Short answer: your tamper should match the size of your espresso machine's filter basket. Most Breville home machines take a 54 mm tamper. De'Longhi Dedica, Stilosa and La Specialista machines take 51 mm. The Lelit Anna and most Ascaso machines take 57 mm. Prosumer and commercial machines, including the Gaggia Classic, Rancilio Silvia, Breville Oracle and nearly every E61-group machine, take 58 mm. If you're not sure, measure the inside of your basket. It takes 30 seconds, and the chart below does the rest.
The rest of this guide explains why the fit matters, how to measure, and which Motta tamper fits your machine.
Why Tamper Size Matters
Tamping presses loose coffee into an even, level puck. The tamper can only press what is under its base. If the base is too small for the basket, it leaves a ring of loose coffee around the edge, and that ring is where water rushes through first. That's channeling: part of the puck over-extracts and tastes bitter, the rest under-extracts and tastes sour.
If the base is too big, it simply won't go into the basket, or it wedges against the wall and tilts.
The goal is a base that slides into the basket with a very small gap all the way around. We cover the tamping technique itself in our guide on how to tamp espresso properly. This guide is about getting the size right.
How to Measure Your Basket
- Take the basket out of the portafilter, or look straight down into it.
- Measure the inside diameter at the top, from inner wall to inner wall. Don't include the rim or lip. A ruler works; a caliper is more precise.
- Round to the nearest size in the chart: 51, 53, 54, 57 or 58 mm.
Measure the basket, not the portafilter. The portafilter's outside, including the ears that lock into the machine, is much wider than the coffee bed, so it will give you the wrong number.
Quick check: your machine's manual or the maker's spec sheet often lists the portafilter size. If it says 54 mm or 58 mm, that is the number to use.
Tamper Size Chart: Find Your Machine
| Machine | Basket size | Motta tamper |
|---|---|---|
| De'Longhi Dedica (EC680, EC685, EC785, EC820, EC850, EC860, EC885, Duo EC890) | 51 mm | 51 mm |
| De'Longhi Stilosa (EC260) | 51 mm | 51 mm |
| De'Longhi La Specialista series | 51 mm | 51 mm |
| Smeg ECF01 | 51 mm | 51 mm |
| La Pavoni Europiccola and Professional lever machines (Millennium, 2000 and later) | 51 mm | 51 mm |
| Ninja Luxe Café Pro (ES701) | 53 mm | 53 mm |
| Breville Bambino and Bambino Plus | 54 mm | 54 mm |
| Breville Barista Express and Barista Express Impress | 54 mm | 54 mm |
| Breville Barista Pro | 54 mm | 54 mm |
| Breville Barista Touch and Barista Touch Impress | 54 mm | 54 mm |
| Breville Infuser and Duo-Temp | 54 mm | 54 mm |
| Ninja Luxe Café Premier (ES601) | 54 mm | 54 mm |
| Lelit Anna and Anna 2 | 57 mm | 57 mm |
| Ascaso Dream (non-PID), Arc, Basic and Steel (57 mm versions) | 57 mm | 57 mm |
| Breville Oracle Jet and Oracle Dual Boiler | 58 mm | 58 mm, or 58.4 mm for a snugger fit |
| Gaggia Classic and Classic Pro | 58 mm | 58 mm, or 58.4 mm for a snugger fit |
| Rancilio Silvia | 58 mm | 58 mm, or 58.4 mm for a snugger fit |
| KitchenAid Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine | 58 mm | 58 mm, or 58.4 mm for a snugger fit |
| E61-group and most prosumer machines (ECM, Profitec, Lelit Bianca and similar) | 58 mm | 58 mm, 58.4 mm or 58.5 mm |
Machine makers sometimes change parts between model years. If your model isn't listed, or you bought an aftermarket basket, measure before you order.
Breville Owners: 54 mm, Not 53 mm
Breville's home machines (Bambino, Barista Express, Barista Pro, Barista Touch, Infuser) all use a 54 mm portafilter. A 53 mm tamper will go in, but it leaves a wider gap around the edge than it should. The Motta 54 mm tamper is made for these baskets.
Breville's larger Oracle Jet and Oracle Dual Boiler are the exception: they use 58 mm baskets, the same size as commercial machines.
58 mm, 58.4 mm or 58.5 mm?
A "58 mm" basket is a little wider than 58 mm on the inside, and the exact size varies by basket maker. That's why tampers for 58 mm machines come in more than one size:
| Tamper | Fit | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 58 mm | Standard. Fits every 58 mm basket with a small, easy gap. | The safe choice for any 58 mm machine, and the easiest to keep level |
| 58.4 mm (Competition) | Snug. Leaves very little coffee untouched at the edge. | Most 58 mm baskets, including the precision baskets used on many prosumer machines |
| 58.5 mm | Edge to edge. The tightest fit. | Precision baskets. It can be too tight for some standard baskets, so measure first. |
If you're buying your first tamper for a 58 mm machine, start with 58 mm or the 58.4 mm Competition. Go to 58.5 mm only if you know your basket is a wide precision basket.
Which Motta Tamper Fits Your Machine?
Every Motta tamper has a precision-machined stainless steel base and is made in Italy.
| Basket size | Motta tampers |
|---|---|
| 51 mm | 51 mm, wooden handle, flat base |
| 53 mm | 53 mm, ash wood handle (black or brown) · 53 mm, aluminum handle |
| 54 mm | 54 mm, black handle · 54 mm, brown handle |
| 57 mm | 57 mm, ash wood handle (black, brown or red) |
| 58 mm | The widest choice: ash wood flat base, ash wood convex base, olive wood, aluminum, walnut with matching holder and more |
| 58.4 mm | Competition tamper (black or brown handle) |
| 58.5 mm | 58.5 mm stainless steel tamper |
Flat or Convex?
Size comes first; base shape second. Flat bases are the modern standard and the easiest to keep level. Convex bases press the center slightly deeper, which some baristas prefer for sealing the edge of the puck. If you're not sure, start flat. Our tamping guide covers the difference in more detail.
Match Your Leveling Tool Too
A leveling tool (distributor) evens out the coffee before you tamp, and it should match your basket in the same way. Motta leveling tools come in 53 mm, 57 mm, 58 mm and 58.5 mm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size tamper do I need?
One that matches the inside diameter of your filter basket. For most Breville home machines that's 54 mm, for De'Longhi Dedica and Stilosa it's 51 mm, and for commercial and prosumer machines it's 58 mm.
What size tamper fits a Breville Barista Express?
54 mm. The Barista Express, Barista Express Impress, Barista Pro, Barista Touch, Bambino and Infuser all use 54 mm portafilters. The Oracle Jet and Oracle Dual Boiler use 58 mm.
What size tamper fits a De'Longhi Dedica?
51 mm. That also covers the Stilosa and the La Specialista series.
Can I use a 58 mm tamper on a 54 mm machine?
No. A tamper that's larger than the basket won't fit inside it. Going one size smaller (for example, a 53 mm tamper in a 54 mm basket) will fit, but it leaves loose coffee at the edge, so the matching size gives better shots.
Is 58.5 mm better than 58 mm?
Not always. A 58.5 mm base covers more of the coffee in a wide precision basket, but it can be too tight for some standard 58 mm baskets. A 58 mm or 58.4 mm tamper fits more baskets.
Do I measure the portafilter or the basket?
The basket. Measure the inside diameter at the top of the basket, from wall to wall. The outside of the portafilter is much wider and will give you the wrong size.
The Bottom Line
Find your machine in the chart, or measure the inside of your basket, and choose the tamper that matches: 51 mm for most De'Longhi machines, 54 mm for most Breville machines, 57 mm for the Lelit Anna and most Ascaso machines, and 58 mm for prosumer and commercial machines. Then tamp level and consistent every time, and let the base do the work.
Metallurgica Motta has been crafting professional bar and barista tools in Italy since 1967. Once your puck is right, pick the right pitcher with our milk pitcher size guide.