Nexus Tamper
Overview | Handles | Bases | Usage Information | Order Now!
Note: These photos are a guide only. While we take every effort to ensure these photos are a fair representation of the product, due to limitations of manufacturing and differences in computer monitor settings, actual product colours may differ from the pictures shown on this site. Read the disclaimer for more details.
Black Acetal
Checkerboard
Jarrah
Overview
Released in 2011, the Nexus Tamper is the replacement for the highly successful Deluxe Tamper. It employs similar componentry and price to the Deluxe, but sports a more ergonomic design making it suitable for commercial users as well as domestic. If you're looking for a top-quality Austrlaian made Pullman Tamper but can do without the features or price tag of the Barista, look no further than the Nexus!
The Nexus is an ergonomic unit with a comfortable curve running throughout all its components. It start with a handle made of high-impact Acetal plastic or classic oiled hardwood. The curve continues through the solid stainless steel base, and a heavy-duty stainless steel fastener holds the parts securely together. In true Pullman tradition, the TrueTamp rings around the base assist in achieving a level tamp.
The Nexus Tamper can be purchased through our online shopping facility, otherwise a select range is available through our reseller network.
Handles
The Nexus has a range of handle materials as shown above, and each have their own pros and cons. Which is right for you will depend a lot on your intended working environment and personal aesthetic preferences. Here is a quick list of pros and cons:
| Handle | Key Features | Assembled Weight |
|---|---|---|
 Acetal Plastic |
| 415g |
 Hardwood |
| 385g |
- Acetal Plastic
- Acetal is a resilient, high-impact material that is resistant to fracturing. Having a whole handle made from this material makes it particularly well suited to those who may like to knock the portafilter with the side of the handle rather than the top. Being warm to the touch, Acetal provides a tamper with the balance and tactile benefits of hardwood (warm to the touch and bottom-heavy) but with the strength and durability of aluminium, so it is ideally suited to a commercial operator who prefers a bottom-heavy tamper. As with the aluminium handled tamper, it can be washed or wiped as required; custom engraving shows up gloss black against the matte black surface finish.
- Hardwood
- The two hardwood handles available (Checkerboard and Jarrah) provide a very warm, natural surface to touch and have proven very successful in the Deluxe Tamper for a number of years. While the hardwood handles have been designed for the same commercial purpose as the other types, since even hard woods such as these are softer and more porous than the other types of handle we would generally recommmend the other types of handle for commercial use before the hardwood handles. We have full confidence in the durability of the hardwood handles, but ultimately wood will fail before metal or high-impact plastic and it's harder to remove the day's accumulation of espresso and coffee grounds from a porous handle! However these are always popular for the discerning home baristas who favours a bottom-heavy tamper.
Bases
The Nexus base is available in a flat or convex (U.S./1.5mm curve) surface in 304 grade stainless steel. All Pullman Nexus Tamper parts are made in Australia from premium grade materials, so you can be assured of the highest quality results. Material for a number of other 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.
Usage Information
Pullman Tampers are engineered to provide optimum results for a lifetime and we hope you get many years of satisfaction from your new tamper. This quick-start sheet provides a few tips to help get the best results from your tamper, however whatever process you use make sure every operation is easily repeatable. This is important so you can analyse the results of any changes you make, without worrying that other processes may be introducing variables of their own.
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
Most people quickly find a comfortable grip, but 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, tamping 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 practiced this process a few times, you’ll be able to work quite quickly and accurately.
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 while the acetal insert in the handle can be used to tap the portafilter, we do not recommend this as it has the potential to fracture the coffee puck which can lead to channelling. In any case this is unnecessary if your tamper has been fitted to your filter basket as there should be no loose coffee grounds to dislodge.
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
Acetal plastic handles can be washed or wiped as required, however do not clean in commercial dishwashers or use any harsh or caustic chemical cleaners such as bleach or caustic soda. Wooden handles should be kept dry and only wiped clean with a slightly damp cloth. Wooden handles are pre-treated with Danish Oil and will absorb skin oils during normal use so it should not need any re-oiling. 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 or particles.
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.
