Coffee-loving cycling fans will likely know that Chris King takes coffee very seriously. Nobody will be surprised to hear that an espresso machine fuels the work of machining raw aluminium and steel (and sometimes titanium) into some of the world’s finest bicycle components at the Portland, Oregon-based business.
King has been making and selling espresso tampers for years, and the latest batch updates the design with a handle that is 15mm shorter than their standard design.
Lead designer and coffee guru Jay SyCip says: “Pulling the perfect shot of espresso isn’t easy. Some might even say it’s an art form.
“For coffee lovers around the world, that perfect shot of espresso can be the difference between a good day and a bad one.”
The new tamper is 70mm tall, has a base diameter of 58 mm and a base depth of 10mm, and weighs 420g.
These numbers matter in the world of coffee in much the same way bearing sizes do to anyone equally obsessed with efficiency and durability in cycling. Specs and tolerances make the difference between average and amazing, and nobody wants to pay good money for average—be that on coffee or bike equipment.
SyCip continues, “We recognise that a technique used by many exceptional baristas is using their fingertips to gauge the levelness of the tamper piston against the outer edge of the porta-filter and longer handles can get in the way. Making this change will allow for better more precise control for all baristas. It’s a small thing, but we felt it was important.”
The design of the Chris King espresso tamper mirrors the shape of King’s legendary NoThreadSet headset, adding a touch of cycling class and distinction to any espresso set-up.
The 70mm tamper is on sale now for $150 and is available exclusively through the King website.
