Here is our roundup review of the 8 best coffee accessories for espresso machines.
These coffee accessories are essential for both the barista and home use. It’s important to know what these types of accessories are and why you need them.
I have listed accessories ranging from espresso glasses and milk coolers to tamp mats and knock boxes. Make sure to go through each of these 8 coffee accessories to find out which are best suited for you.
So, let’s get started:
Our 8 Best Coffee Accessories
Why Buy Coffee Accessories?
Getting yourself some additional coffee equipment can make your life a lot easier when preparing your espresso. Coffee accessories include tampers, portafilters, milk coolers, frothing pitchers and even knock boxes. These accessories will make it very convenient for your brewing experience. It’s recommended that you purchase high quality equipment so that there’s no need for replacement.
8 Best Coffee Accessories Reviewed
Here are some essential coffee accessories that will work great for your espresso making experience:
Tamper
What is it?
A tamper is a tool used to compress coffee grounds into a portafilter. This tool is either built from plastic or metal that usually comes with a semi automatic espresso machine.
Why should you get it?
A tamper is essential for packing your coffee grounds as the shape of the tamper will fit perfectly within your portafilter. You shouldn’t try to compress the coffee grounds by hand or using another tool as there’s a good chance that your grounds won’t be compressed enough.
Tamp Mat
What is it?
A tamp mat is a small mat that is laid on a counter for placing your tamper and portafilters. It’s usually made of silicon and is considered a must have accessory for every barista.
Why should you get it?
There are few reasons for getting yourself a quality tamp mat. The first reason is to prevent your counter from being damaged by the heavy metal tamper. The other two reasons are to protect the portafilter spout, and prevent any dirt on the counter coming into contact with the tamper or portafilter.
Portafilter
What is it?
A portafilter is a cup-like device that is used to store the coffee grounds before being extracted from the group head. This accessory comes in different shapes and sizes for storing larger espresso shots and even holding espresso pods.
Why should you get it?
If you are using a semi-automatic espresso machine, you cannot use any other device but this to store your coffee grounds. It needs to fit perfectly into the group head of the machine and buying yourself different sizes is essential.
Milk Frother
What is it?
A milk frother is a device that froths your milk into a thick, creamy texture. There are different types of milk frothers you can buy, some are great whilst some don’t even know how to froth the damn milk.
Why should you get it?
Getting yourself a milk frother is essential for wanting to create latte art. It also completely changes the style of your drink and creates an entirely different taste experience. For instance, using milk froth will turn a double shot espresso into a cappuccino.
Milk Frothing Pitcher
What is it?
A milk frothing pitcher is essentially a jug that allows you to pour milk into your espresso and allows you to texture the milk, hence, latte art.
Why should you get it?
If you really want to become a pro barista then a milk pitcher is one of the most important things you’ll need to get. Creating latte art is a true skill and there’s no other way to do it without a milk frothing pitcher.
Espresso Glasses
What is it?
Espresso glasses, known as “demitasse” are short glasses that hold about 2 to 3 ounces of fluid. This is the ideal type of glass to use for a shot of espresso.
Why should you get it?
The reason for getting yourself a set of espresso glasses is because it insulates the heat much better than a long tall glass. Larger glasses lose temperature much quicker which causes loss in flavor from the coffee.
Jura Milk Cooler
What is it?
A milk cooler is your espresso machine’s best friend. It is essentially a large tank that keeps your milk cold and can be attached to your espresso machine.
Why should you get it?
The reason you should get yourself a milk cooler is because you don’t need to store your milk container in the fridge anymore. It can be frustrating when having to replace your milk container after letting sit for hours from your last cup of coffee.
Knock Box
What is it?
A knock box is a “bin” that’s used to store old coffee grounds or ‘pucks of coffee’. It’s also referred to as a ground bin, coffee column, or slam piece.
Why should you get it?
Even though a knock box isn’t completely necessary, it can be very useful. If you plan on brewing a few espresso shots, you’ll save time by dumping the old grounds from the portafilter into the knock box.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to use a coffee knock box?
It’s fairly simple to use a coffee knock box. All you need to do is lightly hit the portafilter against the knock box in order to remove all the espresso grounds.
Do I need a tamping mat?
A tamping mat is essential if you are a barista in a commercial setting. This will help prevent any damage done to your tamper and portafilter and will help keep spillage or mess of grounds on the tamp mat.
How long can milk stay in a milk cooler?
A milk cooler can keep your milk chilled for more than a day. This is convenient when needing to use milk the next day for your next cup of coffee.
Do espresso glasses affect the flavor of your coffee?
Espresso glasses will obviously affect your coffee but not as much as normal glass or cup. Because of its size and shape, it will help retain the heat but not as much as a ceramic cup would.
Do you need a portafilter?
If you are using any kind of manual espresso machine that requires a portafilter to be locked in then yes, you do need a portafilter.
The Verdict
Some of these accessories are absolutely essential while others are not needed as much but are still very useful.
Now that you know what these coffee accessories are and why you should get them, it’s time to put these tools to use when brewing your next espresso.
Need the perfect espresso machine for your new coffee accessories?
Here is our 8 best semi automatic espresso machines that are best suited for you.