Deluxe Tamper
Introduction
The Deluxe Tamper is comprised of a solid stainless steel base coupled to a very attractive oiled Hardwood handle to make up a unit that truly is a no-compromise work of art. It not only goes about its business efficiently, but is a pleasure to use and looks great at the same time - and with several different wood patterns to choose from, there's sure to be one which suits your tastes! See the full range of handles below!. While each handle will come laser-engraved with the Pullman Tamper logo, you have the choice to add your own message. Information about custom engraving.
One of the challenges with tamping by hand is getting the tamper level, and knowing how hard to tamp. Fortunately, each deluxe Pullman tamper comes with TrueTamp guide rings engraved into its side to assist you in this regard. The TrueTamp rings enable you to line the top of your filter basket up with one of the guide rings to ensure the tamper is level. They also allow you to tamp to exactly the same point each time to assist you in gaining greater repeatability in your brews. Repeatability is of the utmost importance in consistently improving the quality of your brews, so this tamper is a must for anyone serious about producing consistently better coffee.
A varnished tamper from another manufacturer after just 12 months of minimal use in a domestic kitchen - note the chipping and bubbling of the varnish. Pullman Tampers do not use varnish for this reason.
Each handle is hand-made by a single craftsman who works from his property in the Adelaide foothills. Rather than coating the wood with a varnish which chips and splinters over time, the raw handles are impregnated with a special resin-loaded oil to protect the wood and to retain its natural grain and feel, and to keep it looking good! With regular use, the handle will gain an even deeper colour! Much of the wood used for our tamper handles comes from renewable sources.
Tamping by hand allows you to exert a high tamp pressure because you're working with gravity and putting your body weight and shoulder muscles behind the tamp. Tamping at about waist height with an upwardly-angled wrist gives the best results - it allows your body weight to get behind the tamp, and the skewed wrist minimises sideways movement of the tamper thus aiding in achieving a flat tamp.
The Deluxe Tamper can be purchased through our online shopping facility, otherwise a select range is available through our reseller network.
More information below on the range of handles and bases available.
Deluxe Tamper Photo Gallery
Red Gum 
Jarrah
Huon
Pine - Checkerboard
Australian Oak
Wenge
Handles
You can choose from several different wood patterns for your tamper. Due to natural variations in the available raw materials, not every style may be available at all times, but the order page will show which handles are available to you at the time of your order.
- Redgum - a handle with the true Australian spirit! So strong it's often used for railway sleepers, this deep orange-red to brown hardwood has a majestic rippled grain and plenty of character. The exact colour will vary with the age of the wood.
- Jarrah - Always a favourite! A wood also used for garden stakes, so again designed to withstand a lot of punishment. Jarrah has a straighter and more open grain than Red Gum, and varies in colour from light through to dark brown, depending on the history of the timber source.
- Huon Pine - a real rarity! Native to the island state of Tasmania, its resilience and resistance to borers caused it to be heavily logged for a number of years and is now completely protected from logging of any kind. Only wood which falls to the ground of its own accord can be used, making it highly sought after. This very smooth, close-grained wood has a lemony colour and has a genuine appeal to those who know its history. Note that since Huon Pine is not a hardwood, it will be more susceptible to dents and would not be recommended for rough environments.
- CheckerBoard - a striking handle made by alternately laminating dark Jarrah and Australian Oak.
- Australian Oak - a fawny-pink hardwood with a medium density grain producing a distinctive flecked appearance on the vertical surfaces.
- Wenge - an exotic African hardwood with a very dense grain interspersed with fine divots. It is predominantly black interspersed with coffee-coloured swirls. A great companion to a black and silver coffee machine!
Bases
The quality of the tamper base on Pullman tampers is one of the things that set it apart from the rest. Pullman Tamper bases are made in Australia from Australian steel, in a choice of standard 304 grade or premium 316 grade. 304 is the regular grade used for this sort of purpose; 316 grade steel contains molybdenum and a higher nickel content which make it a tougher material with greater corrosion resistance and thus is often used in marine applications or similarly harsh environments but can lend itself to a superior surface finish than 304 grade steel. Because of its more precious ingredients and tougher composition, 316 grade steel is a more expensive product than 304, takes longer to machine on account of its harder composition and wears the cutting tools faster. Since our 304 grade product is already a premium quality unit appreciated by many, 316 grade bases are normally only chosen by those who demand the absolute best of the best.
By contrast, the bases for a number of other popular tampers are made in developing Asian countries such as China or India, where the steel quality is poorer than that available in Australia. This means 'stainless' steel that isn't quite so stainless with the potential to corrode or rust over time; it also normally results in a poorer surface finish than on higher quality steels. Another problem with these manufacturing processes is that they're designed to be cheap and fast, so the cutting tool is normally run as fast as possible to allow maximum throughout. Unfortunately this means the surface of the steel ends up being ridged and rough rather than smooth. This means the tamped coffee puck will tend to get scuffed on these cheaper units rather than polished as on a Pullman. While the hand processes mean the surface finish on a Pullman unit may vary slightly from unit to unit, it will always be a smooth surface and the units will always be made from top quality Australian steel.
It might cost a bit more to do the job properly, but we'd rather do the job properly or not at all. Don't just take our word for it - see the difference for yourself!
Pullman Deluxe base in 316 grade steel (L) and showing the diffracted light as achievable on top quality steel, 316 in this case (R)
Pullman Deluxe base in 316 grade steel (L) and 304 (R). Note: actual surface finish may vary from unit to unit
Comparing the surface finish on Pullman Deluxe base in 316 grade steel (L) with that offered by an alternative manufacturer (R). Note much smoother finish on Pullman unit
Usage Information
Pullman Tampers are engineered provide optimum results for a lifetime and we hope you get many years of satisfaction from your new tamper. Below are a few technique suggestions to help you get the best results from your tamper, but whatever method you use, it needs to be exactly the same every time to ensure consistency and to help you quickly and easily diagnose any problem areas if they arise.Having purchased your new tamper, here are a few tips to help you get to get the most out of it.
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 ground coffee until it is over full with coffee right to the edges. Tap the portafilter gently three times to settle the ground coffee at which point all parts of the filter basket should still be slightly over full. Finally, using the back of a knife or some other straight edge, scrape off the excess coffee to give you an evenly filled basket with a flat coffee surface.
Using the Tamper
Everyone's grip is different, however 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 mat, 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. To start with, do this slowly while you get used to the feel of the tamper and keeping it level, and aim to use about 10-15kg of force. A good way to measure this force is by tamping onto a set of bathroom scales. Once you've done it a few times, it's normally quite easy to be consistent, especially if you note the depth of the TrueTamp rings at the desired force and aim for the same depth each time.
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. Note that with a tamper fitted to your filter basket, there is no need to knock the side of the portafilter with the tamper, and we do not recommend this method as it both damages the tamper and has the potential to fracture the coffee puck which can lead to channelling.
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.
Care and Maintenance
The tamper's wooden handle comes pre-treated with Danish Oil and will absorb skin oils during normal use so it should not need any re-oiling. If the handle needs to be cleaned, a quick wipe with a damp cloth is adequate, but avoid getting the handle overly wet. If you find the wood is getting dry, a coat of wood oil, boiled linseed oil or even Canola oil can be beneficial to the wood, but make sure you wipe it all off after a few minutes to ensure a dry, dust-free surface. These oils are not as good as Danish Oil but they should work. 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. 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.
Warranty Information
The Deluxe tamper has been manufactured from high quality components and should not break or fail under normal usage; as such this section is largely irrelevant. However, while the Deluxe Tamper is currently used in both domestic and commercial environments, it was always designed for the discerning domestic market and was not designed to cope with the rigours of commercial use. As such, it may fail prematurely if used in commercial environments, and therefore no warranty is provided and no liability is accepted to replace failed components on the Deluxe Tamper when used in commercial environments. If you are looking for a commercial tamper we recommend the Barista Tamper as this has been specifically designed to cope with such environments.
With that exception, if the tamper fails through normal use we are normally quite happy to replace any failed components. Contact us if you have any problems with your Deluxe Tamper.
