ESPRESSO ACCESSORIES
Tamping, distribution and dosing tools, for an even puck and a shot that repeats.
MILK PITCHERS
Stainless, Teflon-coated and glass. For microfoam, and for pouring something that looks like a leaf.
STORAGE AND SERVING
Airtight canisters, decanters and tumblers. Coffee goes stale in air, not in time.
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
Descaler, machine cleaner and water testing. Most bad coffee at home is a cleaning problem.
Frequently asked questions
Three things, whatever your brew method.
A scale. Measure the coffee and the water by weight, to 0.1g. Without it you cannot repeat a good brew or diagnose a bad one.
A grinder. Grinding fresh matters more than almost anything else. See our grinders.
A brewer suited to how you drink it. See our brewers.
For espresso, add a calibrated tamper so the puck is even. Everything after that is refinement.
A scoop measures volume, and coffee density varies a lot. A scoop of a light Ethiopian weighs noticeably less than a scoop of a dark Brazilian, so the same scoop gives you a different dose every time.
Weight is the only measurement that holds. The usual starting ratio is 1:15 to 1:18, coffee to water. So 18g of coffee to 270ml of water is 1:15.
Any scale accurate to 0.1g with a timer will do the job.
About 25kg, level. But consistency matters more than the exact number, and almost nobody can apply the same pressure by hand shot after shot.
A calibrated tamper removes the question. The Force Tamper clicks at 25kg. The PT2 does it automatically, level, every time.
The point is not strength. It is that an uneven puck channels the water, and a channelled shot tastes thin and sour no matter how good the coffee is.
Stainless. You can feel the milk temperature through the wall, which is how most people learn to steam. Lined pitchers have volume marks inside. This is the one to learn on.
Teflon-coated. Milk residue does not stick, so it is easier to clean, and the heat moves a little slower, which is forgiving.
Every day. Rinse the milk pitcher straight after use, purge the grinder, wipe the group head.
Every week. Deep clean the pitcher with a milk-line cleaner.
Every month. Backflush the machine and descale it.
Everything you need is in the cleaning products.