TikTok Coffee Expert Tanner Colson Thinks You Need These Espresso Tools

The internet is rarely soothing. So when after scrolling through endless videos of teenagers dancing and terrible news reports you land in a calming corner, you want to stay there. One such corner isTanner Colson’s TikTok. Warm window light pours over a creamy cortado. A shot of espresso drips languidly from the portafilter, settling over jewels of ice in a chic ribbed glass. Gimmicky ideas like an espresso-fortified take on the viral “healthy Coke” suddenly feel fresh and seem worth trying. And I’m not the only one who thinks so: He’s got nearly a million followers. Maybe that’s because Colson’s videos make espresso feel simple and achievable but also aspirational. Watching them, even someone who doesn’t usually bother weighing their beans or getting optimal water distribution over every ground is suddenly bound to want to try to make a better cup.

In case you haven’t pored over his TikTok, we asked Colson for his favorite brewing tools—all the gear that he thinks can help you brew better coffee at home. Learn why he loves them below (and definitely still watch those videos when you need a little break from life’s harsh realities).

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Brewista Smart Scale 2

The key to making the perfect cup of coffee is precision, which is why anyone who is serious about brewing coffee needs a scale. Weighing the grounds, water, and even the finished cup ensures that the coffee is balanced and fully extracted.

“The Brewista is my go-to scale for everything,” Colson says. “It’s very sensitive and reacts quickly to weight changes.” It’s also portable and has a convenient rechargeable battery. “I’ve only had to charge mine twice in the past year and I use it all the time,” Colson says.

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Flare Pro-2 Manual Espresso Machine

To make great espresso at home, you need a reliable espresso machine. One major hurdle is, of course, the cost. Colson recommends the Flare Pro-2, which offers a budget-friendly, compact, manual alternative to standard electric espresso machines.

“It’s a great machine for beginners all the way up to nerds,” Colson says. “It has a high build quality and allows you to pull off some really advanced espresso brewing techniques.” It’s also portable, making it a great companion for any camping trip.

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Of course, brewing coffee requires hot water. For an electric kettle, Colson swears by Fellow’s Stagg electric kettle. “I use it every day,” he says. “It heats up fast and has an ergonomic design.”

A gooseneck spout is the most useful when brewingpour-over coffee. “It gives you excellent control,” Colson says. The Stagg helps with the precision pouring and also has a temperature gauge on top to point out when the water is within the optimal brewing range.

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Normcore Springloaded Tamper

Consistency is the key to pulling the perfect shot of espresso, and tamping the grounds is one of the most crucial steps in the brewing process to ensure a balanced, delicious shot. The Normcore is built with a few clever design features that help take the guesswork out of tamping.

“The Normcore is way more efficient than a normal tamper,” Colson says. “It’s self-leveling and so easy to use.” This tamper sits on top of the portafilter and has an internal spring that can be calibrated to deliver a precise amount of pressure each time it’s used. It’s also available in a variety of sizes, so it can fit most portafilters perfectly “It has the same functionality as an $800 tamper, but it’s far more affordable,” Colson says. Just make sure that the size is correct for your portafilter basket.

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Lido OG Manual Grinder

Most at-home coffee grinders can’t grind finely or consistently enough to pull a proper shot of espresso. Because of this, most cafes and espresso aficionados have a second, dedicated espresso grinder, which can get expensive.

For a capable grinder, Colson suggests picking up the Lido OG manual grinder. “It’s extremely precise for a hand grinder, and it’s built like a tank.” he says. The grinder offers great precision, allowing the user to grind to the proper coarseness for multiple brewing methods, like pour-over and espresso. It’s also portable, which makes it the perfect companion to the Flare Pro-2 espresso maker.

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Baratza Sette 270 Electric Espresso Grinder

When it’s time to upgrade to a dedicated electric espresso grinder for your kitchen counter, Colson recommends the Baratza Sette 270. Among coffee aficionados, Baratza has a reputation of producing some of the best grinders available for home use, and this grinder is no exception. The company is also known for excellent customer service.

“The Baratza Sette is a solid grinder for its price.” Colson says. “It has a super helpful stepped adjustment system which makes dialing in the perfect coarseness easy.” The only downside, Colson points out, is that this grinder is really loud.

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Acaso Steel Uno Espresso Machine

“If you’re going to go for it and get an electric espresso machine, there’s not much better than the Acaso Steel Uno,” Colson says. “It has a really sleek design with wood accents, but it also has a small profile on the countertop.” This is a full-function espresso machine that allows you to program the brewing temperature and the timing of every step during the espresso extraction process.

“For the price point, it pulls shots like a professional cafe-quality machine,” Colson says. And it comes with a steam wand, which makes this machine perfect for making lattes, cappuccinos, or cortados at home. It’s a bit of an investment at around $1,350, but because of the build quality and functionality, Colson says you won’t regret it.

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The People’s WDT Tool

“A great way for anyone to improve their espresso is with a WDT tool,” Colson says. WDT stands for “Weiss Distribution Technique,” which refers to the practice of stirring the ground coffee in the espresso portafilter in order to make sure the grounds are evenly distributed before being tamped. Compacting the grounds evenly helps to prevent channeling, which can lead to an unbalanced extraction and lackluster espresso.

The People’s WDT tool is a simple, affordable way for anyone to improve their espresso at home. “A nice, even extraction really tastes the best,” Colson says. “It’s just an easy step to help you make better espresso; anybody can use it.”