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Congratulations, you treated yourself with a new espresso machine and a grinder, and you are ready to tackle the epic journey to make delicious espresso shots at home. Your device probably came with a few accessories, and you can undoubtedly get satisfying results with what you have. However, a few optional accessories will help you get better results and improve the consistency of your espresso preparation.
You can consult our step-by-step guide if you need help with your first espresso shots.
The following list is a compilation of accessories I added to my espresso routine over 15 years. Of course, I did not start with all of them. As a matter of fact, I started using some of them very recently. But after trying each of these accessories, my reaction always was: “why didn’t I buy that before?”.
None of these accessories are indispensable to getting a good result, but they improve the process or make it more enjoyable, which is always a bonus.
I will reference the exact accessories I use, but there are myriad options available that are certainly as good, if not better, than those I present. That is one of the fun parts of espresso: all those options! I also want to disclose that I have no relation with any of the manufacturers of the items described below other than the Amazon affiliate link. I own and use each of them every day, some of them for many years, and I only want to share my experience as an avid espresso enthusiast to help you improve your process.
Let us get started!
#1. The knock box
A knock box is mess-free disposal of the espresso puck— a metal or plastic canister with an anti-slip rubber grip that collects coffee grounds.
After brewing your espresso shot, you will quickly realize that the used coffee puck tends to be stuck in the portafilter. Knocking your portafilter helps dislodge the puck, but you don’t want to damage your countertop or dent your sink. A knock box allows you to hit your portafilter while collecting the coffee grounds. All you need to do is rinse your portafilter under the faucet. When the knock box is full, discard all the used coffee pucks in the trash, or use them for your compost.
You can find knock boxes in multiple materials, shapes, and price points. For example, I have used a cheap (< $25) red plastic Grindenstein knock box for over ten years, and it still looks new and does the job perfectly well.
Breville has a good-looking knock box.
However, a friend of mine was looking for a more elegant solution for his countertop and stumbled on St Anthony Industries, a high-end wood, and metal coffee accessories manufacturer. They offer this beautiful wooden espresso “bloc” station that holds a stainless steel knock box and can hold your espresso tamper and a leveler.
Breville Knock Box, BCB100 Silver. Photo from Amazon.
#2. A better tamper
Most coffee machines come with a plastic tamper. While it does the job, there is no comparison with a nice heavy one. As a result, not only does it feel better, but you also get more consistent results.
There are hundreds of options, designs, colors, and materials (handle and tamper itself) at an extensive price range. It can be an exceptional gift.
The shape of the handle is a matter of personal preference. Some baristas prefer a short handle that allows them to place their fingers on the tool’s metal portion to help them keep it straight so that they don’t compress one side of the puck more than the other. Meanwhile, others prefer a more extended handle. You can even find calibrated tampers that ensure that you apply specific pressure to your coffee puck. Most tampers have a flat base, but you can find some with a convex base shape or even a ripple profile. All of them will do fine for home espresso use. These differences may matter when you progress.
Every retailer that sells coffee equipment will propose excellent options. Unfortunately, you can also get lost in the overwhelming choice. The most important parameter to know before choosing a tamper is your portafilter’s internal diameter. Most professional and prosumer espresso machines use 58mm as a standard, but you will find some machines with 57mm portafilters, and most Breville models feature a 54mm portafilter. Select a tamper with the correct diameter.
Don’t overthink it at first. Even a cheap tamper on Amazon will make a huge difference compared to the flimsy plastic tool that came with your machine. When I had my old machine, I purchased a cheap stainless 57mm steel tamper with an oak handle and never looked back. It was not perfect; the wood did not look nor feel great (I ended up sanding it and finishing it with a dark stain and a glossy finish), but the heft of the stainless steel made the process so much more enjoyable and controllable. I enjoyed using it until I retired my espresso machine.
My current machine came with a decent machined all-aluminum 58mm tamper, but I upgraded it with a heavier 58mm model with a pleasant wenge wood handle. It looks good and feels good, but I prefer a slightly shorter handle. I dream about upgrading to a custom-made Reg Barber or on Amazon for a crazy price.
Coffee Tamper Espresso Press with Tamper Mat. Photo from Amazon.
#3. Silicone tamper mat
You can live without a tamper mat, but one of these little accessories makes the process so much better and help you to keep things organized and your countertop protected.
Some have a slight indentation to hold the front of your portafilter with the spout next to the edge of the countertop. This allows the portafilter to stay horizontal while you. Some also feature a pattern to keep the tamper while not in use.
The mat makes it easier to hold your portafilter horizontally while tamping your coffee grounds while protecting your countertop.
It is easy to clean: rinse it under the faucet and let it dry. Here is the one I have:
Apexstone Silicone Coffee Tamper Mat, Espresso Silicone Mat. Photo from Amazon.
#4. Espresso dosing funnel
A dosing funnel is a small metal accessory that fits on your portafilter’s rim and helps direct ground coffee to the filter when you grind your coffee. It limits the mess on your countertop and the waste of delicious coffee.
You need to select a funnel corresponding to the diameter of your portafilter. There are many options for the most common sizes (51mm, 54mm, 57mm, and 58mm).
58mm Espresso Dosing Funnel, MATOW Stainless Steel Coffee Dosing Ring Compatible with 58mm Portafilter. Photo from Amazon.
#5. A bottomless portafilter
A bottomless portafilter leaves the bottom of the filter basket exposed. So instead of letting your espresso flow via a spout to your cup, you let it flow straight from the filter.
It is very satisfying to watch the extraction of your shot, starting as isolated dark drops and merging into a thick golden flow towards the middle.
Besides the visual feast and the Instagram-worthy photos, it is also a fantastic learning tool to improve your espresso process since it exposes all the issues with preparing your shots.
- If your coffee is not evenly tamped, it will flow more from the loose side.
- If you have clumps in your coffee grounds, you will have channels and coffee spitting in different directions.
The naked portafilter shows all the issues with your coffee puck preparation and helps you to improve your technique: a tidy flow is a solid indication of an even extraction. It is almost a game since your hard work is rewarded by a visually satisfying flow and a better-tasting espresso.
Another bonus point of using this type of portafilter is that it is easier to clean. At least when you pull good shots of espresso, otherwise, you’ll need to clean your machine and your countertop, splashed by multi-directional espresso microjets ;).
#6. Coffee ground stirrer or WDT tool
When you grind coffee for espresso, you often get coffee clumps. The issue with these coffee clusters is that it creates microchannels in the coffee puck that prevent even coffee extraction during the brewing process. Water always chooses the path of least resistance and will avoid flowing through the clumps, which will “erode” the loose grounds next to the chunks.
The Weiss Distribution Technique (WDT) is a distribution method for espresso making. With a fine needle or similar tool, the barista stirs the coffee in the portafilter. The stirring action breaks up any clumps and evens out the density of coffee within the puck. The result is reduced channeling and higher, more even extractions.
I did not understand the interest of the WDT before using a naked portafilter, which highlighted the existence of microchannels in my coffee pucks (trust me, you know quickly when it shoots thin coffee jets in multiple directions!). At first, I thought the grind setting needed to be changed, but that did not improve the result. After some research, I tried to break the clumps with a toothpick and immediately saw improvements. I used toothpicks for several years with good results. I recently decided to try a more elaborate tool and purchased this coffee stirring tool on amazon. It has a lovely wood handle, and it is more pleasant to use, and I get better results than a toothpick. However, it quickly makes a mess, and I strongly advise using a funnel on the portafilter while stirring.
It is an inexpensive accessory, but it dramatically improves your espresso’s quality, whether you use a naked portafilter or not.
The need for such a tool will heavily depend on your coffee grinder. Some grinders produce little to no clumps, while others produce lots.
#7. A coffee leveler (also called a distribution tool)
I kept the most controversial accessory for the end. Following espresso coffee forums or discussion groups will see fiery discussions about using a leveler.
A coffee distribution tool, or leveler, is a metallic accessory that you sit in your portafilter and spin to create a perfectly flat and leveled coffee puck. It has adjustable blades to set the level of your puck based on the coffee quantity you are using. You only need to use your tamper to gently compress the puck, not “distribute” the grounds in the filter basket before pressing. This results in a more controlled, more consistent tamping, yielding repeatable and better espresso shots.
A coffee leveler is not supposed to replace a coffee tamper: it distributes the grounds to make the tamping process easier. However, Whole Latte Love sells the “Jack Leveler” designed to compress the coffee grounds in addition to distributing them. The adjustable depth of the mechanism is accurate to the millimeter and can compact the grounds in your portafilter as you spin the blades. They claim it effectively replaces the tamper. I have never tried it, but I understand why it would make sense.
The controversy comes from many claims that a leveler does not effectively distribute the coffee grounds evenly. There are even university research papers on the subject. Online debates are sometimes intense on that subject. Some claim it is useless at best and produces worse results than good tamping. On the other hand, some pretend it is THE game-changer, and they cannot live without it.
I do not care whether it perfectly distributes my coffee grounds; I only want it to create a flat surface, perfectly horizontal, to make it easier to apply vertical pressure with my tamper. It has helped me to get more consistent results and improve my workflow. I like using it since it is heavy and satisfying to spin. I use it for every espresso cup that I prepare.
Apexstone 51mm Coffee Distributor. Photo from Amazon.
Conclusion
All of these accessories provide incremental improvements to your espresso routine. I would not recommend purchasing all of them simultaneously (except for the knock box and the tamping mat – get these as soon as possible). The need for some of these tools will depend on your equipment. You can undoubtedly make delicious espresso without them, but they vastly improve the consistency of the process or make it more enjoyable.
Sources:
https://www.homegrounds.co/best-espresso-tamper/
https://www.baristahustle.com/blog/weiss-distribution-technique/#:~:text=The%20Weiss%20Distribution%20Technique%20(WDT,it%20sits%20in%20the%20portafilter.&text=The%20stirring%20action%20breaks%20up,of%20coffee%20within%20the%20puck.
https://www.wholelattelove.com/blogs/articles/leveling-with-the-jack-a-new-way-to-1
