Artazza - Café Kultur Artisans

CAFÉ KULTUR

Handcrafting fine espresso and coffee accessories near Hamburg, Germany.

Café Kultur

We conducted an interview with Jens Rufenach, Founder and Owner of Café Kultur, to learn about his team of master artisans at work.
Jens Rufenach on Café Kultur...
Editor:	How did you start?
Jens Rufenach:	Over the past 10-15 years, I have purchased several espresso machines and have been a little disappointed with the functionality and quality of accessories. For example, an aluminum tamper I purchased did not last very long and, wanting to exchange it, I was unable to find a reasonable alternative.
	I went to work and built my own prototype. Because the available information was scarce - some manufacturers of espresso machines may not always know the exact diameter of their portafilters - I had to conduct my own research. I learned that the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe in England needed a new tamper series, and we soon handcrafted our first tampers for the SCAE.
	Articles in trade publications followed this initial large contract. We expanded the program and improved the product quality, we added special accessories kits for E-61 espresso machines in different wood types, and we handcrafted stainless steel tamper pistons in numerous shapes and sizes.
Editor:	Who is “Team Café Kultur”?
Jens Rufenach:	Andrea Staszak, Jens Rufenach and a few colleagues.
Editor:	Looking ahead, what are your future plans?
Jens Rufenach:	There are many new products in development, products which don’t yet exist or not yet in certain shapes and sizes. We are making a few enhancements and modifications to existing products, and applying new and interesting materials. Because of the effort involved with opening our own café and retail sales space, some of our product development is taking a little longer. In the long term, this will be a significant advantage because we will be able to develop and test new products in a café setting.
The skills of a fine craftsman...
Editor:	Your tamper series is named TORR. What is the meaning of TORR?
Jens Rufenach:	A Torr is a unit of static pressure measured by a column of mercury 1 mm in height.
Editor:	What differentiates your design and production?
Jens Rufenach:	We continually improved the tamper design until the form was near perfect. We handcrafted new prototypes with minor modifications until the tamper fit as many different hands as possible. Harmonious and well-balanced.
	We utilize premium stainless steel and exotic woods. These materials are critical in the construction of our tampers, but are not simple to process and finish. Although this impacts our costs, it is the end result that is important. We sand and polish our woods and metals until we achieve an excellent result. We do not use stains or lacquers or similar finishes. For wood we prefer a smooth, lustrous surface, and for metal a satin, soft-brushed surface that resists fingerprints and smudges. In that way, the tamper will maintain a clean appearance.
Editor:	How does a TORR tamper compare to other tampers?
Jens Rufenach:	We strive to handcraft the optimal tamper, starting with the selection of raw materials, the combination of materials and design, the functionality, the surfaces and details, as well as the selection of woods and sizes, to create for everyone their choice for an optimal tool.
	Function comes first, and a simple and elegant design reinforces the function.
	For example, because African Blackwood hardly absorbs any moisture, it is ideal for our TORR tampers. With the choice of wood the customer decides not only the look and feel and durability - but also the balance - of the tamper because some woods are denser and heavier than others.
Editor:	Where do you purchase your wood? How is it dried and stored?
Jens Rufenach:	We purchase the wood locally from our timber broker in Hamburg, which is within 50 km (35 miles) of our studio.
	We hand-select each piece of wood, much of it directly from the drying chamber. Some woods, for example African Blackwood, are not pre-dried but are purchased as trunks or as fresh cut wood. Working with these woods is more challenging and requires intermediate steps when turning the wood.
Editor:	Which pieces are created by hand?
Jens Rufenach:	All wooden parts are handcrafted, and we finish all wood and metal surfaces by hand. Metal parts are CNC machined. [Editor’s note: computer controlled machine tool, such as a metal lathe].
Editor:	Do you use any special machines or tools?
Jens Rufenach:	We use a wood lathe to turn the handles and a CNC metal lathe to cut the pistons.
Editor:	Please summarize the process - how do you handcraft a TORR tamper?
Jens Rufenach:	The tamper handles are partially turned and then, depending on the wood type and the moisture content, turned to final size and shape after a few months of additional drying time. This intermediate step protects the wood from cracking and splitting. Certain woods require oiling with naturally occurring oils and then further drying. Once dried, each handle is then sanded and polished by hand in multiple steps.
	The metal piston is CNC cut on a metal lathe and then polished and finished by hand in several steps.
	The TORR logo is applied with a laser to the piston and the handle and piston are then assembled.
Environmental commitment
Editor:	What are you doing to reduce the environmental and social impact and to make a food-safe product for the consumer?
Jens Rufenach:	We handcraft our products locally, not abroad. We procure our raw materials from local dealers. We strive for long-lasting products with timeless design. We prefer to create products that can be repaired, if required, instead of disposed. In our procurement, we pay close attention to the origin of products and their manufacture. That’s the case for our own products as well as others that we re-sell.
	For example, we purchase our wood from a German timber broker that has been trading timber and wood products since 1837 and has been a family owned business for six generations. The broker is certified to meet standards set by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC). [Editor's note: Read about Café Kultur's commitment to environmental responsibility here].
Editor:	Thank you for introducing us to Café Kultur.