with it and I can't think of any reason to want to change. But, you never can tell!


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## Jack-Jones (Mar 23, 2016)

Sorry @johnealey. I didn't see your reply to MrP and posted pretty much the same information you gave, albeit 3 hours later.


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## the_partisan (Feb 29, 2016)

Thanks for the info!

How does the tamper fit with the IMS baskets? I only have the Gaggia standsrd basket, which is supposed to be 14g, but you had good results dosing 18g on it?


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## Jack-Jones (Mar 23, 2016)

the_partisan said:


> Thanks for the info!
> 
> How does the tamper fit with the IMS baskets? I only have the Gaggia standsrd basket, which is supposed to be 14g, but you had good results dosing 18g on it?


The Espresso Gear tamper fits the IMS baskets very well, no N.S.E.W required! Without measuring, I would say there is between 0.5 & 0.25mm space left around the circumference of the tamper when in place. (far more with my old 57mm HD tamper).

Although I bought my Classic used from a member of this site, I have no reason to believe the basket isn't a standard Gaggia double, but, I had a tendency to slightly overfill it, as I used to get a slight impression of the Shower screen screw head and I didn't weigh much at all then, just went off the level in the basket.

I'm favouring the triple IMS basket, marked 18-22g as I primarily drink Lattes, Cappuccinos etc and like to taste a good strong coffee through the milk. Both IMS baskets will fit in the standard PF and they have engineered their baskets so there is no need to adjust the grind or tamp after swapping. Just make sure you get the right sized IMS basket for your Classic if you're considering them, they are marked up as 68 and not 70.


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