# Espresso Gear Attento Click Tamping Mat



## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

As my wife has some stupid bathroom scales that insist on taking your bodyfat % before weighing you I cannot use them to work out how hard I'm tamping and rather than buy some normal ones I thought I might as well get one of these. I have 3 questions...

1. Firstly does anyone here have one of these or have any experience with one?

2. Are they any good?

3. Does anyone know where I can get one? as I've had my eye on Coffeehit for the last month and they're still out of stock

Please help as I need to spend some money on coffee related equipment


----------



## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

I looked at these yonks ago on the Coffee Hit site - thinking they would be a good cheaper altewrnative to the Espro tamper - but they were out of stock then, and seem to have been since!

I couldn't find an alternative uk or EU source at the time, either.


----------



## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

I feared as much. I really don't want to go down the tensioned tamper route now as I've just purchased a RB which I really like. I'll keep looking and keep you informed.


----------



## DonRJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Espresso Gear have an online shop so you may be able to buy direct from them.

http://www.espressogear.com/


----------



## Grumpy (Jan 21, 2011)

Check out the espressounderground.co.uk they may be able to help. Although tamping is very important with practice you should become quite adapt. Automatic tampers are good where several people use a machine, (cafes etc), and are an essential peice of kit to help produce consistant results.

I read in forums about people changing group seals when they leak, however they have a secondary and important funtion which I have never read about. They need to be flexible, Why? because they also have to allow the coffee to be traped between to filter basket and the shower plate at the top, this is to ensure the water goes through the coffee and not by the easier route of around the sides. This is the final tamp when you put the portafilter in the machine which should be with the same pressure or should I say the handle should always be in the same position when tight.


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

I'm going to slightly disagree with the last point made

Group seals / gaskets will wear with time

Ensure that when the machine is off the portafilter is left out of the machine

When the machine is on and the seals are also warm (from the grouphead temp) they should soften a wee bit and allow a good seal to be formed between the basket and the seal itself to keep the pressure in the basket/portafilter

If you have a hard seal then it may not be flexible enough and water can escape with the pressure

Over time the portafilter handle will move from left to right (as the seal wears). Therefore, the portafilter should lock into a similar position to the last extraction

Regarding the original query - the mats should be in stock in March as the supplier is awaiting a shipment before dispatching (I bumped into CoffeeHit at the UKBC heat today and put the question to Paul)


----------



## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

Thanks for that Glenn. Much appreciated. I was going to order one from the link Don found, Espresso gears own site but it would seem that items are dispatched from china and after some bad experiences I think I'll wait until Coffeehit get them in incase I have a fault and have to return it.


----------



## Grumpy (Jan 21, 2011)

I don't disagree with you Glen, however, seals do go hard with the heat over time which will stop the seal compressing and trapping the coffee.


----------

