Our KM Tamper
We tramp a lot. From now on with our own tamper. The tamper was developed by us according to the specifications of our barista team to support precise tamping and consistent extractions. The tamper is manufactured by Moritz and Tobi in the Ruhr area. 100% made in Germany.
Product features: Our tamper
- The tamper has a diameter of 58.5mm. At 58.5mm, the tamper fits perfectly with all precision sieves as well as conventional 58 sieves from espresso machines. 58.5mm is our preferred tamper size. Thanks to the flush processing, the tamper compacts right up to the edge and minimizes the risk of channeling.
- The lower part, the so-called base, is made of stainless steel. The material used has quality class 1.4301 and is primarily used in the food industry. An example of use are beverage containers or cutlery.
- Many tampers of size 58.5mm fit precisely. However, when it is removed, a vacuum is created, which loosens the pressed coffee puck and, in the worst case, opens cracks. That's why our tamper is provided with a convex recess in the base, which prevents a vacuum .
- Nevertheless, we attached importance to an upper level flush with the sieve to support straight tamping. This means you can check the level between the tamper and the portafilter with your thumb and forefinger.
- Each handle is unique . For this reason and because wood is a natural product, the specimen delivered may differ slightly from the product image.
- Any hairline cracks in the wood have been professionally sealed and do not represent a defect.
- After production, the tamper is processed by hand with an oil-wax combination (food-safe according to EURO standard 1186 part 5/14) so that it is water-repellent and suitable for kitchen use.
- The tamper is delivered in a cotton bag in a round cardboard packaging without a plastic inlay.
- Weight and dimensions: The tamper weighs approx. 292g and is approx. 8.2cm high. At its widest point the wooden handle is approx. 3.8cm in diameter.
- Base and handle can easily be screwed apart.
Our KM Tamper in the video - the background
Care instructions: Our tamper
- Do not put the wooden handle in the dishwasher and do not use detergents to clean it.
- The handle can be easily cleaned with a microfiber cloth - this immediately refreshes the surface.
- A few drops of water do not harm the tamper as it has a surface that has been treated several times, but contact with water should generally be avoided.
- A food-safe canauba wax oil or other food-safe wax oils based on natural oils can be used to renovate the surface. Then polish with a microfiber cloth.
- The stainless steel base (the lower part) can also be put in the dishwasher or alternatively can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
The manufacturing process - local and as resource-saving as possible
Tampers are a typical imported product and are mainly manufactured in the Far East. This is absurd in many ways. Experience with high-quality and, above all, precise metal and wood processing is available in many craft businesses in our region. Nevertheless, individual components are transported around the globe instead of strengthening local networks.
With our tamper we wanted to do it differently. The tamper is produced in the Ruhr area - it can hardly be more local. The handle is made in Dinslaken in our workshop and the metal base in Hünxe, 4km from our coffee maker location in Dinslaken.
The producers
The base is manufactured in Tobi Zimmer's metal construction company,Zimmer Maschinenbau . In this family business we have found a great partner for our project. In a two-stage manufacturing process, the base is manufactured on state-of-the-art CNC lathes.
The handle is also created in a multi-step process in our workshop . After the blank has been produced using a CNC milling machine, the final shaping, grinding and surface treatment follow on the lathe.
The base and handle are then joined together to form a high-quality and durable tamper.
Our tamper. Why are we selling this tamper?
Anyone who drinks a lot of espresso uses it regularly. Anyone who brews espresso gastronomically needs it even more often: the tamper. Over the years we have tried out numerous tampers in our cafés in Basel. In our courses at the Coffee Academy, some tampers are missed and experiences are accumulated. The experienced championship baristas Felix (German and Swiss runner-up) and Philipp (two-time Swiss champion) are tamper-savvy anyway.
Impractical bumps and tampers that cannot be guided straight or create a vacuum can strain your nerves after the hundredth espresso at the latest.
This motivated us to create our own tamper and incorporate our experiences. A well-thought-out tamper that is produced locally and in a resource-saving manner and is stylish at the same time - that's what we wanted to achieve with our product.
The design of the base prevents negative pressure when tamping and thus the risk of the coffee puck coming loose or being damaged after tamping. The flush finish with the portafilter opening allows straight tamping and the diameter of 58.5 mm compacts the coffee powder right up to the edge. With careful preparation, the tamper prevents channeling. This allows for even extractions and therefore very good espresso.
Care instructions for our wooden products
We constantly receive questions about how to care for our beautiful wooden products so that they stay beautiful.
And unfortunately we have to realize again and again that sometimes they are not handled with care.
Here are a few do's and don'ts:
The wood is treated with an oil-wax combination to protect the surface.
This is food safe according to Euro standard 1186 part 5/14.
However, our wooden products do not like dishwashers, sinks or a lot of standing or running water. This causes the surface to become rough, the wood swells, warps radially and even breaks.
They also find sharp knives extremely annoying as they damage and scratch the surface.
Please do not use the coffee maker tray upside down as a cutting board in the kitchen. This works exactly once.
They are not at all happy about cleaning products.
It is not advisable to touch the products with sandpaper.
When cleaning our wooden items, please use a slightly damp microfiber cloth at most.
To ensure the longevity of the wooden products, you can not only care for them, but also care for them.
Best as follows:
Polish with a microfiber cloth, apply a food-safe hard wax oil and work it in. After drying, wipe off the excess again with a microfiber cloth.