Tamping Technique

[Matthew Kolehmainen]

So, the debut of the new Reg Barber Radical Pro has got me thinking about tamping technique. I found this new tamper not working at all with my current technique, and I was just wondering what other people were doing. My technique is as follows:

1. Tamp hard on the puck (30-40lb)
2. Twirl the tamper with no pressure about 720 degrees
3. 'Flip' the portafilter to get rid of excess grounds
4. Place the tamper back on the puck with the ball in the palm of my hand and my fingers on the rim of the portafilter and the tamper to gauge the levelness of the puck, and correct if needed
5. One final polishing twirl and then lock and load

The new Reg doesn't work well for my twirling or levelness checking, but that's just my technique. Maybe something new should be developed for the new tamper? (Not that I'm planning on changing tampers...)

Matthew

[James Hoffmann]

What would happen if you didn't twirl?

How would it affect the shot?

[Matthew Kolehmainen]

I don't think that it would affect the shot much - it's mostly for looks

Matthew

[James Hoffmann]

Yet everybody does it. I just don't know how it got to be part of the essential routine?

[onocoffee]

Sounds like "The Colonel's Technique" to me...

[barry]

I don't think that it would affect the shot much - it's mostly for looks

it helps to keep grounds from sticking to the bottom of the tamper.


--barry "every move should have a purpose"

[)on]

Did anyone get the lowdown from Ken Nye on the change of the espressocraft tamper from polished to 'buffed'? I think it had something to do with the subtlety of the polish move most of us do.

A while ago, I discovered my habitual 'somewhat forceful' polish had dire consequences on my shots - switched to a 'no pressure' polish. How man times do you experiment a subtlety before drawing a conclusion?

[Jimmy Oneschuk]

polish for me usually helps clean up any loose fines.

[xristrettox]

HA, I don't even think I would be able to tamp without polishing. It's so habitual now, that it feels weird not to. Kinda like finishing your drink before you clean off the steam-wand.... or if the second barista does it for you, but it feels awkward cause you're supposed ta do it, and in the back of your mind, through your whole rosetta pour you're thinking "this feels wrong... what am I forgetting".

Anybody... anybody...

[Matthew Kolehmainen]

I was kind of thinking that the twirl helped to get the grinds off the sides of the basket, without having to resort to knocking.

Matthew

[Deferio]

I heard that, Billy.
I was showing a barista how not to tap the side of the porta by making like i was going to use the bottom of the piston against the cleat and I resisted it. I mean it was like an opposing magnetic force I could barely fake like I was going to do it. I get weird about keeping folded rags and 90 degree angles too...but that might be clinical.
Am I a cyborg? Am I programmed? Number 5 is alive.

-Chris Deferio

[scottlucey]

oh the folded towels!
especially the milk towel....
i have many co-workers who do not have this natural obsession (not program).
there are many times i feel like i'm wasting customer's time because i cant clean a wand with a towel thats not folded.
good one xdeferiox

but about the tamping technique in regards to the new barber. havent used it, but just by the looks, i would think my biggest point of uncomfortablability would be the fact that i too, would want to hold it in a way where my fingertips were on the piston.
...and the polish, don't stop the polish, it makes for a good shine.

[Richard Hartnell]

Am I a cyborg? Am I programmed?

-Chris Deferio

Nah. Just the other day, Alexarc says: "Will you pull me a double without flushing the grouphead?"

Now, I do this pretty compulsively - before locking in a rinsed PF as well as before locking in a shot - so I knew I didn't have a gross group or anything; even still, I think I had a full second of wincing while I locked the PF in without pulsing!

But regarding the Radical Pro, I'm getting one soon. One thing I've been doing to prepare is that instead of grabbing the usual tamper (RB tall ball, aluminum base) on top and then leveling with my fingertips, I'll grab the tamper in between my ring finger and middle finger and then curl my fingertips so they'll line up with the basket. It only took half a day to get used to it and now I remember every time; I suspect that the Radical Pro will support this habit pretty well (especially since you can't get your fingers *over* the RP unless you are a mutant). This difference in my initial tamp doesn't seem to have affected my shots, either.

The other thing I did was to order it with a stainless steel base - I think that'll take the top-heaviness down a notch so it will actually spin. I'll keep you guys posted if that works.

[geir oglend]

Funny you brought that up Richard, I use the somewhat sraight part of the tamper handle to brush/push the excess coffee off the top before I tamp and spin. This works well IMO.
Reg was at my house the night before leaving for Bern. He did mention that the Radical Pro handle can be purchased w/out the base for those who already have one of his tampers.
geir oglend.

[Richard Hartnell]

Huh! That's a unique idea. I didn't get a chance to use one with any coffee, but Alistair was nice enough to let me handle his during a visit to Elysian.

Alexarc has a rosewood tall ball tamper with an aluminum base, and the reason I'm getting the Radical Pro is that it's Black Drop tradition that you get your own custom tamper after 1 year. So maybe Alex and I can swap out bases and see what happens!

[Teri Lee]

Alexarc has a rosewood tall ball tamper with an aluminum base...

Um, actually, it's mine.

Didja know THAT?

[Richard Hartnell]

Um, actually, it's mine.

Didja know THAT?

I blame Steph!

So does Alex have his own?

[Teri Lee]

So does Alex have his own?

Nope.

That is, unless you count the 8-ball or the one with the monkey skull on it....

Oh man, that just makes us sound as crazy as we actually are, doesn't it!

[phaelon56]

oh the folded towels!
especially the milk towel....
i have many co-workers who do not have this natural obsession (not program).
there are many times i feel like i'm wasting customer's time because i cant clean a wand with a towel thats not folded.
good one xdeferiox

I don't see it as being programmed or as an obsession. For me it's a natural desire for an orderly, clean and well organized workspace. When I take the time to maintain my space in such a way the work flows better and faster and I don't have to figure out where things are. Call it a self-imposed ergonomic system.

That's why I've found very few other baristas in our shops that are easy and smooth to work with and also found precious few bartenders that were workspace compatible back when I was slinging alcoholic drinks.

But my inherent desire to keep the edge of the square fold towel parallel to other straight edges like the espresso machine or the countertops. Okay... that part is a bit obsessive-compulsive (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

[rocketshotrigo]

I have tasted many of your pulled black elixirs and I say, if it ain't broke... You do have freakishly long fingers and it is easier to get the ball of any tamper into your palm. Still waiting for you to publish a photo of your quattrofoglio art.

One question though, do you spin for looks or do you polish the finnish because your mom is Polish and your last name is Finnish?

[PureArabica]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the reason we polished was to smear the coffee oils together creating a more uniform seal on the puck?

Or am i just following old dogma?

P.S Anyone going to Vegas?

[onocoffee]

I will be there - along with 2005 US Barista Champion and ravishing entrepreneur Phuong Tran (and perhaps the very dapper Brent Fortune - coffee and bakery whiz kid) and the very suave 2004 SouthEast Regional Barista Champion, Daryn Berlin of Counter Culture Coffee.

I'm also thinking that a visit to Firefly On Paradise is in order for delicious Spanish Tapas and pitchers of sangria.

[Matt Milletto]

Vegas baby! I'll be there, arriving on the 8th.

Speaking of Brent Fortune, man Crema is quite the cool spot, what a building!

- Matt

[Matt Milletto]

P.S. Got one of the new Reg tamps. I think I like it ... it feels though like it may be about a 1/2 inch to long for my hand.

[PureArabica]

I hope i get to meet you guys. I'll be competing in the latte art comp. Friday morning.

Any thoughts on the polish in the tamping technique?