Espresso knock box

What is a coffee knockbox

Every time you make an espresso, latte macchiato or a coffee, waste comes out of the filter carrier. As a professional barista working in a coffee shop or restaurant, you want to dispose of this old, compacted coffee puck as quickly as possible. The easiest method is to use a knock bar to knock the coffee puck out of the portafilter.

Pull-out drawer knockbox

The built-in pull-out drawer is perhaps the oldest version of a knockbox in a drawer. These drawers are built in under the worktop so that when not in use it sits closed out of sight. These are actually only made by the Italian companies Ronda and Priolinox. These generally last a very long time because of their build quality. The only thing you need to replace once in a while is the knockout bar, the rubber of this will deteriorate at some point.

Surface-mounted coffee knock box

The surface-mounted knockout drawer is a fairly new phenomenon, but ideal if you don't want or can't install a built-in drawer. The surface-mounted knock-out trays are available in commercial versions, but mainly for home use. The commercial versions are built by Italian company Ronda. The surface-mounted trays for the home barista are made by different brands such as Joe Frexx and Barista pro.  The advantage of this type of coffee whipping tray is that you can put a grinder on the whipping tray. Whereby it doesn't actually take any extra space on your bar.

Tubular knock box

The tubular whipping tray, or tube, is a fairly unusual design. But can be practical in some situations. This type is made by Rhino coffee gear. The design consists of only 4 parts. A base, the tube, top piece and a knockout bar. The advantage of a knockout chute is that it does not take up space on the countertop, the only disadvantage is that it does take up floor space. So not really ideal when you have a small catering business.

Open knock box on the countertop

The open countertop knockbox is a type you see almost exclusively in home use. The advantage is that the, plastic bins, are often compact so they take up little space. Since they are compact, they can also hold very little coffee, which is not a problem in a home situation. There are two types of containers. The most common is the one with a knockout bar inside, these are made by brands such as Joe Frexx, Cafelat and Motta. Another design, the knock box from Ribelle, is a plastic whipping tray that has an edge in it that you tap against. Instead of against a whipping rod.

Why use a knock box for coffee?

There are several reasons why a coffee knock box should be used in your Hospitality establishment. Your café or bar just looks a lot more neat when you use one of the above options. In addition, it is also a lot more hygienic and practical to have a whipping tray.

Hygiene

Using a knockbox is also a lot more hygienic than beating out your portafilter against a trash can. Since you will then also hit the trash can with the edge of the portafilter.

In addition, it does come in handy to empty your knock box in a timely manner and also clean it on the inside. In the case of a small plastic knockbox, you can hold it under the tap. But in the case of a drawer, this is a little more difficult. You can vacuum the drawer to get the coffee grounds out and then spray it with Puly Bar Igienic and wipe away the caked-on residue.

The knockbox bar doesn't actually need to be cleaned, you could brush it clean with a cleaning brush, for example. But you can use several other types of barista accessories to keep the knock box container clean

Convenience

Knocking out your portafilter against a knockbox is many times easier than doing this against, say, a trash can, regardless of the hygiene standpoint. A knockbox bar is designed to provide enough resistance to release the coffee puck from the filterbasket but not damage the filter carrier. In addition, the rubber will also dampen the beat of the knockout.

Sustainability

In terms of durability, it is advisable to get a knock box from which you can replace the knock bar, or it is available separately. Because if it is not replaceable or unobtainable you will have to throw away the whipping tray and get a new one.

Choice guide: which coffee knock box is right for you?

It is important that you choose the you the right knock box for your situation. The first question you can ask is, do I want to use the knock box in the hospitality industry or for home use.

Hospitality

In the case of hospitality, your best bet would be to go for a Ronda or Priolinox knock box. These are a lot more solidly built and replacement knockout bars are always available. There are also several spare parts available, such as bearings

Home use

When you want to start using a espresso knock box in your kitchen as a home barista, it is convenient to go for a more compact model. You could choose a small whisk tray from Joe Frex, Cafelat or Ribelle. If you have even less space, you can opt for a beater tray that can stand on your countertop, but on which you can also place a coffee grinder. Then you won't need any additional space.

Also check out our blog about the different types of coffee knock boxes there are, maybe there is something more useful in our blog post.