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Handle selections
Acetal Plastic
Acetal is a resilient, high-impact material that is resistant to fracturing. An acetal handle provides the user with the balance and tactile benefits of hardwood (warm to the touch and bottom-heavy) but with the strength and durability of aluminium, so it is ideally suited to a commercial operator who prefers a bottom-heavy tamper. As with the aluminium handled tamper, it can be washed or wiped as required; custom engraving shows up gloss black against the matte black surface finish.
Weight = 415g
Anodised Aluminium
This combination provides you with a traditional base heavy tamper in a selection of 4 colours to give life and glamour to your work area.Aluminium is an inherently soft material but anodising is a chemical process that affects the surface of the aluminium itself, making it harder and allowing the application of colour at the same time. The tamper's impervious materials mean it can be easily washed or wiped to get it clean in a flash, and the intense colours provide a great contrast for custom engraving.
Weight = 475g
Hardwood
The Nexus timber handles are available in a number of different species and provide a very warm, natural surface to touch. Lighter than their metal counterparts, they are popular for the discerning barista who favours a bottom-heavy tamper. Custom engraving is always available and adds a professional and personal element to the tamper.
With a choice of 10 hardwoods to suit your needs and setup, you are sure to find your timber match! Please send us your own timber if you want that extra special item.Weight = 385g
USAGE INFORMATION
Pullman Tampers are engineered to provide optimum results for a lifetime and we know you will get many years of satisfaction from your new tamper. This quick-start sheet provides a few tips to help get the best results from your tamper.
GRINDING AND DOSING
Best results always come from fresh coffee correctly ground just before use. We therefore recommend the use of freshly roasted coffee beans and the purchase of a good quality burr grinder to ensure the coffee you use is the best it can be. To achieve an equal distribution of coffee throughout the basket, we recommend you fill your filter basket with your desired dose. Most baristas like to weigh their dose to achieve uniform taste and extraction. You can gently level the ground coffee with your finger or straight edge.
USING THE TAMPER
Most people quickly find a comfortable grip, but these are a couple of common ways of holding the tamper. Whatever you choose, make sure the grip is comfortable and that you can control the tamper easily. Once you are happy with your grip, rest the portafilter on a tamping station or stand, mat, tamping stand or with its edge on the edge of a bench, and position your body as close to the tamper as possible. Rest the tamper in the filter basket and, using the TrueTamp rings as a guide, adjust the angle of the tamper as required so it is exactly level. Then, keeping your wrist straight, apply firm even pressure from your shoulder through your elbow and into the tamper to compress the ground coffee while watching the TrueTamp rings to ensure the tamper stays level. Once you’ve practiced this process a few times, you’ll be able to work quite quickly and accurately.
Once you have completed the tamp, release the pressure on the tamper and spin the tamper about 90 degrees. This 'polish' helps give the puck a clean smooth surface and unsticks any coffee grounds that may have stuck to the tamper. The tamper should spin freely; if it scrapes on the side of the basket it means the tamp wasn't level, so watch out for that next time.
You can now load the portafilter into your coffee machine and brew a shot of espresso. To start with, aim for about 30ml of espresso per cup (i.e. 30ml total from a single basket and 60ml total from a double basket) in about 25 seconds, timed from when you activate the brew switch. If it takes longer than this, make your grind a bit coarser; if it's faster, adjust the grind a bit finer. It's about what tastes good for you!
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Acetal plastic handles can be washed or wiped as required, however do not clean in commercial dishwashers or use any harsh or caustic chemical cleaners such as bleach or caustic soda. Wooden handles should be kept dry and only wiped clean with a slightly damp cloth. Wooden handles are pre-treated with Danish Oil and will absorb skin oils during normal use so it should not need any re-oiling. The base can be unscrewed for cleaning if you wish, however once again a wipe with a damp cloth will remove any dried coffee residue or particles.
If you find the surface of either the base or handle has become damaged through hard use, we can arrange to have these restored for you.