Barista tools and supplies

What each barista tool does

Every tool in this category has one job in the process of making coffee:

• Tamper: presses the ground coffee firmly and evenly into the filter basket before you pull an espresso. A level puck lets the water run through at the same speed everywhere.
• Distribution tool: spreads the grounds evenly in the portafilter before you tamp, so there are no loose or dense patches.
• Coffee scoops and scales: for dosing your coffee. A scale is the more precise of the two; weighing the dose and the espresso in the cup is the quickest way to get the same result every time.
• Milk frothers: manual or electric, for foamed milk for cappuccino, latte and other milk drinks.
• Milk jugs: for steaming and pouring milk. Stainless steel is the usual choice, as it copes with the heat and cleans easily; the shape of the spout decides how controlled your pour is.
• Thermometers: clip onto the jug so you can see the milk temperature while you froth, instead of guessing. Milk that gets too hot loses its natural sweetness, and the foam collapses sooner.
• Latte art tools: for drawing patterns and figures in the foam.
• Coffee brushes and cleaning accessories: for keeping your machine, grinder and tools clean.

Which tools for which drink

• Espresso: a tamper, a distribution tool and a scale.
• Cappuccino, latte and flat white: a milk jug, a thermometer or a milk frother, and latte art tools if you want to decorate the cup.
• Filter coffee: a scoop or a scale for dosing, and a brush for cleaning up afterwards.

Where to start

If you are new to making espresso at home, a tamper, a milk jug and a scoop are enough to begin with. Check the diameter of your filter basket before you buy a tamper: it should fill the basket with only a small gap at the edge, otherwise coffee around the rim stays loose and the water runs through there first. Once you are comfortable, a distribution tool and a scale help you pull the same shot every day, and latte art tools are the next step for milk drinks. The grind matters as much as the tamping, so a good coffee grinder is worth considering too.

Looking after your tools

• Rinse milk jugs and frothers straight after use, before the milk dries on.
• Clean tampers and scoops with warm water and a little washing-up liquid.
• Brush coffee grounds out of filters, portafilters and the group head of your machine.
• Give wooden handles a little vegetable oil now and then.
• Dry everything before you put it away.

For the machine itself, see our descalers and cleaning tablets.