FAQ’s about coffee tamper mats

At some point you started to notice that your countertop started to scratch at the edges, because you don’t have a tamper mat where you can put your portafilter on or against. Then you should have a look at a good tamper mat. This will have a lot of benefits for you and the relation with your partner, seen it prevents damage to the kitchen.

Where did the tamper mat originate?

The earliest designs came from a Hong Kong based company called Cafelat, with their design Splat. This was one of the first ones, after that Cafelat made two different designs the Cafelat flat tamper mat and the Cafelat corner tamper mat. Which are copied by most companies who now sell them

What is the choice with tamper mats?

Types of coffee mat

Well the designs of tamper mats are quite limited, you have 2 standard designs. That is the flat tamper mat and the corner tamper mat. The advantage of the flat tamper mat is that you can also use it just in front or partially beneath your coffee grinder. Where you can use the corner tamper mat ideally by pushing your portafilter against it, without damaging your countertop.

Brands of tamper mat

The most well know, and first, brand for tamper mats is the company of Paul Pratt, with the tamper mats of Cafelat. Where the company Motta is one of the few who make their tamper mats in Italy. Are all other brands have their designs made such as Joefrexx and REPA make their ones in China. A lot of the cheaper ones come from Alibaba/Ali-express, but are rebranded.

Benefits of the right tamper mat

Well if you use your kitchen countertop, or the edge of your countertop as a work surface where your portafilter sits on it is likely that this surface get’s damaged. Unless you have a good tamper mat. Seen the tamper mat, with it’s soft silicone, absorbed the pressure from the portafilter when you are tamping the coffee in your portafilter.

Some tamper mats do also have a small round indentation where you can place your tamper, but you can place it anywhere. But it can also be handy to store other barista accessories such as a coffee leveller, cleaning brushes or your WDT-tool.

How do I use a tamper mat?

The simplest answer is straight forward, just how you would like to do so. But there are different types of techniques how you use a flat tamper mat or a corner tamper mat, seen you can’t use them similar.

For instance you can use the Motta corner tamper mat on both the front and on the top. Seen you can push your portafilter against the countertop without damaging it. But when you have for instance a flat Cafelat tamper mat.

The ideal tamping procedure on your tamper mat

Is there a ideal tamping procedure, not really but there are a few critical steps you can take so that you can get the most out of your espresso. How would we do it?

The first thing you would do is place the doserring on top of the filterbasket and let the grinder grind into your filterbasket. After this you want to loosen your coffee with a WDT-tool and then spread the ground coffee in the filterbasket with a Motta Levelling tool. Now the ground coffee should be evenly distributed in the filterbasket.

This can all be done when your portafilter is on top of your tamper mat. Now you can start the tamping procedure. This does depend on which type of tamper mat you have. When you have a flat version you just put the portafilter on top of the tamper mat and tamp with a even pressure, so that you create the right consistency.

When you use a corner tamper mat you have the same procedure. But now you can set the bottom of the portafilter on the edge of your countertop and it won’t damage your countertop anymore!.