News
22 May, 2011 (top of page)
Pullman Nexus Tamper announced
We're very pleased to announce the newest addition to the range of Pullman Tampers - the Pullman Nexus!
The Nexus is replacing the Deluxe Tamper in our line-up and is a very exciting product! It offers similar features to the Deluxe Tamper but with superior ergonomics which makes it suitable for commercial users who may not want to spend top dollar on a Pullman Barista Tamper. It comes with oiled hardwood handles or classy black Acetal.
"What about pricing?", you may ask. Feature for feature this is on par with the Deluxe Tamper so the RRP is the same ($129.95). However...! in its most basic form the recommended retail price is $99!. Why? This lower price is achieved by only offering a 58.0mm flat base; custom sizing and different base profiles are available on the standard priced Nexus tamper. This is great news for those who want a top quality, 100% Australian coffee tamper but don't require / want to pay for the perfect fit available in the standard priced Nexus.
Order today through Things Coffee
15 May, 2011 (top of page)
VST Filter Baskets
At last! A filter basket manufactured to the same standards as a Pullman Tamper! VST baskets are precision-manufactured, highly consistent in diameter and, like a Pullman Tamper, come with their own unique serial number!
VST baskets come in 15g, 18g and 22g variants and have been getting rave reviews since hitting the market! A Pullman Tamper matched to a VST basket is the ultimate combination! They are available for order through Things Coffee.
26 March, 2011 (top of page)
Leather-wrapped handles available
There's no doubt about it. Leather just oozes class and sophistication, so it's no surprise it's eventually ended up as part of a Pullman Tamper! We actually prototyped a leather-wrapped Deluxe handle right back in 2006 but the shape didn't work too well; so we've had to wait until now to turn our dream into reality!
Apart from looking fantastic, these handles feel unbelievably good, and while we don't recommend it for commercial use it just might be the perfect handle to have at home! Each one is custom-made to your specifications, so you can choose the colour of the leather, the colour of the stitching and even the orientation of the different coloured leather panels!
We've done a few examples here just to give you a taste of the sort of thing you can do but remember - custom work is our specialty, so while not every conceivable colour combination may be available, use your imagination and we'll do our best!
25 March, 2011 (top of page)
Smaller Barista tampers announced!
It's nearly three years since the Barista Tamper was announced to much fanfare. To achieve the ergonomic solution we aimed for, we had to design out of the tamper the capacity to cater for basket sizes below 57mm. In 2008, the commercial market was limited in that area and we didn't want to sacrifice a wide comfortable rubber base for the sake of a few units which would require a smaller base.
But time's moved on, other tamper manufacturers who catered for the smaller sizes commercially have disappeared and more mid to high-end machines have appeared on the market which use a smaller basket. Hence the occasional request for a 49.8, 51.6 or 55.2mm Barista tamper became semi-regular, and in recent months has become a dull roar!
So we're pleased to announce it's now available! This means we can manufacture the Barista tamper in any size from 49mm to 59mm! So whether you own a Synesso, Rancilio, Lelit, La San Marco, Dalla Corte or La Pavoni, the Barista tamper is an option for you! We've achieved this by manufacturing a completely new rubber insert for these smaller sizes. Larger Barista tampers will still have the wide rubber insert, while smaller tampers will use the smaller version.
"But what about the beautiful balance on the Barista? Won't this be compromised by a smaller base?" Not at all. Despite the base being smaller in diameter, we've managed to maintain the same weight and balance as enjoyed by users of the larger-based Baristas. No mean feat, but accomplished.
20 March, 2011 (top of page)
Pullman supports "Rosettas For Relief"
The recent tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan has touched all of us and our thoughts go out to all those who have been affected by this event.
Our good friends at Market Lane Coffee in Victoria have organised "Rosettas For Relief", a coffee-making competition with all proceeds going to the Red Cross in Japan. We're excited to be supporting this event and helping make a difference to those whose lives have been torn apart.
You can find Market Lane at http://www.marketlane.com.au, if you're in Melbourne make sure you drop in on Wednesday and share the excitement!
25 November, 2010 (top of page)
Scottie Callaghan speaks about Pullman Tampers
Scottie Callaghan needs no introduction to anyone in the coffee industry. He holds the crowns of World Latte Art Champion (2006), Australian Barista Champion (2007) and Australian Barista Champion (2010). He's also a coffee author and a passionate consultant to the coffee industry. In short, he knows coffee.
Scottie belongs to a rare breed of baristas who have accolades to prove they can bring the best out of coffee. As part of his prize for taking out the 2010 Australian Barista Championship, Scottie took home a Pullman Barista tamper. We caught up with Scottie after many months of him using his tamper to find out what someone with his experience thought about his tamper. This is what he had to say:
What I personally love most about the Greg Pullman tamper is the precision available for different base diameters, I have three Greg Pullman Barista handles and six bases ranging from 57.25mm - 58.75mm with differences down to 0.1mm in diameter between bases. This is fantastic for me because I work on numerous espresso machines with different filter basket sizes and when working I also adjust my dose quite often depending on the coffee. And with the inward curve of most filter baskets I need to use a different base depending on the dose I am working with. I am also very impressed with the Barista Tamper with the great weight balance.
These are the things I appreciate about the Greg Pullman and there are other options that are available such as the adjustable height on all tampers for different size hands all of which for me make the Greg Pullman tamper one of the best on the market today.
Check out some of Scottie's tamper collection on Facebook!
5 September, 2010 (top of page)
Pullman sponsors AASCA National Barista Championships
Pullman has long worked hand in glove with professional baristas to bring products that consistently perform in the toughest environment. So it seemed a natural extension of this synergy to sponsor the 2011 AASCA National Barista Championship circuit. The first, second and third winners from each state heat take home a Pullman Barista, and the first place-getter heads to the Nationals in January 2011 on the Gold Coast.
From there the national winner will take away a Pullman Barista travel kit, giving them several different size bases in an attractive and durable travel case to take to the World Barista Championships (WBC) in Colombia.
We wish all the finalists our best wishes in their continuing barista development, and the winners for the Nationals and the Worlds!
17 August, 2010 (top of page)
New custom-engraving option available
We're pleased to announce another custom engraving option is now available on all aluminium Barista handles. This option combines a clear polycarbonate insert and a two-layered plastic laminate to provide a harder-wearing option with more colours available!
First we engrave through the top layer of the laminated disc revealing the colour of the bottom layer. We then secure this in place with a hand-polished clear polycarbonate insert which resists chipping, crazing and cracking but allows full visibility of the engraved disc below. Of course it's not limited to engraved discs - by arrangement, we can install coins, photographs, coffee beans or almost anything that will fit!
The range of colours available
This is a harder wearing option than the wax filling we've used in the past and as exclusively used by some other manufacturers, because there's no paint or wax to chip out. Furthermore, the engraved surface is completely protected from impact by the polycarbonate insert which maintains the smooth contour of the tamper. This option also gives us access to a much wider spectrum of insert colours which we can offer to you, when previously black and white were the only options.
Head over to our shopping facility to view more details or to place an order.
4 June, 2010 (top of page)
World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies talks about the Pullman Barista
Australia has the privelige of seeing Gwilym Davies, the current reigning World Barista Champion, at 'The Coffee Experience', part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Fair. Gwilym was a hit with the crowd as he shared his passion for coffee and used a Pullman Barista to show them some of the moves which won him the crown.
It was an honour to meet Gwilym at the event and get his opinion on the tamper. "It's a really comfortable and ergonomic tamper, Greg", Gwilym noted. "I love the rings around the base, that's a great idea, and its perfect balance and weight make it a pleasure to use."
It was encouraging to hear such a glowing report from someone who's used many tampers and perhaps knows better than most what really is important in a tamper. It's great news too for coffee lovers everywhere, who can enjoy the same tamper that has received the tick of approval from the holder of the world's most distinguished title in specialty coffee.
20 May, 2010 (top of page)
Foodco Group chooses Pullman Tampers for Barista Competition
The Foodco Group (including Jamaica Blue, Muffin Break and Dreamy Donuts) have continued to actively encourage their baristas in the production of great coffee with an internal barista competition. The prize? A custom-engraved Pullman Barista tamper, enough to make any aspiring barista put on their best performance!
Congratulations to all those who competed, and a special congratulations to the winners - we hope your new tamper will assist you in achieving that perfect tamp to help make that perfect cup of coffee!
15 January, 2010 (top of page)
Pullman sponsors AASCA National Barista Championships
Pullman Tampers have long worked hand in hand with professional baristas to bring products that consistently perform in the toughest environment. So it seemed a natural extension of this synergy to sponsor the 2010 AASCA National Barista Championships, which send the national winner to the World Barista Championships (WBC) in London.
The first, second and third placed competitor in the barista competition and latte art competition received respectively a gold, silver or bronze Pullman Barista tamper for their achievements. Naturally some of these already used a Pullman Tamper but were excited to receive a second.
We wish all the finalists our best wishes in their continuing barista development, and the winners for the national competition in January, 2010, and the world!
18 December, 2009 (top of page)
Pullman Tampers featured in BeanScene Magazine
BeanScene Magazine is one of Australia's premier coffee magazines, regularly featuring premium products and personalities in the Australian coffee industry. Its December 2009 issue ran a feature on Pullman Tampers and the process by which they're made.
4 November, 2009 (top of page)
SA Barista Champion talks about the Pullman Barista
Fiefy Anuwatanaphorn knows a thing or two about coffee as all her customers at Bracegirdle's in the Adelaide suburb of Burnside will testify. She particularly knows what it takes to perform at the top, as winner of the 2009 and 2010 SA Barista Championship. She recently acquired a Pullman Barista tamper and had this to say about her new toy:
Thank you, Greg Pullman for the beautiful Amaranth Pink Barista Tamper! I fell in love with it from the first glance.
As winner of the 2009 and 2010 Australian Barista Championship SA State Heat, I know the importance of consistency. Any variable, no matter how slight, can change what I'm wanting in the cup and spell the difference between success and failure. That's why the Pullman Barista is my tamper of choice at home, at work and in competition.
Perfectly balanced and weighted, with comfortable curves, it's easy to get a level tamp; something that's crucial for an even extraction and the best flavours in the cup. The True Tamp guide rings make this much easier to achieve. The same applies in everyday use - I found your Barista Tamper was perfect at work, even over long, busy shifts, and never made my hand ache. With all the Barista Pullman features, I believe your tamper can help produce more consistent extractions - whether during rush hour in the store, or when facing intense pressure of competition - and pump out the best possible cups of coffee...love it!
31 October, 2008 (top of page)
The Pullman Barista Tamper Announced
One of Australia's worst-kept secrets, the Pullman Barista tamper, has officially hit the shelves! After about three years of ongoing research, development, prototyping and headaches, the new Pullman Tamper is finally available!
The Deluxe Tamper has been and continues to be a very successful product, and its main acceptance has been in the challenging top-end home market where some of the closest scrutiny of quality and craftsmanship takes place. However it had limited acceptance in the commercial world, and after many requests from commercial operators for a Pullman Tamper designed for commercial use we set about to design something from the ground up. The key focus was on ergonomics and creating the tamper people wanted to use, and many prototype tampers were created and sent away to some of Australia's most discerning espresso bars for testing, including Epic Espresso in WA, and St Ali and Maling Room in VIC. The feedback we received was very valuable and enabled us to determine a set of core requirements on which to build the tamper.
The benefits of all that work have paid off, with 2008 SA Barista Champion Ian Callahan describing the tamper as 'the extension of my hand', and Epic Espresso head barista Corey Diamond describing it as 'the best man made tamper ever!'. You can now be a part of the action and purchase your own Pullman Barista tamper - the new standard in coffee tampers as judged by Australia's best!
Take a tour around the Barista or learn more about the Barista Tamper
20 August, 2008 (top of page)
Epic Espresso take delivery of Barista tampers - "...the best man made tamper ever!"
Epic Espresso have long been at the bleeding edge of espresso evolution in Western Australia, and indeed Australia-wide. Headed up by SCAA Accredited Judge Corey Diamond, Epic has forged itself a name in Australian espresso culture as a progressive espresso shop that is constantly raising the bar on espresso quality and barista performance. They were the first commercial bar in Western Australia to install hand-made Synesso espresso machines, and they've just taken delivery of two custom-engraved Pullman Barista tampers to become the first commercial espresso bar in Australia to use the new tamper.
As a team of experts taking a no-compromise view of espresso, Epic were heavily involved in a critical development stage of the Barista tamper during early 2007 where three months of intensive prototyping took place instore. During this time the Barista tamper evolved from a series of different concept tampers into the substantial form that led to the production units. People like Corey Diamond himself, 2006 WA Barista Champion Jeremy Hulsdunk and 2006 WA Latte Art Champion Megan Aguero provided extensive on-the-job expert feedback about the various components of each tamper, all of which were combined to produce a specification to which the Barista tamper has been made.
Described by Head Barista Corey Diamond as "the best man made tamper ever"Epic were thrilled to retire their old Canadian tampers and start using the Barista and instantly got into the groove of the new tamper. We checked back after a week and they had this to say about their experiences:
- Corey: "The Barista is the best man made tamper ever! The troops love it! And can't wait to get one of their own!"
- Megan: "This is undoubtedly the most comfortable tamper for everyday use I have ever used. For a long shift the balance is perfect and I far prefer it to the heavier unbalanced units we were using before"
- Natalie: "A very comfortable soft feel tamper and extremely easy to control."
- Dan: "If it was legal I would marry this tamper!"
- Vanessa: "Extremely comfortable! The TrueTamp rings add that little bit of assistance in getting the tamp flat though it's easy to do just by feel - and aesthetically it's great!"
- Ryan: "I find it so easy to tamp perfectly flat with this tamper. I'm from Canada, but I have to say with our previous Canadian units I was commonly getting at least a millimetre of skew on the tamp. With the Pullman Barista it's regularly below 0.5mm which translates into richer and more consistent extractions and better results all round in the cup. That's what I call measurable results!"
Thanks for all your help during the development of the Barista tamper. We're sure you'll remain a frontrunner in the Australian espresso scene as you once again raise the bar on quality!
21 May, 2008 (top of page)
2000th Pullman Tamper produced
Since the very first Pullman Tamper was produced in 2002, interest in the product has continued to grow at an exponential rate. In October 2006 we gave away the 1000th Pullman Tamper, and just 18 months later we hit 2000! The community at coffeesnobs.com.au has a number of Pullman Tamper owner members who have spread the word about what a great product it is, so we made the competition available only to Coffeesnobs members.
On May 12, 2008, Case Sinclair of Western Australia (sinkas on coffeesnobs) placed an order for a Checkerboard Pullman Tamper, ignorant of the fact he was in fact the 2000th order! As a result, Case received his tamper completely free of charge and was rapt with the product! "This is the first time I've won anything!", Case said. "It's such a beautiful product it feels almost criminal to get it for free!". Ironically, the machine Case owns is a Quaha Napoletana, which is the same target machine the very first Pullman Vanilla tamper was made for.
Best wishes with the new tamper!
15 May, 2008 (top of page)
Feature in WA Business News
WA Business News recently ran a column about Pullman Tampers. Here's an extract from their article, while subscribers can read the full story.
Worth a tamper
ACCORDING to Greg Pullman, manufacturer of the Greg Pullman tampers, Western Australia is a very progressive state when it comes to all things coffee.
"The level of interest and the level of expertise are greater in WA." he said This is one of the reasons why Mr Pullman tested his products at West Perth-based Epic Espresso for six months last year. "I wanted to tap into that expertise and find out what was working and what wasn't, the barista at Epic would give me that feedback," he said.
The tamper is a crucial element of coffee making; it determines how the water flows through the coffee and therefore directly affects the quality of the coffee in the cup.
18 April, 2008 (top of page)
Pullman Tampers accepted into Australian Made Campaign
The Australian Made Australian Grown campaign promotes businesses who use Australian materials and labour to produce their end product. The requirements of the Australian Made / Product of Australia logo are very stringent; access to the highest tier in the program, the 'Product of Australia' logo, demonstrates that:
- all significant components or ingredients originate from Australia, and
- all, or virtually all, of the production processes must take place in Australia
Pullman Tampers have always been 100% Australian Made, but the 'Product of Australia' logo proves it. This means you can be confident the stainless steel tamper bases are made from Australian steel using Australian labour; the wooden handles are hand-turned by an Australian wood turner; all the assembly, measurement and support is done by Australians, in Australia. Even the retail presentation boxes are, you guessed it, made in Australia.
The cost of producing a coffee tamper in Australia is a lot higher than employing cheap labour and cheap materials offshore, and some manufacturers choose this path to gain a bigger profit margin or to undercut those who truly supply Australian products; however we're confident the quality of our product speaks for itself and we're determined to continue supporting the local businesses who help us produce a world-class product. By purchasing a Pullman Tamper, you not only get one of the world's leading hand-crafted coffee tampers, you can also rest assured the money you spend will stay right here in Australia.
See the Australian Made feature page for more information.
22 February, 2008 (top of page)
Ian Callahan wins SA State Barista Championship with Pullman Deluxe tamper
Ian Callahan, winner of SA State Barista Championship (centre), and (L, R) using the Pullman Deluxe tamper he used to win the competition
On Feb 21, 2008, Ian Callahan comfortably won the South Australian Barista Championship ahead of some very good competition. Ian will now travel to Melbourne in May to represent South Australia in the National Barista Championship.
Ian was pleased to inform us he chose to use his Pullman Deluxe tamper for the competition in preference to a Canadian aluminium tamper he'd used in previous competitions, and as used by the other competitors. "I find it a lot easier to be precise with the Pullman (compared to the Canadian unit)", Ian said today. "The TrueTamp rings obviously help but just the general finish on it too. Plus it had a better fit in the FB80 competition machine so the choice was a no-brainer". The choice of tamper isn't the only factor which led Ian to his win, but it demonstrates the Pullman Deluxe tamper is has what it takes to come out on top not only in domestic and commercial situations, but in the high-pressure, high-accuracy environment of professional barista competitions, and that industry professionals recognise it as such.
Congratulations Ian, and best wishes for the nationals!
29 August, 2007 (top of page)
Vanilla tamper deleted
The Vanilla tamper is no longer available for sale.
The Vanilla tamper was the first Pullman tamper to be designed and produced and has many happy owners throughout the country. It was originally designed as a replacement for the built-in tamper on the Quaha / Imat / LeLit machines; However its functional shortcomings by comparison to the hugely popular Deluxe and Barista tampers have been recognised by ourselves and many prospective buyers who have opted for the Deluxe and Barista tamper instead. We have therefore decided to remove it from our product range to consolidate our resources. While it is a little sad to delete the very first product from our range, we feel this will allow us to concentrate our resources on ensuring the Deluxe and Barista tampers are the best they can be.
25 May, 2007 (top of page)
Pullman Tamper features in Crema magazine Tamper Showcase
Crema is one of Australia's leading cafe lifestyle magazines and contains columns, feature articles and the latest news from the coffee world. Their autumn 2007 issue carries a showcase of some of the best coffee tampers on the market, including the Pullman Tamper. The blurb states the following:
"Like a fine pen, the tamper has become a design piece as individual as you are. We showcase some of the best..."
The Pullman Tamper is one of the units chosen for this 'showcase of the best', and occupies pride of place in the centrefold.
Look out for it in your local newsagent, or check out the magazine's website www.cremamagazine.com.au.
10 May, 2007 (top of page)
Pullman Tampers chosen for 2006 and 2007 Barista Championships for FoodCo Group
The Foodco Group comprises over 220 Australasian retail outlets trading through the Muffin Break bakery cafe and Jamaica Blue cafe brands.
Foodco hold an annual national barista championship as part of their endeavours to raise the standard of coffee throughout their commercial outlets. Competitors are judged on both their technical ability and the taste profile of each drink. The event is judged by two Tasting Judge as well as two Technical Judges. Each finalist is required to prepare an espresso, flat white, latte, cappuccino and a specialty coffee of their choice. They are then judged on time, technical ability, coffee taste, presentation and coffee knowledge.
To recognise the outstanding efforts of the successful baristi, Foodco chose custom-engraved Pullman Tampers as awards for their regional winners in 2006. As a result of their satisfaction with the quality of the product, Foodco also selected Pullman Tampers for their 2007 championship to reward the successful employees with a functional work of art to further enhance their barista skills.
The successful 2007 regional winners with their Pullman Tampers.
Pictured with Foodco National Operations Manager Matthew Williams (left)
and Foodco National Coffee Consultant Brent Williams (right)
Close-up of the custom engraving on the handles
26 April, 2007 (top of page)
Review of Sunbeam EM6910 and Rancilio Silvia
These two popular machines have polarised the top end of the home espresso market. I was fortunate enough to run them head to head and the results were quite interesting!
