Coffee Distributor/Leveler Tool-New 3 Leaf Clover Base Palm Tampers Coffee Leveler Macaroon Tamper Proof for Espresso Coffee Grounds - 58mm (black)

Oh great, another coffee gizmo, I said. Just what I don’t need, I said, looking at my collection of Espro, Reg Barber, Rocket and ECM tampers. Then a friend said ‘you have got to try this, and heck, it’s just twenty five bucks or so.’Having looked at the Mahlgut and Sesa Sestic versions of this tool, jewel-like devices that run well into triple digit pricing, I figured to give this ‘knock-off’ a go. Contrary to the carping in other reviews, I find this a well-made, well-finished tool. The bottom surface is plenty smooth, and reasonably well machined, with a subtle three spoke pattern across the base. This is a hefty, compact, impressively solid tool, not a bit cheap or flimsy. The dimpled surface of the outer edge provides a firm grip. Yes, it’s a ‘knock off,’ but you can choose: buy the high priced spread that comes in a fancy jewel box, or buy this version, which is perfectly presentable and functional and by no means cheaply made. But be prepared to drop a C note or two for the item in the jewel box. Seriously. Do some shopping around and see how much you can drop on a nearly identical tool.This version is more than heavy enough to lightly compress and smooth the grounds in your portafilter without applying additional pressure - you just sit it in the portafilter and give it a few gentle spins to create a more uniform, flat, smooth surfaced, pre-tamp puck. You can easily adjust it to get that pre-tamp puck at the desired height in your portafilter basket. Then tamp as you normally would - a ‘firm but gentle’ 25 to 30 pound push with a proper sized flat or convex tamper. Because you’ve started with more uniformly distributed loose grounds, your tamp will create a more uniform final puck, minimizing channeling and improving extraction.Quite a few other reviewers seem to have mistaken this for a tamper. It ain’t a tamper, which may explain their disappointment with it.It’s for real. It does work. If you have top notch equipment and are demanding about shot consistency and quality - and especially if, like me, you drink your espresso straight - I think you will be most impressed and wonder a bit how you ever lived without the thing.Just for reference, I use this with an ECM Synchronika, ECM V-Titan 64 grinder and VST double shot baskets and dispersion screen and have had about 30 years experience, albeit as an amateur, making espresso. I can definitely see an improvement in my technique having this device in hand and adding pre-tamp distribution to my espresso regimen. Give it a try. Heck, it’s the price of a pound or so of decent beans.

I was honestly impressed with this. The finish on the leveler section is excellent, there are no tool marks, and, to the extent I can tell with my venerable Starrett caliper, the distance between the top of the leveler lobes and the lock ring is completely uniform. I. E. the threaded section is perpendicular to the leveler face.Will this work for you?It depends on the dimensions of your portafilter basket. The diameter of the leveler is 57.9 mm. In my basket this does not leave a rim around the edge. YMMV. The absolute maximum distance between the leveler face and the lock ring is 12.7 mm (0.5 inches). If the surface of your tamped puck is deeper in your basket than this, you would need to tamp after leveling or find another device.I deducted one star because when I received this the lock ring was threaded so tightly against the leveler that I could not move it by hand. A few seconds with a padded pair of pliers on the threaded section freed it however and it works very smoothly.An additional $50 or so will get you a leveler with a nice logo and/or the ability to tamp and level with one tool. I already own a tamper so the additional $$ will go to coffee.

I got this distribution tool to go with my brand new 20 gram VST basket. I realize I've sort of been out of the loop, having been over-filling a ridgeless 14 gram La Marzocco basket and a modified Stockfleth for years, but it seems like VST baskets are all the rage now, so I ordered one. The purpose of this Coffee Distributor/Leveler tool is to be able to distribute the coffee below the top of the basket. This of course gives the coffee more room and I've come to believe having an over-filled basket is hurting my espresso. I did not want to shell out the big bucks for an OCD without knowing for sure I would actually like it, so I ordered a knock-off on Amazon, the $17.99 one. It was junk. I returned it. Next I ordered this one for $18.99 and it is amazing. I absolutely love it. You can knock that country it's made in, I do it myself all the time, but what you can't knock is the incredible deals you get. I could not even buy the raw materials this thing is made of for anywhere near what this tool costs. It really blows me away.Now I'm going to finally order a new Reg Barber custom tamper made to exactly fit my new basket and I'll be in coffee heaven! (Not that all this new stuff will magically transform my espresso of course, I'll have to wait for my new La Marzooco Mini to arrive someday before that happens, but in the mean time it IS fun to have really nice, high quality things).

I’ve been an espresso-head for nearly 20 years, but I don’t often feel the need to evaluate my technique or equipment. I was dubious when I started hearing about distributors and levelers, and assumed they were just another way to part coffee fanatics from their hard-earned money.I have a bottomless portafilter and would notice channeling and uneven extraction from time to time. Maybe it was time to take a look at my tamping technique? After doing some research, I became convinced that a leveler could be the solution. I decided to look for an affordable option, as a $100+ leveler seems ridiculous and out of my budget.I’m happy to say this thing is well-made, easy to adjust, and does what it says. I start by stirring the grounds in the ports filter with a chopstick, then use the leveler instead of a tamper to smooth and level the coffee bed. My extractions over the last few days have been perfectly even, and I feel like there’s a noticeable difference in the cup. Highly recommended.

Fits beautifully for any 58mm portafilter. I use it in conjunction with a flat bottom tamper, yielding excellent pucks without any channeling. Great distribution tool for a fantastic price. Just remember to adjust the 'height' of the distributing heads to yield best result.