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Londinium single basket and londinium tamper working against each other

Is there a smaller tamper intended to be used for the original slope-sided Londinium baskets? The londinium button tamper I have doesn’t seem to fit the londinium *single* basket, no matter the dose I’ve tried (7/10/14 grams medium roast); the tamper and the sloped sides of the smaller basket work against each other, whether the dose is low or high in the basket, as soon as any tamping pressure is applied (the tamper “rocks” a bit) . Am I doing something incorrectly with this basket? (I am getting low volume shots with the double basket, and thought the single basket might be worth a try, for comparison.)

Comments

  • I have both of those baskets (single & double); but it is the single basket I was hoping to use for a 7 gram shot. However, the (londinium brass & wood button) tamper doesn’t appear to fit. Is it meant to fit this basket?
  • for a single basket you will need a smaller tamper

    if i run a 10g dose in the single basket the londinium tamper does work (image below taken just now for you)


    Attached files

    image
  • Thank you for the photo.
    For some reason, 10 grams in my single basket cannot be tamped. I just tried again, but it isn’t enough coffee to get to a point where the tamper can sit flat/tamp flat (not wobble or tilt). I tried a coarser grind as well, just to see if grind size affected it, but same result. That is a puzzle... unless we are using different tampers, perchance? My tamper is not the same as the one pictured on your webstore site; mine is perhaps an earlier version? (Wood top with solid brass base & the sides of the brass base are straight, not sloped nor indented. )

    If I need a smaller tamper for this basket, is there a specific one that fits the sloped basket well, and/or a size I should look for? Thank you.


    image
  • i suspect your tamper may be a 58.80mm, which is my preferred size and what we are likely to return to at some future date (the current tamper is 58.55mm)

    there are lots of people around who make tampers these days, reg barber, pullman, etc, etc

    i am sure they will all be only too happy to sell you one for a single basket

    kind regards

    reiss.
  • Terra Banes post=16139 wrote:

    image

    I still have that early model Londinium tamper as well! One of my favorites. I never use the 'single' basket though. In my experience, playing with the 'single' basket is a challenge and even in most cafés if I ask for one espresso, they use the basket they use to extract two espressos and just let one of the shots flow into the drainage, rather than switching to the singe basket, and if they do use the rare single, the extraction looks odd.

    Early on I did purchase some 'single' varieties from several basket makers, but none of them was really pleasing.

    If one uses the classic "Italian" dark roast, I expect an easier (but less tasteful) extraction can be had from a singe basket, but i don't see why one would want that.

    To get a larger volume shot in your case, it seems best to first ensure your boiler pressure is up to par, then make sure the piston seals are fine, then have a pre-infusion time long enough to see droplets of espresso begin to appear through all of the holes of the basket before raising the lever.
  • Mine in action:


    image
  • Thank you Frans & Reiss. Your generous feedback is most helpful.

    Please don’t misunderstand... I do like the londinium tamper with the ”double” baskets. It is a joy to use. That & the londinium “whisk” make levelling & tamping a breeze. (I just thought the single basket worth trying, and that it might work for a low dose brew ratio I was attempting.)

    I’ll focus on using the double baskets now & not face unnecessary challenges with the single.

    I will monitor the preinfusion more closely, too.

    I’ll bump up the pressure setting again. (The setting screw seemed to give just a bit of resistance after a quarter turn, so I stopped there. The adjustment did raise the pressure & the grouphead temperature, but the dial is still showing slightly below 1 bar. ) I’ll see if I can get it to the 1.3 bar.

    The seals, I believe, were changed recently by the previous owner, so should be fine. However, what are the indicators of seals needing to be changed? Are there any clues I should look for? I don’t feel any slippage at all, but perhaps failed seals wouldn’t be detectable without actually taking the grouphead apart? (I apologize for my lack of knowledge about this. I am new to electric machines & their inner workings & parts.)
  • Terra Banes post=16143 wrote: I’ll bump up the pressure setting again. (The setting screw seemed to give just a bit of resistance after a quarter turn,

    There is a spring pushing against that part you're turning, so you can feel a bit of 'scrape and jump' as it adjusts and you feel a resistance build up and then it lets go and resettles.
    Terra Banes post=16143 wrote: The seals, I believe, were changed recently by the previous owner, so should be fine. However, what are the indicators of seals needing to be changed?

    A leakage from the group could indicate that, or the feel that something inside the group is not going smooth when you pull the lever. If the puck is fully saturated and droplets of espresso appear on all the bottom of the basket and when you raise the lever it 'grabs' and then slips a bit, it could indicate worn seals.

    But if the previous owner got you new seals installed, no need to worry and certainly no need to take out the piston just to check on the seals. Best leave it the way it is then for the coming months / year.
  • Terra Banes post=16139 wrote:
    For some reason, 10 grams in my single basket cannot be tamped. I just tried again, but it isn’t enough coffee to get to a point where the tamper can sit flat/tamp flat (not wobble or tilt). I tried a coarser grind as well, just to see if grind size affected it, but same result. That is a puzzle... unless we are using different tampers, perchance? My tamper is not the same as the one pictured on your webstore site; mine is perhaps an earlier version? (Wood top with solid brass base & the sides of the brass base are straight, not sloped nor indented. )

    Bean density plays a significant role in how much volume the espresso grinds take up in the basket. You and Reiss may both be using 10g doses, but he could be using a low density bean (grinds will have larger volume), and you could be using a high density bean (grinds take up less volume).

    Personally, I've never messed with singles because all my shots are doubles. Although my wife wants a single for her latte, I pull a double and sip half! Gives me the chance to adjust for taste this way.

    If you really want to try the single, consider increasing your dose until you're able to tamp without the tamper hitting the sloped sides of the basket. Depending on bean density, you may need to go dose higher than you'd think.
  • I wanted to update my progress on using a single basket with the Londinium & give my thanks to fellow Londinium user, “Salvatore” for his recommendation & experiences with the LM Advanced Precision single basket. I have had immediate success with this basket, using a 7 gram dose, really pleased to have this option, and to use it with the bottomless portafilter! I have a makeshift tamper that is not a perfect fit, but almost, and amazingly performs well. The straight edges of the lower portion of the basket seem to make all the difference when using such a low dose. There is a slight more bit of fiddling to get all the dose to settle into the lower portion of the basket, prior to tamping, but easily accomplished. If there are others looking for a way to make a great 7 gram shot, I would add my recommendation to Salvatore’s. ( I will be pulling many more straight-up espressos when it is this easy & speedy to pull a quick shot & without overdoing my daily limit of caffeine!)
  • good. excellent. thank you for taking the time to give back to the forum for the benefit of other owners.

    kind regards


    reiss.
  • The Londinium is such a joy to use! I’d spend my whole day making espresso on it, if I had my druthers!:) :)
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