Barista tools - not necessary, but cool

Today's article is all about espresso and café, or more precisely: about the tools of the trade for the master barista. Today we are talking about the small, fine things that the barista needs to celebrate his art in the truest sense of the word. 

You could also say: tools, gadgets and "toys" that you don't need - but which are incredible fun, fit well in the hand, are individual and/or take the barista art to the next level. 

Of course, you can also buy all the tools in this article from us. And if you would like to know more about the hottest espresso machines, we recommend our blog post "Lyfestyle-Goldesel". So: Let's go!

Tamper - the tool of the master

Let's start with the tamper - the "coffee grounds press". Basically a simple part: a stamp with a flat base that presses the ground coffee in the portafilter into a "puck". 

If the tamper is so simple, why not use a cheap, simple one? Quite simply: because the tamper is the part that the (hobby or professional) barista uses most often of all - his main tool. And just as the enthusiastic hobby and professional chef rarely cuts with a DIY knife or the enthusiastic letter writer prefers to use a fine fountain pen, the ambitious barista also wants to hold a fine tamper in his hand. And here, of course, they are spoilt for choice in terms of colours, shapes and materials. 

Our two favourite tampers: For the technology enthusiasts, we recommend the Klick Tamper by Joe Frex - similar to a torque spanner, the tamper "clicks" at an adjustable pressure. This ensures that the ground coffee is always pressed on sufficiently firmly. The tamper itself is CNC-milled and available in different colours. 

For the aesthetes, on the other hand, we recommend the works of art by Otto Hauck: heavy, handcrafted "hand cuddlers" made in Austria, available in various fine woods or even materials such as leather or carbon. You won't want to take them out of your hand...

E-tamper station - it's the pressure that counts

In our opinion, a tamper station is an indispensable piece of basic equipment for every barista: a station in which the portafilter is securely and stably inserted for tamping. This is the only way to ensure straight, full tamping. 

The ultimate solution, however, is the e-tamper station, made in Austria by Michael Szivatz: a combination of tamper station and precision scale displays the maximum contact pressure for each tamping process - and thus enables exactly the same contact pressure for each portion, regardless of the tamper used. In addition, the integrated precision scale is much more accurate than any click tamper - which guarantees a minimum pressure due to the release hardness, but not an exact pressure. 

Why is that so important? It's simple: only if the amount of coffee, the grind and the contact pressure are always the same will the espresso in the cup always be the same.

Leveller - for the "horizontal

Now it's getting a little more exotic: most baristas have heard of click tampers and tamping stations - but very few are familiar with the "leveller". This is a tool (usually made of metal) that is placed on top of the portafilter before tamping and turned to align the ground coffee exactly horizontally in the portafilter. 

What is that good for now? If the ground coffee is not tamped exactly horizontally, then the water seeks the "path of least resistance" through the ground coffee in the portafilter - and runs through faster on the "thinner" side than on the "thicker" side. Especially with a double portafilter, it can then be observed that one cup is extracted more than the other and the fill quantities are unequal. The Leveller prevents exactly that - and the result is the same in both cups.

Espresso scale - "Weight Watchers" in the coffee world

The next "toy" deals with the exact setting of the grinder: We have already read above that the perfect espresso depends on the quantity, grinding and pressure of the ground coffee. If you now like to try out a new, different espresso from time to time, you also have to adjust the grinder again and again - because if the bean size changes (which is usually the case with a different type of coffee), then the grinder also has to be readjusted. 

In order to get the correct number of grams as quickly as possible (generally approx. 7 grams for the single shot, approx. 12g for the double shot), an electronic espresso scale is a good idea. 

We like to use the Joe Frex model here - small, inexpensive and accurate, it meets all the requirements for an ideal espresso scale.

Milk jug - the "brush" of the milk artist

Let's move on to the next step: the perfect milk foam - the second ingredient for milk-mix drinks such as cappuccino, latte macchiato and their various "relatives" (from "espresso macchiato" to "flat white"). And in addition to milk and a good espresso machine with steam lance, you also need a milk jug. And here again, not all milk jugs are the same!

Besides the size - and we recommend at least a 0.35 l jug (for a single cappuccino) and a 0.6 l jug (for two milk drinks) as "basic equipment" - it is the material, the shape of the spout, and last but not least, of course, the look that counts. 

A milk jug should definitely be made of stainless steel - the material conducts the heat perfectly and directly. The perfect temperature for milk foam is around 65 °C, and since milk, just like our blood, contains protein particles, there is a very simple trick for the perfect temperature: place your little finger directly on the jug - as soon as your finger gets "too" hot, the temperature is just right. This is because our blood particles get "too hot" at exactly the same temperature as the protein molecules in the milk. But this only works if the material of the pot transmits the temperature as directly as possible.

A beak that is as fine as possible, on the other hand, enables the milk to be poured out finely - and only this makes filigree cast latte art works such as swans, leaves and tulips possible.

And finally, of course, the look - from the classic stainless steel look to coloured coatings and a wide variety of patterns, there are countless alternatives here. 

Again, two recommendations: The simplest stainless steel pots from Contacto are the best value. But if you're looking for THE pot for perfect latte art, you can't go past the choice of the barista professionals: the pots from Barista Space. Durable, high-quality and with the perfect, pointed spout for latte art works, you have to dig deeper into your pocket for these jugs - but it's worth it!   

Latte Art Pen - Draw like the pros

Let's stay on the subject of latte art: anyone who has taken a liking to these unusual works of milk art will quickly realise that not all patterns can be created using just the pouring technique (i.e. only with the milk jug) - for some motifs you need a special milk drawing pen, the so-called latte art pen. 

This has a small "spoon" at the back for applying the milk, and a fine tip at the front for painting - with a little practice, even more difficult motifs such as bears, roses and Easter bunnies are easy to paint.

Again, we can highly recommend the model by Joe Frex.

The Espazzola - Group cleaning made easy

Another cool and enormously useful tool is the Espazzola. This little gadget from Switzerland is clamped into the brew group like a portafilter. A specially shaped silicone membrane cleverly diverts the hot water and cleans the brew group easily and thoroughly without any further intervention: Simply clamp it in place, let it run for approx. 20 seconds until only clear water comes out - done! No chemicals, no dirt and no scalding of the fingers. 

The Espazzola is available for 58mm and 53mm brew groups and is extremely affordable - so we can only recommend it, whether for home or gastronomy.

Sanremo Bravo Brewer - for the filter coffee alchemists

What the dual-boiler portafilter machine is for the espresso lover, the Sanremo Bravo Brewer is for the filter coffee connoisseur: the ultimate tool for coaxing all the flavour nouances out of your favourite beverage.

A wide variety of taste experiences can be conjured up from one and the same coffee bean by playing with the different extraction techniques (percolation or infusion), the amount of oxygen added and, if desired, different flavours and infusion techniques.

Sounds complex? It is - and it is certainly much easier to make a cup of filter coffee with a standard coffee maker. But neither can you conjure up such fine aromas from the bean, nor do you feel like Gandalf the Wizard brewing a new magic potion...

So it'sa case for coffee nerds? For sure - but they will have a lot of fun with it!

And last but not least: The right bean!

Of course, no matter how professional the equipment, nothing works without the right bean!

The most expensive multiboiler espresso machine, the best espresso grinder with conical, ventilated grinding discs, the best tamper and the best milk jug are all of no use if the coffee used is of inferior quality.

High-quality, hand-picked coffee beans (without broken, unripe or overripe beans), the right blend of Arabica and Robusta beans and agentle, even roasting to the perfect degree of roast have their price, but even the best barista can't conjure up a taste explosion from cheap low-quality espresso.

Our recommendation is the certified organic Caffé Boscoverde Forte. With its 65-35 blend (65% Arabica and 35% Robusta beans) from India, Peru and Uganda, this strong, low-acid espresso is ideal for the morning cappuccino, but is also perfect for lovers of strong, dark and southern espresso. You are welcome to order the organic Caffè Boscoverde Forte directly from us.

Conclusion - not necessary, but cool!

So we see: there is a whole range of high-quality "toys", gadgets and tools for the professional barista. Do you really need all these tools? No! But they are individual, high-quality and "cool" - and incidentally highlight the class of the barista. 

Now there's actually only one thing missing for the happiness of the espresso lover: a professional barista course!

We regularly offer full-day basic courses in which you will learn everything about the famous"Four M's of Coffee Art": Man, Blend, Machine and Grinder.

We also offer latte art courses where you can learn the right casting technique for artistic patterns under professional guidance. You can find our current course dates here. 

Have we aroused your interest in one or more of the tools? Get in touch with us!

May the caffeine be with you!