The Espresso Accessories That Step Up Your Coffee Game

If you want to make great espresso at home, you really need so much more than just a decent espresso machine and some good coffee beans. In fact, there are many accessories out there designed to help you prepare the perfect espresso.

At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks for Espresso Accessories

If you are ready to take your espresso making to the next level, then try out some of these great accessories that will help you on your journey. Once you add some or all of these to your collection, even your local baristas won’t be able to compete with your espresso making skills.

 

Essential Espresso Accessories

Before you start shopping around for new tools to use when brewing espresso, you need to know exactly what these different tools actually do. Here’s a quick rundown on everything you need to know about your espresso tools:

Tampers

Before pulling an espresso shot, the fine, powdery espresso grounds need to be compacted together so that water can filter through them. This filtration is important to effectively extract the oils and flavors in the coffee. Tampers are very simple tools that allow espresso grounds to be compacted tightly and evenly, making for a well-flavored, delicious espresso. 

Tamper Mats

When you tamp espresso, you’re going to be placing a significant amount of force at a downward angle. Due to this, it’s beneficial to have a strong, soft surface to make the application of this force smoother and easier. Tamper mats are very effective at solving this problem, most of them being made of rubber to prevent any slipping while tamping. 

Espresso Glasses

When extracting your espresso shot, you’ll want to have the right sized cups to hold the shot. Normally called demitasses in the coffee community, these cups hold around 60-90 milliliters (2-3 fluid ounces) of espresso. 

Knock Box

After you pull your espresso shot, there will be leftover, unusable grounds in the portafilter that you’ll need to dispose of. Knock boxes are pretty much trash bins for old espresso grounds, and they have a strong, sturdy bar in the middle of them that allows you to “knock” the grounds out of the portafilter. 

Frothers

Just as espresso is a key component for many coffee drinks, milk is important as well. Frothers allow you to rapidly stir milk to make it creamy and foamy. Coming in many different forms, from battery-powered hand-held frothers to those built into espresso machines themselves, a frother is definitely a must-have. 

Pitchers

Milk-frothing pitchers are important because they’re just like normal pitchers, but better. They allow you to measure exactly how much milk is inside the pitcher and has a pouring spout that’s designed to pour milk into your cup without disturbing the foam created by frothing. 

Tampers and Mats

1. Espresso Parts Design Coffee Tamper

A popular choice among professional baristas comes from Espresso Parts. Espresso Parts offers a wide variety of options so you can always find one that fits your setup. This tamper ensures a consistent tamp pressure for every espresso shot made.

Overall, this tamper is a big favorite of ours as it offers a variety of different customizable features, making it an efficient choice for any barista.

2. Coffee Tamper Machine

The stainless steel tamper machine can make quick work of your espresso. Compress your coffee to extract more flavor from each bean so you can prepare a truly impressive espresso in your kitchen without the need of a barista.

3. Barista Basics Corner Rubber Espresso Tamping Mat

Made from food-grade safe Silicone Rubber, this tamp mat is slip-resistant and will cover the edge of almost any table so you can protect your counters when you sit down to make the perfect espresso. If you are worried about cleanup, this mat is dishwasher safe so you can easily clean up your mess when you are done.

Pitchers

4. Espresso Parts Milk Frothing Pitcher

Made from stainless steel, this pitcher will not only pour milk or cream but is the perfect pitcher for frothing it into a rich foam as well. It’s dishwasher safe, making cleanup easy and it looks great, too, making it a great option for anyone looking to create the perfect froth.

5. Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher

Sometimes the most basic design is just the best. While there is nothing fancy about this pitcher, it looks great and gets the job done so you can make great froth for your next espresso.

6. Motta Frothing Pitcher

Another great stainless steel pitcher, this one features an Europa rounded spout so you can not only make great milk foam but also you can pour it with ease.

Frothers

7. Ozeri Deluxe Milk Frother

The Ozeri Deluxe makes simple work out of milk, allowing you to create perfect froth and foam for your coffee in as little as 10 seconds. This handy device also doubles as an egg beater giving you one device to help you start your morning off right.

8. Silver MatchaDNA Handheld Electric Milk Frother

This handheld electric frother looks much like a whisk but packs in much more power. Create the perfect foam with this frother so you never have to worry about how your dairy will turn out after you brew your espresso.

9 Vktech Milk Frother

This pump style frother features a beautiful stainless steel design that is easy to use and fast so you can make delicious foam in just a few seconds.

10. Froth Wizard Manual Push Whisk Milk Frother

Grab a whisk and go! This manual push whisk frother makes frothing your milk for your coffee almost effortless. Sure it’s manual, but it won’t feel that way. Made from stainless steel this milk frother won’t rust and its design looks great and is highly functional. If you prefer frothing manually, this is definitely the whisk for you.

Espresso Glasses

11. DeLonghi Espresso Glasses

You can’t serve espresso in just any glasses. This De’longhi two-pack set of double-walled thermo glasses are the perfect way to serve your espresso. They are dishwasher safe making cleanup easier than ever and they look great in your hand.

12. Duralex Amalfi Espresso Mugs

If you serve a lot of espresso in your home then you are going to want to get your hands on these Duralex Espresso mugs. This set of six looks great and will give you a matching set that you can serve yourself and your guests at any time.

Knock Boxes

13. Espresso Parts Plastic 6″ Round Knockbox

Featuring a unique height perfect for any kitchen regardless of the size, the Espresso Parts Knockbox is the perfect knock box for those that need to save a little space but still want a great espresso.

14. Espresso Knock Box

Built from stainless steel this knock box is not only ready to do its job but also looks good while doing it. The base is also dishwasher safe, meaning clean up is easier than ever.

15. Breville Mini Knock Box

The ultimate space saver, this knock box features an elegant design in a small package that is perfect for those with limited space or those that just enjoy dabbling in espresso.

Other Accessories

16. Felicita Arc Digital Scale

We’ve previously talked about the importance of weighing your coffee and with Felicita, your appreciation of coffee weighing will climb to the next level.

This scale will give you the precision you need and with a built-in timer, you can be sure that your coffee will be perfect every time. It even includes a little 100-gram weight so you can calibrate and make sure the precision is perfect before you put your coffee on it. 

Full disclosure – we received our scale for free from Felicita but I’m happy to recommend it as a great choice for a coffee scale. 

17. Coffee Grinder Cleaning Brush

Cleaning your coffee appliances is every bit as important as using them. With this coffee grinder cleaning brush, you can clean your grinder and have it ready in no time for the next set of beans for your espresso.

18. Urnex Cafiza Espress Cleaner

If you have an espresso machine, you will definitely want to pick up some of this. After you use your machine, it will need cleaning. Why not make that process simple and easy with this cleaner designed specifically for espresso machines?

19. Number-One Coffee Machine Brush Cleaner

There is one thing that all espresso and coffee machines have – hard to reach places. These cleaner brushes are designed to clean where your hands and fingers simply can’t go and are perfect for cleaning while the machine is still hot.

Who knew there were so many great accessories for your espresso preparation needs? These tools will help you kick it up a notch in your kitchen so you can begin preparing espresso that even outshines the very best baristas in your local coffee shops. 

Enjoy!

Keep reading

• The Best Espresso Distribution Tools for a Better Brew
• The Six Best Espresso Tampers
• The Best Espresso Machine With Milk Frother: Our Top 5 Picks