My Equipment and Coffee Space
Transform your coffee corner into a space worthy of the best baristas with essential accessories. This article reveals my favorite tools, such as the Timemore scale, which makes weighing and timing easier for successful espresso extraction. Explore practical tips and equipment recommendations to enhance your home coffee experience and refine your brewing skills.
I’ve been regularly making coffee for several years now (and more specifically espressos). Although I remain loyal to my La Pavoni, I’ve ended up buying and replacing many accessories that allow me to perfect its use.
Thus was born my coffee space, which is my pride as an amateur barista.
By watching the video above, you’ll notice that my accessories can be classified into two categories:
- essential accessories
- non-essential accessories
I will therefore divide the article into these two categories.
Essential accessories for making successful espressos
A coffee scale
When I prepare coffee, I always start by weighing my beans. For this, I use a small scale: the Timemore Black Mirror Nano. It has several advantages:
- Compact (10 cm per side)
- Equipped with a dual switch (touch + physical, to preserve battery life)
- USB-C charging
- Smart espresso mode:
- Auto tare for the cup
- Timer that starts from the first drop and stops automatically at the end of extraction
- Pour-over mode
- Standard mode with manual timer
Timemore Black Mirror Nano Scale
My Niche Zero electric coffee grinder
For a long time, I used a manual grinder: precise, reliable, with virtually zero retention. But, over time, hand grinding becomes tedious.
After consideration, I invested in the Niche Zero electric grinder with conical burrs.
Its strong points:
- Low retention (close to zero)
- Quiet and compact
- Consistent grind quality
Nearly flawless, despite a few minor perfectible details. A dedicated article will soon be devoted to it.
Accessories for distributing the grounds
Properly distributing the coffee before tamping is essential to avoid the phenomenon of channeling (water flows through the least compacted areas).
Tips to avoid channeling
Channeling is a phenomenon of imbalance in the water flow through the coffee grounds. It is therefore an issue only related to espresso extractions. Indeed, water will always take the path of least resistance. Let's discover how to avoid this phenomenon.
Read more...The WDT system
- Simple and economical solution: a cork + fine needles
- Many models exist (plastic, wood, or Normcore with flexible wires).
Classic distributor
- Choose according to diameter, weight (≥ 500 g) and depth suitable for the basket.
- Effective and reliable for homogenizing the grounds.
Classic distributor for espresso
A Normcore V4 tamper
To replace my old La Pavoni tamper, I opted for the Normcore V4 tamper.
- Adjustable force thanks to interchangeable springs
- Integrated guide for straight tamping
- Consistent and uniform results
Normcore V4 tamper test
Discover our test of the Normcore V4 tamper: a precision tool for coffee tamping, combining comfort, consistency and design to improve your espresso extractions.
Read more...Puck screens
An increasingly popular accessory:
- Protects the shower screen (stays clean after each extraction)
- Makes pucks drier and easier to clean
I recommend 1.7 mm – 150 µm models for optimal use.
Dispensable but practical accessories
A tamping station
Practical for placing a bottomless portafilter.
A Drawer Knock Box
Compact and sturdy, perfect for a small coffee space.
Dosing Containers
Essential for pre-dosing beans before grinding, especially with a single dose grinder.
