Road Test: Dolity Needle Coffee Tamper

It’s a useful device for anyone who wants to raise their game as a domestic barista.

Is that a weapon? No, it’s a useful device for anyone who wants to raise their game as a domestic barista. It’s a “declumper” for your ground coffee, you see.

Please explain. Coffee tends to come out of most grinders (even the good ones) in clumps. This little tool – a handle with thin, flexible stainless steel needles sticking out of it – enables you to gently declump the coffee before tamping.

Declump may be my new ­favourite word. But why is doing this to your coffee important? ­Because it will produce a better result. Coffee, especially espresso, is as much about texture as aroma and flavour. Declumped grounds produce a more viscous extraction, resulting in a denser crema and richer mouthfeel.

Did you know what it was when it was given to you? I had no idea. But it really is a game-changer.

$17.50, amazon.com.au