Espresso Equipment from Sweet Maria's
| On this page: Tampers | 58mm Triple Baskets | Milk Frothing Pitchers | Knock Boxes related items: Espresso Mills for the Home: Mazzer Mini, Rancilio Rocky, Maestro Plus Urnex Espresso Machine Cleaners | Espresso Machine Cleaning Brushes | Stovetop Espresso (Moka Pots) | Espresso Cups are now on their own page. Also see: Giotto Premium and Professional Machines, Rancilio
Silvia Espresso Machine, Gaggia
Espresso Machines, and the Andreja from
Italy. |
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The Sweet Maria's Hand Crafted African Rosewood Tamper
...Functional Art or Coffee Tool?
Please note: There is some natural variation in color and surface texture from one tamper to the next.Sweet Maria's is offering African Rosewood (also called Curly Bubinga) Thor Hammer tampers. These tampers are made from Kiln dried Buginga from West Africa. They have a very nice grain and color pattern to them and a warm, red hue. This tamper wood is going to be exclusively offered through Sweet Maria's. Each tamper is hand turned on a lathe. The diameter is measured with a micrometer to insure a proper fit in the Portafilter. Because they are individually made, and not done on a duplicator, there is some slight differences in each tamper. They are intended to be functional art.
These tampers are core weighed with a bismuth alloy so they weigh about the same as a steel based tamper. The base is made from Lignum Vitae, the hardest wood in the World. The base is slightly convex, and is polished with no finish on it so nothing touches the coffee but the wood.
The tamper is finished with 3 coats of a food safe commercial bar-top finish that should provide many years of service. To care for the tamper, you simply need to wipe it off with a damp cloth and dry it. It is best not to let your tamper sit in water as the base doesn't have a finish on it. The natural oils in the coffee provide enough protection for the wood. A simple buffing of the bottom will bring back the shine. However the shine isn't needed for a smooth tamp and polish. The tops of the tamper are rounded to give a nice feel in your hand as you tamp.For a bt more you can also get a custom one-of-a-kind tamper made exactly for your machine from exotic woods. Our friend Les Albjerg crafts each one by hand - Thor Tampers
I am using this tamper exclusively now with my Andreja and love it - easy on the hand, and a great feel.
Sweet Maria's Hand Crafted African Rosewood Tamper- 58mm.
$60 (1.5 Lb. ship wght)
ALSO in 49mm size - fits older La Pavoni machines- limited availability
SPECIAL African Rosewood 49mm Tamper
$60 (1.5 Lb. ship wght) Out of Stock
This is a detail o the end-grain wood on the top - I could stare at this for hours with all it's amazing structural detail (if I didn't have a job....)To the right the Lignum Vitae base, the hardest wood in the world!
Les has a folowing of collectors who admire his work as pure craft: some have 6 - 10 tampers in their collections
58 mm Triple Basket for your fancy Espresso Machine
I know, it's a fad, but there are some compelling reasons to cut the bottom off your 58 mm coffeehandle and plop in a 58 mm triple basket like this one. The main reason is that the bottomless portafilter gives you feedback about the shot quality you are missing with the little spouts in the way. (Yes, that's the correct technical term; "little spouts"). You have to figure out how to cut the bottom off. People will do it for you, but if you have a hole saw and a grinder (the latter to cleanup the edges) you can do it yourself. For our part, we offer an 18 Gram Triple Basket (for 58 mm coffee handles). Okay, you espresso hounds need more details ... this is sold to us as a La Marzocco Triple Basket but I cannot confirm, nor see a LM mark, so we don't describe it as such. We call it 18 gram because, depending on your tamp technique, that is the minimum amount you will get into it. In fact, it is a 21-22 gram for most tamp techniques that include tapping the coffeehandle to settle the grinds before smoothing the cake with your fingers. In fact, I can actually put up to 26 grams in here (way too much coffee imho). This is, as you can see is a ridged model, with not absolutely straight sides (aka the Swift). Aside from all the hair-splitting details, this basket works great on my Andreja Premium and has the proper hole size (unlike the Swift basket). Another detail: My Andreja requires bottomless coffeehandle modification to fit this filter in the handle, I am not 100% sure about all other 58mm coffeehandles.
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18 Gram Triple Basket (58 mm) $14 (.3 Lb ship weight)
Left, a "21 gram LM Triple sold to me by another source.
Right, our "18 Gram Triple Basket", same shape (any difference in this picture is due to my macro lens ... they are the same shape), and ours is just a hair shorter overall.
Weigh Scales for Espresso Dosing, Etc.
Professional Cupping/ Roasting/ Dosing Scale
Expensive .. but this is an amazing scale. It's the one I use daily for the cupping lap, for weighing roast batches, and for weighing espresso doses. It's incredibly accurate and fast. If you use a scale a lot, you really do need a good one such as this. I use it mostly in gram increments, where it is accurate to one-tenth of one gram! For all the details or to buy, please visit our Weigh Scales page.
Compact Espresso Dosing/ Cupping Scale
Travel size digital scale fits in pocket. This is the favorite of many a barista. It can be used for cupping too, but will not work for weighing roast batches because of it's limited capacity of 250 grams. For all the details or to buy, please visit our Weigh Scales page.
Are You Clean? Cleaners for Brewers and Espresso Equipment
You need to keep your espresso machine impeccably clean for consistently good performance ...we offer Joe Glo and Urnex Espresso Machine Cleaner in 20 oz. bottles and packets, De-scaler powder in packets, as well as 2 types of Group Head Cleaning Brushes from Urnex and Pallo
Commerical Stainless Steel Espresso Knock Box
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Ah, the knock box. Every espresso-user needs one. If you don't have one you are invariably banging against the trashcan, the sink bottom, an old milk carton, a piece of 2 x 4 wood. And you are getting on people's nerves. I know, I do it too. Here's the answer. It's a Commerical Espresso Knock Box in a heavy with a rubber-encased knock bar and a thick rubber base. I know, the term "commercial" in over-used, but this really has the capacity to be used at a small espresso bar, and should handle a flurry of activity on a home machne ... i.e. when your 6 dinner guests all want double macchiato! This big base footer prevents slippage while you are banging your espresso handle to your heart's content. I like the higher back and sides that prevent grinds from flying around the kitchen. Here is a view from another angle. And this model has slick, round bar ends on the knock bar. It's large: It will handle any size espresso mallet. They make a smaller model but you really need more room to operate with a knock box. It looks nice, works great, and comes apart completely for cleaning. The steel is 18/8 Stainless. It is 7.5" wide, 5.75" deep, and 8.25" tall. The box is dishwasher safe, but the rubber base should be hand-washed.
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Stainless Steel Milk Frothing Pitchers I usually drink only a double, short espresso ... no milk to froth. But a good, potent cappuccino can be a welcome diversion. A true cappuccino is served in a 6 oz. rounded cup with 1.5 oz espresso and 3 oz. fresh, wet-foam, steamed milk. What that means is the milk has just been steamed and is not allowed to sit and separate into hot milk and stiff, dry foam. For home espresso machines, you need a small milk frothing pitcher to do it right - not the large ones they use in coffeehouses, which are made for longer steamer wands. We offer 2 types, in 2 sizes. |
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Standard Milk Frothing Pitchers: These are the traditional type
of milk steaming pitcher you see in coffeehouses, but they are scaled more
appropriately for home machines. The metal on these is 18-10 food grade
Stainless Steel.
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| Long-Handled Milk Frothing Pitchers: I was looking for a pitcher I would want to use and I found these nice, fairly thick stainless steel ones with long straight handles ...almost like an Ibrik. That will keep your hand away from the heat, always a good idea. The metal on these is 18-10 food grade Stainless Steel. These are actually sold as Turkish Coffee Makers ... that is, Ibriks. I prefer traditional Ibriks but you can use these for both purposes.
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