Tampers ?

[terrawarra]

Forgive my arrogance or ignorance 'cos I'm just a newbie.... junior member and all that but I sure as hell 'aint stupid.
I'm over 70 years of age and I've been around the block a few times ....
I've been making magnificent short blacks for the past 20 odd years with a steady progression of domestic machines mainly because they seldom last more than a couple of years.
My current gear is Breville BES840 and Sunbeam grinder EMO480 which work together well for me.... no, I'm not the smartest or best equipped Barista but I only have to please myself.
Regarding the topic of this thread, "Tampers", I just can't figure out why they're so outrageously expensive. Surely it doesn't cost around $100 to $200 to make one ?... is there some sort of secret mens' stuff rocket science attached to them ?
I wish I was selling them for a living.... I'd be a zillionaire in no time.
Cheers

[Luke_G]

Your right terrawarra, it does not take a rocket surgeon to make a tamper.
Not all tampers are created equal though and cost does reflect this.

What most of us are paying for is either looks or correct fitment(custom milled). The rest of the cost is usually name related.
I think of my tampers as a set of wheels. They are a must but other than serving that one purpose, they are mostly cosmetic but a really good one can make a difference in usability.

[Andy]

You can find tampers for around $20 but they won't be as well made or as well sized. A cast tamper is far cheaper than a hand machined one if only for material and labour costs. Also many of the "stainless" cheap ones are low grade steel, not 304 food grade so do your homework before buying a "bargain".

At whatever price they sell for, a percentage of that is obviously margin... people along the chain need to eat too!

We sell some beautiful and well made tampers in the $60-$70 range and those that own one love 'em.
CoffeeSnobs - BeanBay - Cafelat Coffee Accessories - Cafelat Nikka Tamper Zebra

[TC]

I wish I was selling them for a living.... I'd be a zillionaire in no time.

Looking forward to your declaration of zillionaire status terrawarra

For mine, like kitchen knives. $10 from the local supermarket v lifetime investment which can be passed on to your offspring.

You gets what you pays for!

[terrawarra]

Thanks guys for your comments !
I do understand that a decent tamper should be of a solid weight and precision measurements as well to ensure a perfect fit in the basket..... convex or concave ?... hmmm, the jury's still out on that one.
I wouldn't mind borrowing my neighbors lathe and having a go at making one out of a solid lump of brass. Chrome plating to make it pretty and a nice redgum handle also knocked up on the lathe.

[Barry_Duncan]

I agree that the main thing is that the base is accurately turned to fit neatly into the basket, leaving enough room not to bind if using a nutating tamping technique. http://coffeesnobs.com.au/general-co...technique.html

It helps to have some marking on the sides to help get an accurate depth when tamping.

The shape of the handle doesn’t matter so much however if you are making hundreds of coffees a day a comfortable fit in your palm is important.

Barry

[Yelta]

I'm over 70 years of age and I've been around the block a few times ....
I've been making magnificent short blacks for the past 20 odd years with a steady progression of domestic machines mainly because they seldom last more than a couple of years.

Regarding the topic of this thread, "Tampers", I just can't figure out why they're so outrageously expensive. Surely it doesn't cost around $100 to $200 to make one ?... is there some sort of secret mens' stuff rocket science attached to them ?

Same here terrawarra, I'm no spring chicken and like you have been around the block, and the world a few times.

"A steady progression of domestic machines mainly because they seldom last more than a couple of years."

Had a bit of a chuckle at this statement, you seem to be a bit of a slow learner, I've owned espresso machines for a similar period, my first was a Krups, didn't take me long to work out it was a piece of crap, I sold the thing less than 12 months after buying it and bought a Silvia, lasted me 10 years, only reason I sold it was to upgrade to an E61 machine which is still going strong, so I guess the message here is you get what you pay for

I once said in another thread you can tamp with a pickle jar lid tacked to 100mm of broom handle if want, you can also catch fish with a bamboo pole and a length of string, however in this day and age most people are looking for something a little more aesthetically pleasing and are, within reason prepared to pay for a product that looks good and performs well.

"I just can't figure out why they're so outrageously expensive."

Not a difficult task to figure this one out, with a tradesperson in Australia earning close on $100.000 a year he/she could produce over 500 tampers a year sell them at $200 and still not break even, the cost of running a business nowadays is astronomical, I reckon a nicely designed and crafted tamper selling at $200 is pretty good value for money, Andy's $60/$70 tampers are a bargain.

Keep in mind the quote by John Ruskin.
“There is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and he who considers price only is that man's lawful prey.”

[alyosius]

You can find tampers for around $20 but they won't be as well made or as well sized. A cast tamper is far cheaper than a hand machined one if only for material and labour costs. Also many of the "stainless" cheap ones are low grade steel, not 304 food grade so do your homework before buying a "bargain".

At whatever price they sell for, a percentage of that is obviously margin... people along the chain need to eat too!

We sell some beautiful and well made tampers in the $60-$70 range and those that own one love 'em.
CoffeeSnobs - BeanBay - Cafelat Coffee Accessories - Cafelat Nikka Tamper Zebra

Andy, what are the chances of getting a smaller version added to the offerings? (my callipers tell me I'm looking for something under 51.4mm diameter)

[Andy]

Andy, what are the chances of getting a smaller version added to the offerings? (my callipers tell me I'm looking for something under 51.4mm diameter)

Chances? Not much but I know a few people that have purchased an over-sized one, taken it to an engineering workshop with their basket and for a "Friday afternoon six-pack" had it machined to suit.

Just make sure you purchase turned stainless base (like the Cafelat ones), not a cast one for best results on a lathe.

[RayTCoffeePro]

Plastic tampers are unacceptable!!!!!

And that's why tampers are in the section "Puckology" on my list to love bout coffee......

Anyways, The tampers are broken down into specifications....

Diameter:
Thickness of Base:
Weight of base:
Weight balance:
Base type:
Base material:
Handle Material: Vice versa here
Tamper Type: Click (I.E the espro calibrated tampers) Static (Ordinary tampers)
Handle Length:

That's my spec lists....

Reg barber does a good job, maintaining weight balance, custom diameters and even base types like flat, convex, c-curve.........

Some other tampers like Espro uses a calibration system that "clicks* at 30 pounds.......

Some are even with diamond like surfaces.... that lasts 100 years (do your research)

I use a 1KG Convex Base with Custom handle for my Reg Barber tampers and believe me RB does an exceptional job...........

[terrawarra]

Thanks for the link to "Mutating Tamping" Barry.... good reading and I've also learned a new word for the day.....nutating !
I also must agree with Yelta, why did I waste so much time & money on low-end machines instead of simply lashing out and getting a decent one in the first place. My next one will be the humble Silvia mainly because my budget says so.
I'd like to share my "uneducated" tamping technique with you as follows....
I over-dose (way too much), then collapse the grounds for way too long by tapping the portafilter on the open palm of my left hand and then a swift & not too heavy push with the tamper ending in a half circle polish. Yeah, you're probably chuckling but it works !
Cheers for now.

[Yelta]

My next one will be the humble Silvia mainly because my budget says so.
I'd like to share my "uneducated" tamping technique with you as follows....
I over-dose (way too much), then collapse the grounds for way too long by tapping the portafilter on the open palm of my left hand and then a swift & not too heavy push with the tamper ending in a half circle polish. Yeah, you're probably chuckling but it works !
Cheers for now.

Silvia is a great little machine TW, as I said had one for 10 years, never a problem, however the design has hardly changed since version one, I believe there are now other machines out there in the same price range that offer more, have heard lots of good reports on Lelit, worth checking around before you commit, you may even find a good SH Silvia around.

Your tamping technique sounds fine to me.

[Vinitasse]

A 1kg base!?!?! What's it made out of Ray... plutonium?

[chokkidog]

hmmmmmm....... gold, pure gold. ;-)

[saoye]

Platinum is my guess