Specialty Coffee Retailer is a publication for owners, managers and employees of retail outlets that sell specialty coffee. Its scope includes best sales practices, supplies, business trends and anything else to assist the small coffee retailer.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/73257
it is something somebody uses hundreds of times during the day, so it has to fi t comfortably in the hand and have a good feel. " TAMPER, TAMPER Tampers are perhaps the most deceptively simple tool in calibrated tamper, which clicks as soon as the user applies force of 30 pounds. Th is ensures consistency from one tamp to the next. Another is one that came out more recently: the Cobra, so the barista's toolbox. Th eir role in shaping the coff ee "puck" is vital. Variances in weight, handle shape and base shape can all infl uence how, and how easily, the puck gets formed. One signifi cant variation on the standard tamper is Espro' s named for the angled shaſt that fl ares out to a broad, slightly curved head that resembles a cobra's hood. Th e design, by Australian designer Manfred Jokuszies, maximizes the pressure that the barista brings to bear. Th e Cobra is distributed by Nuova Ricambi (www.nuovaricambi.us). Perhaps the king of tamper designers is Reg Barber tampers, you actually ripple the bottom, sort of like corrugated, where it gives a huge surface area. You can grind the coff ee fi ner and it'll actually punch through the coff ee grounds." PITCHER'S MOUND Steaming pitchers are another area for innovation. Th eir structure can help determine how frothy the milk gets and how easily it can be poured. Starbucks came out this year with a proprietary new pitcher (coff eetamper.com), the Canadian master whose tampers regularly turn up in high-level barista competitions. Some of his biggest innovations in recent years have had to do with the shape of the base. One problem with espresso brewing is innovation is the ripple tamper, which features ridges in concentric circles on the bottom. Th is incrementally increases the puck's surface area for maximum fl avor extraction. "People were coming up with the idea that the fi ner the grind, the sweeter the coff ee, were coming out with bigger and bigger porta-fi lters, and there's only so big you can go with them. But with the ripple " Barber says. "So they "channeling," when water dribbles down the sides of the puck instead of going through the grounds. Tampers with a convex bottom called a "Euro curve" can shape the puck to help prevent channeling. (Th e "American curve" is a similar concept with a shallower curve.) Barber came up with a refi nement called the C-fl at, which is basically the Euro curve with a fl at center, which raises the edges of the puck but leaves it thicker in the middle for better fl avor extraction. Another fl avor-related Barber Toroid bulges at the base and has a concave bottom. Th is creates countervailing fl ows of milk around the steaming wand for more consistent microfoam. For good pour control, it also features a long, narrow spout and a handle that runs down to the top of the bulge at the base. Visions Espresso (www.visionsespresso.com), a supplier that features a narrow dome shape. Th e company claims this creates a "whirlpool" eff ect that reduces the size of individual milk bubbles, creating a "velvety, meringue-like" microfoam. A similar concept is behind Espro's Toroid pitcher. Th e and distributor of coff ee equipment, is developing a pitcher similarly designed for optimal microfoam. "What we were wanting to do is make it easier to get a roll, T�� C���� ������ ���� � �������� ������ ���� �� �������� �������� �� ��� ������ ����. Photo courtesy of Nuovo Ricambi latte art. Th e new pitcher, which has not yet been named, will be rolled out in the next few months. Cole McBride, Visions Espresso's director of education. As McBride explains, the "roll" means milk moving all in the same direction to create the best microfoam. It will feature a beveled bottom, rounder around the base, and a spout with an extended tip to make for easier pours, especially for " says HOME CRAFTS Generally speaking, pro tools are for the pros. But some manufacturers, and retailers, are fi nding that home consumers can constitute a good secondary market for pro equipment. McBride says tampers and pitchers "Some home users will want to make sure they have everything they need to clean their machine. Th ey'll even buy an awl" to pull out gaskets to clean. "Some people don't. Th ey just wait until the " he says. July 2012 • www.specialty-coffee.com | 29 are popular items for home brewers. As for other tools, "it depends on how serious they are,