How To Choose The Right Coffee Tamper Size (+ Bonus Tamper Size Chart)
House of Coffee Australia
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Making great espresso starts with the right tools, and one of the most important is your coffee tamper.
Sure, a tamper might look like a fancy paperweight, but don’t let its simplicity fool you. This little tool is the unsung hero of espresso making. Think of it as the MVP of your coffee gear lineup. Get the wrong size, and you’re looking at uneven grounds and a shot that’s more “meh” than marvelous. But don’t stress—this guide is here to help you find the right size tamper that’ll make your espresso truly shine.
I'll walk you through how to measure and choose the right size coffee tamper for your espresso machine. Trust me when I say, get your coffee tamper size wrong and you'll end up with a cup of water flavoured coffee with zero body and oomph (I know, because I've been there).
Why Tamper Size Matters (And How to Measure Your's)
Your coffee tamper is like a key and your portafilter basket is the lock. A good fit ensures you evenly compress the coffee grounds, preventing weak spots and watery disasters.
Here’s the golden rule: your tamper should be slightly smaller than the inside diameter of your filter basket.
So how do you find the right size coffee tamper? If your machine manual didn't specify the perfect tamper size (or let's be honest, you can't be bothered reading the manual or you lost it), then it's time to whip out your measuring tape.
Steps to Measure Your Portafilter Basket:
1. Grab a Measuring Tool
Machinist calipers are the most accurate measurement but honestly, who has one of these just casually lying around? A steel measuring tape or ruler with millimeter divisions works too—just keep a steady hand.
2. Measure Across the Center
Find the widest inside diameter of your filter basket. This is the part your are measuring.

3. Choose a Tamper
Select a size slightly smaller than your measurement (at least 0.75 mm smaller for a snug but easy fit).
Example:
Measured diameter: 58.74 mm
Best tamper size: 58 mm
Quick Reference Coffee Tamper Size Chart
To save you some guesswork, here’s a cheat sheet of coffee tamper sizes for popular espresso machines.
(Tip: Always measure your filter basket first. Manufacturers sometimes change sizes by model or year.)
Home Coffee Machines
Brand | Model | Suggested Tamper Size |
Ascaso |
All models | 57 mm |
Bodum Granos | 51 mm | |
Breville | 800 Series | 51 mm |
Barista Express, BES870XL & BES860XL, Infuser, BES840XL, Duo-Temp Pro, BES810BSS |
53 mm |
|
Dual Boiler, BES900XL & BES920XL | 58 mm | |
Cuisinart | All models | 51 mm |
Delonghi | Dedica, La Specialista | 51 mm |
Older Models | 49 mm | |
ECM | Botticelli | 58 mm |
Cellini, Giotto | 58 mm | |
Gaggia | Classic, Carezza | 58 mm |
Espressione | Cafe Retro, Cafe Novecento | 58 mm |
Estro | All models | 53 mm |
Faema | Family | 53 mm |
Francis!Francis! | x1 (new version) | 56 mm |
x1 (old version) | 52 mm | |
Gaggia | Semi-auto machines | 58 mm |
Factory (lever machines) | 51 mm | |
Innova | All models | 57 mm |
KitchenAid | Proline | 58 mm |
Krups | 49 to 52 mm | |
La Pavoni | Club Combo, Duet, Napolitana | 57 mm |
Lever machines (post-1999) | 51 mm | |
Lever machines (pre-1999) | 49 mm | |
Lusso, Pisa, Si | 53 mm | |
La Riveria | All models | 45 mm |
La Spaziale | All models | 53 mm |
La Valentina | All models | 58 mm |
Mokita | All models | 55 mm |
Mypressi | Twist | 53 mm |
Olympia | Club, Cremina, Express | 49 mm |
Pasquini | Livia 90 | 58 mm |
Quick Mill | All models | 58 mm |
Rancilio | Silvia | 58 mm |
Saeco | All models | 53 mm |
Solis | All models | 53 mm |
Sunbeam | Cafe Series EM6910, EM7000 | 58 mm |
Commercial Coffee Machines
Brand | Model | Suggested Tamper Size |
Astoria | All models | 58 mm |
Astra | All models | 56 mm |
Aurora | All models | 56 mm |
Azkoyen | All models | 58 mm |
Bezzera | All models | 58 mm |
Brasilia | All models | 58 mm |
Bunn | All models | 58 mm |
Boema | All models | 58 mm |
Carimali | All models | 58 mm |
Cimbali | Other models | 57 mm |
Junior Casa DT1 | 58 mm | |
Conti | All models | 58 mm |
Cuadra | All models | 58 mm |
ECM | All models | 58 mm |
Elektra | All models | 58 mm |
Expobar | All models | 58 mm |
Faema | All models | 58 mm |
Fiorenzato | All models | 58 mm |
Futurmat | All models | 58 mm |
Gaggia | All models | 58 mm |
Grimac | All models | 58 mm |
Isomac | All models | 58 mm |
Iberital | All models | 58 mm |
La Marzocco | All models (need to verify though) | 57 or 58 mm |
La Scala | All models | 58 mm |
La Spaziale | All models | 52 mm |
Nuova Simonelli | All models | 58 mm |
Olympia | Cremina | 49 mm |
Pasquini | All models | 58 mm |
Rancilio | All models | 58 mm |
Reneka | All models | 56 mm |
San Marco | All models | 55 mm |
Synesso | All models | 58 mm |
Unic | All models | 56 mm |
VFA | All models | 58 mm |
Wega | All models | 58 mm |
What Makes a Great Coffee Tamper?
Here’s what separates the great tampers from the ones that should stay in the kitchen drawer:
1. Size
First things first—get the size right (see above). Your coffee tamper should fit your portafilter basket like Cinderella’s slipper. Too small, and you’ll have gaps in your coffee bed that turn your espresso into a watery mess. Too big, and—well, it won’t even fit. Measure twice and tamp once!
2. Base Shape: Flat vs. Convex vs. Ripple
Flat: Think of the flat base as the training wheels of tampers—stable, predictable, and perfect for beginners. It evenly presses the coffee grounds into a nice, level puck, ensuring no sneaky water streams ruin your shot.
Convex: This one’s for the espresso adventurers. The convex curved base gently compresses the edges of the coffee bed, reducing channeling and boosting flavor balance. It might take a few tries to master, but once you do, you’ll feel like the James Bond of baristas—smooth and precise.
Ripple: The tamper base with a bit of flair! Ripple designs create subtle grooves in the coffee puck, helping water flow more evenly through the grounds. Some espresso aficionados swear by ripples for consistent extraction and more balanced shots. It’s like giving your espresso puck a fancy hairstyle—stylish and effective.
3. Comfort and Fit
A tamper that doesn’t feel right in your hand is like an espresso machine with no portafilter—it’s just not going to work. Look for a handle that feels like it was designed for you. A wide, comfy top makes all the difference when you’re pressing down with gusto. Bonus points if it doesn’t leave your hand cramping after a few rounds of back-to-back shots—because who pulls just one espresso?
4. Weight
When it comes to tampers, heavier is better. Give the flick to the cheap plastic imitations. Stainless steel is the rock star here—durable, balanced, and with just the right heft to let gravity help out.
Here's a few of our favourites from our own coffee tamper collection:
Stainless Steel Flat Base Coffee Tamper
Calibrated Spring Coffee Tamper
Do You Really Need a Fancy Coffee Tamper?
Short answer: absolutely. Long answer: you bet your espresso-loving soul you do. If you’re rocking a pressurised filter basket (those so-called "crema enhancers"), your plastic tamper might survive the job—though it’s about as exciting as instant coffee. But for non-pressurised baskets, a high-quality tamper isn’t just a luxury—it’s a game-changer. It helps you nail that perfect, even tamp, creating a dense coffee puck that gives your espresso the rich, velvety crema dreams are made of. In other words, ditch the plastic and level up—you deserve it.
Now you've picked the right coffee tamper size, it's time to learn how to tamp like a pro.