Too-Cool TOOLS
Tampers, filters, steam wands and other tools are evolving to fit the individual needs of coffeehouses and their employees.
BY BRENDA RUSSELL T
he barista is as much scientist as sommelier. Th e same impulse that draws their interest in exotic cultivars and
roasts also compels them to create new tools to bring their work more precision or grace. “Coff ee is an industry of incredible innovation,” says Bruce
Milletto, president of American Barista and Coff ee School in Portland, Ore. “It’s always looking for a better way to brew coff ee, whether it’s pour over, French press or espresso. Th e people are more right-brained than leſt -brained. It’s a defi nite benefi t of the industry that it has people who are highly creative and highly passionate.” Th e process starts with only a few basics. “Pretty much we
all use the same basic tools,” says Sherry White, operations manager of JP’s Coff ee & Espresso in Holland, Mich. “Th ere are variances base d on personal preference. You need a tamp, tamp surface, thermometer and pitcher. You can’t do without a tamp.”
So if you build a better tamper, can you beat a better path
for brewing? Tom Pikaart, a barista trainer at the school, put the question to Chris King Precision Components, a Portland manufacturer of parts for elite racing bicycles. Th e result: a sleek, shiny tamp with a precision fi t. “Th ere’s a big crossover of bike nerds and coff ee nerds,”
says Pikaart, who as a bicycle racer bought many Chris King components. “I sat down at a table with engineers with measuring tools and notepads. I gave them specifi cations and they nailed the design in one try.” Th e result is a precision product that can be fi tted to the
user. “It’s a useful, eff ective tool,” Pikaart says. “It feels good in your hand—it’s not just an aluminum stick. Th e base is 1410 stainless steel. It’s very hard and highly polished.” But the fi t is its biggest advantage, he says. Th ree sizes match
the user’s espresso equipment. “Th e diameter of the tamper is precise, so its fi t in the fi lter is precise,” he says. “If the tamper is
Chris King Precision Components brought its expertise in bicycle-parts manufacturing to bear in making espresso tampers.
22 | August 2011 • www.specialty-coffee.com
