Barista accessories

Start by measuring the inside of your filter basket. Everything else depends on that. The most common size is 58 mm, and that's what the tampers made of wood and stainless steel are designed for. If your basket is slightly smaller, there are also 57 mm tampers. You can feel the difference of a millimeter. The water then flows around the edge of the puck instead of through it.

Which milk jug you need depends on what you're making. For a cappuccino, choose 35 or 50 cl. If you're making two cups at once, 75 cl is handy. A 100 cl jug is for when orders keep coming in one after another. In a jug that's too large, the milk won't rise high enough in the spout for latte art. The milk jugs come with clips so you can keep whole, semi-skimmed, lactose-free, soy, oat, and almond milk separate.

Measure on the scale, not by eye. Weigh your coffee, start the timer as soon as you turn on the machine, and weigh what goes into the cup. Only then can you make a good shot again. Break up the clumps in the coffee bed with the WDT tool before tamping. Level the coffee with the leveling tool, then tamp it straight down. If you tamp at an angle, the shot will flow faster on one side. That’s by far the most common mistake.

When steaming milk, keep the steam wand just below the surface until you hear a gentle hiss. Then lower it a little so the milk starts swirling. Tap the pitcher once on the counter to get rid of the large bubbles. Knock the coffee puck out into a knock box. Not into the trash, because wet coffee grounds will leak through a bag.

Bitter shots are often caused by coffee oils you can’t see. They build up in the group head, filter baskets, and steam wand, and don’t rinse off on their own. So backflush every day with the 58 mm blind filter and brush the group head clean. Wipe the steam wand immediately after each pitcher, before the milk dries onto it.

It’s better to soak portafilters and baskets in hot water with cleaning solution than to scrub them. Rinse milk pitchers with cold water first. Then wash them with warm water. Warm water actually makes milk proteins stick to the steel.

If you're looking for something to serve coffee in rather than tools, we have latte macchiato glasses available in the right sizes. You can find portafilters, screens, and spare parts for the machine under barista tools. Want to serve coffee with alcohol in a glass? The proportions are listed under espresso martini and Irish coffee. If you're just starting out, four things are enough to begin with: a tamper in the right size, a scale with a timer, a 35 or 50 cl milk jug, and a knock box. Buy the rest as you find out what you're missing.