5 Accessories We're Loving Right Now

Like any good hobby, accessorizing and customization are a huge part of owning an espresso machine. Today we’ll be taking a look at several new arrivals that should be on your radar including some new cups, equipment organizers, and shot prep tools.

The Wiedemann Magnetic Tool Holder

This is such a simple accessory, but the more I used it, the more I loved it. Espresso definitely leans a little in the tool-heavy direction which means that your space can be at a premium if you’re working with a smaller counter top.

The tool holder is a small, rectangular piece of wood with two curved indentations. On the back is an adhesive strip and tucked inside the wood are rare earth magnets. The magnets are designed to hold Wiedemann’s WDT Tool and Barista Brush as both of them have the same diameter metal collar that can be held by the magnets. In this way it’s very similar to the Wiedemann Hangup, which also uses magnets to organize tools, albeit in a much smaller, more non-committal form factor.

Where my true love for this accessory comes from however is the fact that the magnets not only hold your accessories in place, but can also adhere the Tool Holder to the housing of several espresso machines, chief among them being the Gaggia Classic. Now, we haven’t tested the Tool Holder on every machine out there, but here are the ones that we know for sure that the magnets will stick to:

• Gaggia Classic E24, UP, GT
• Lelit Anna, Anita, Victoria
• Profitec GO, Pro 400, JUMP, MOVE, RIDE
• Rancilio Silvia
• Bezzera NINI, LUCE, SOLE

While I’m sure there are more, those are the ones we know for sure that the Tool Holder can attach to magnetically. You can also use the adhesive strip to more permanently attach it to any flat surface. Personally, I love the cleverness of using your machine to create additional storage space for your tools and the synergy between the wood accessories and the accents on the machine.

Wiedemann also recommends attaching the tool holder to the Wiedemann Tamp Station (via the adhesive strip) if you don’t happen to have a machine that it will stick to magnetically but still want to consolidate your storage. It works with both the standard and long versions so you’re free to choose either.

A Word on Magnets

I love magnets and their utility in tools, but it’s worth addressing the elephant in the room. Some magnets are more powerful than others, and some metals are more magnetic than others. Wiedemann uses high quality magnets that produce a strong attraction in the right metals. That last bit is important because magnets rely on the presence of ferromagnetics materials, most commonly iron, in order to attract them. Wiedemann uses higher iron content steel in the production of their accessories, namely the metal collars on the WDT Tool and Barista Brush, as well as the base of their Precision tamper in order to ensure that they function with the Tool Holder and Hangup.

If you’ve ever purchased a magnetic dosing funnel (including the one from Wiedemann), you may have encountered situations where it wouldn’t stick to the filter baskets in your portafilter, or that it would stick to some and not others. Generally, premium filter basket manufacturers such as IMS use 304 stainless steel which is non-magnetic. This can create a bit of a catch 22 if you’re looking to upgrade your baskets and grab a magnetic funnel, but I wanted to mention it. Generally stock filter baskets have higher iron content and will work with magnetic funnels. 304 stainless steel in machine housing will also prevent the Tool Holder from attaching to them as well.

KINTO CLK Series Cups

KINTO produces a wide range of coffee and teaware, some of which we just covered in an article highlighting a few new arrivals here at Whole Latte Love. However, I wanted to spend a bit more time looking at the new CLK series cups we just added to our assortment.

What Does CLK Mean?

If you look on the bottom of any of the cups, you’ll see the words “Ceramics Lab” on the bottom, and if I had to guess, “K” stands for KINTO. These cups are a little more subtle, featuring earth-tone coloring (beige, black, and an offwhite white) accented by a bit of exposed clay on the bottom.

The CLK series are all made from Japanese porcelain, specifically using sandstone from the Hasami region, combining sand and rocks with stone mined from the Amakusa islands. The smallest of these cups is 6oz, so they’re best suited for hand-brewed coffee, tea, and milk drinks, being a bit too big for espresso.

The Design

Apart from the 6oz cups which lack a handle, the rest of the CLK mugs have an angular handle with room for a single finger to fit through. The top of the handle is flat and slightly angled so you can comfortably rest your thumb on top of it while the bottom is angled and keep your fingers from touching the side of the mug. This same handle shape is used on KINTO’s SCS Stacking Mugs and it’s a winner in both cases.

Compared to our other terracotta style cups, the notNeutral PICO series, the exposed clay at the base of the CLK drinkware is much smoother and less rough (though in fairness they are more expensive), and the glaze extends past the handle, so there’s no difference in texture when you’re holding a cup. There’s also a speckling that adds to the natural beauty of the cups that I really appreciate.

When it comes to pouring latte art, the CLK cups provide a great canvas as well. The bottom of the cup is flat, but the edges all curve upwards, making it very easy to pour in the smaller 6 and 10oz sizes; the 14oz mug is definitely more of a challenge as it’s much taller by comparison.

Gaggia Classic Lower Drip Tray Upgrade Kit

Okay, so the name of this thing is a bit long and a bit on the nose, but Gaggia Classic owners have been modding their machines for years to create more clearance under the portafilter. Fast forward to 2026 and the launch of the Gaggia Classic Up and this official kit to retrofit the Classic Pro/E24 with the very same space saving tray.

Compared to the stock drip tray, the lower tray offers a full 4” of clearance vs original’s 2.75”. To put it in perspective, a reasonably priced premium scale like the Varia AKU is only 0.75”, so even with a scale, you’re still netting an additional 0.5” of clearance over the original tray. You can also grab a bottomless portafilter to pick up an extra inch of clearance so you can comfortably fit larger cappuccino or to go cups directly under the machine.

Also included in the kit is an updated telescoping decompression duct so you can cleanly discharge water from the solenoid valve into the drip tray without making a mess. Truth be told, there’s not too much more to say about this kit other than that if you’re one of the many Gaggia Classic owners out there, I recommend checking this out, especially if you feel like things are a bit too cramped on your machine.

And if you’re in the market for another easy upgrade, I recommend taking a look at the Classic shower holding plate and screen combo by BIT. It improves water distribution, increasing the number of holes in the plate to eight and updating the hole patterns on the screen to redirect water flow to the outer edges of the basket in order to prevent double extraction from water boring through the center of the puck.

Vario FLO Filter Papers

The Varia FLO is an incredibly versatile pour-over coffee maker thanks to its interchangeable filter screens that allow you to alter your extraction and experiment with your coffee without needing to purchase a different device; the FLO Filter Papers offer a similar approach to brewing.

Available in two thicknesses, the FLO filters are made from FSC certified, flavorless and odorless Japanese pulp. The FSC is the Forest Stewardship Council, meaning that they’re sourced from sustainable and ethical forestry

Paper Thickness

If you’re wondering why paper thickness means or what it does, it refers to the paper’s weight and density, using a measurement called GSM or Grams Per Square Meter. The Slow filters have a measurement of 50 GSM while the Fast are 21 GSM.

When combined with the variable screens available for the FLO Dripper, the FLO System if you will, has 6 potential configurations using the stock screens and 14 when brewing with all of the available screen options.

Other Compatible Devices

Another great thing about the FLO Filter Papers is that they’re compatible with more than just the Varia FLO. The wave design and variable sizes of 55 and 85 can be used to brew in pretty much any wave style coffee dripper. In our catalog we’ve tested and confirmed the FLO filters’ compatibility with the following drippers: notNeutral GINO, E&B Lab Wave Flower Dripper, Saint Anthony F70 Brewer.

For a full overview of all our pour-over devices you can check out our guide to pour over coffee makers that we recently updated with the new KINTO OCT:

So, while these other brewers might not have the same versatility as the FLO in terms of interchangeable discs, you can still experiment with the variable speed filters and see how things are tasting.

The Saint Anthony Industries SWT Tool

Puck prep has a major impact on your shots, and this ritual doesn’t get any easier when you have multiple baristas to account for. Saint Anthony’s SWT Tool is a Made-in-America accessory designed to address this potential dilemma by simplifying and consolidating several steps into one.

If you’re not familiar with Saint Anthony Industries, they’re a Utah based coffee equipment manufacturer who produce a range of espresso tools, pour-over devices like the F70 mentioned above, aprons, and even some cups (that I also happen to really like). For espresso, they offer a pair of accessories called the Wedge and the Levy. The Wedge distributes coffee in the basket while the Levy tamps it.

It’s a traditional approach to puck prep that’s been repeated by many companies, but combining the two steps into one is something that’s a little less common. I’ve written about it before in case you’re curious:

Suffice it to say that in our testing and in feedback from our customers, you can replace tamping entirely with a leveler like the SWT Tool, you may just need to adjust your grind a little finer. The SWT works by splitting the base into two sections, one angled and one flat. By spinning the SWT in the basket, coffee is moved by the angled slope and then flattened.The level of compression is easily enough to replace tamping entirely.

Setting Your Depth

Just like any coffee leveling or distribution tool, the SWT requires you to set the depth to match your dose and the size of your basket. On the SWT (and also the Wedge and Levy) Saint Anthony uses what they call the Bachmann Accu Drive System which combines a numerically labeled ring and an arrow on the leveling base to indicate your current setting.

One thing to note is that there isn’t an indicator for the current revolution you’re on relative to the numeric marker, however, this is easy to fix by simply disassembling the SWT into its three segments by unscrewing the top and the base from each other. Then simply reattach the base with the arrow lined up with the 0 and thread it in until it stops and reattach the top.

Build Quality

Compared to its closest competitor the Asso Jack, the SWT is significantly heavier with its body and tamping base all being made of steel vs the Jack which in most versions is made of aluminum. I find that the locking system also helps prevent the SWT from “self adjusting” while leveling, though this is really only an issue in cases where the depth is set incorrectly. The SWT is also made in America vs the Jack which is made in Italy and uses no plastic parts in its construction, just steel and wood.

Final Thoughts

So that's been a quick look at some of the new accessories we've been playing with around the office. Hopefully you've seen something that catches your eye, but either way, make sure you're having fun with your coffee.

Photography by Grace Walker

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