The Espro Tamper and Toroid Steaming Pitcher

frequently asked questions about espro and our products

Can someone explain the benefits of convex base versus flat base. What are the advantages?
How can I prevent my tamper from hitting the ridge/slope of my filter basket?
Does the espro tamper come in any other colour than black?
What size tamper do I need for my machine?
Is your convex base the American curve or Euro curve?
Is it possible to purchase an Espro tamper directly from Espro?
Can you make a custom sized espro tamper?
How tall is the 20oz Toroid Steaming Pitcher?

Q.	Can someone explain the benefits of convex base versus flat base. What are the advantages?
A.	The question of flat vs. convex is a difficult one, and has been heavily debated. It is really a question of personal preference. This is a recent example of the debate on coffeegeek. I am using a convex tamper right now, for a few reasons: The bottom of my portafilter basket is convex, so a convex tamper will actually make the puck a consistent (albeit curved) thickness. The convex tamper is also believed to push the coffee grounds up against the side of the basket, which would help to prevent channeling. I use a La Marzocco double basket, which necks down so also tends to seal the edges during tamping, so I am not sure. On the other side of the debate there are just as valid reasons, so it is a tough one.
Q.	How can I prevent my tamper from hitting the ridge/slope of my filter basket?
A.	This is a good discussion from coffeegeek.
Q.	Does the espro tamper come in any other colour than black?
A.	Yes, our 57mm convex tamper comes with a red handle. All of our other tampers come with a black handle.
Q.	What size tamper do I need for my machine?
A.	Portafilter sizes vary greatly. Here is a list of machines and portafilter sizes (The espro tamper comes in a 53, 57 and 58 mm diameter): Commercial Espresso Machines Astoria - 58mm Astra - 56mm Aurora - 56mm Azykoyen - 58mm Bezzera - 58mm Brasilia - 58mm Bunn - 58mm Caramali - 58mm Cimbali - 57mm Conti - 58mm Delonghi BAR32, BAR42, BCO264B - 51mm Elektra - 58mm Expobar - 58mm Faema - 58mm Futurmat - 58mm Gaggia - 58mm Isomac - 58mm La Marzocco - 57mm La Pavoni - 56mm Nuova Simonelli - 58mm Pasquini - 58mm Rancilio - 58mm Reneka - 56mm San Marco - 55mm Spaziale - 52mm Unic - 56mm VFA - 58mm Wega -58mm La Pavoni Lusso, Pisa, Si - 53mm La Pavoni Club Combo, Duet - 58mm La Pavoni lever machines (mfg. 1999 and newer) - 51mm La Pavoni lever machines (mfg. pre 1999) - 49mm Home Espresso Machines* Innova/Ascaso - 57mm Krups - 49mm La Pavoni Europiccola - 49mm La Riveria - 45mm Olympia Express - 49mm Rancilio - 58mm Saeco - 53mm Starbuck's - 53mm or 52mm Solis - 53mm or 52mm Francis! Francis! X1 (old model) - 53mm or 52mm Francis! Francis! X1 (new) - 56mm for a standard fit without binding and even compaction 52mm is recomended. Actual size is 53mm but due to the extreme precision a 52mm is recomended for regular use.
Q.	Is your convex base the American curve or Euro curve?
A.	Our convex bases have a gentle curve that is 0.065 inches or 1.67 mm in height. This would make our curve “American.” Our convex tamper was modeled after the curve found in the La Marzocco double filter basket.
Q.	Is it possible to purchase an Espro tamper directly from Espro?
A.	We only sell our tamper through selected retailers, so it is not possible to purchase a tamper directly from us. Please go to the ordering page of our web site for a complete listing of our retailers throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
Q.	Can you make a custom sized espro tamper?
A.	Sorry, not at this point! Our tampers come in the following sizes: 58mm convex base with a black handle 58mm flat base with a black handle 57mm convex base with a red handle 53mm convex base with a black handle 53mm flat base with a black handle
Q.	How tall is the 20oz Toroid Steaming Pitcher?
A.	It is 11cm (4 3/8") tall - fitting under even the smallest espresso machine.