NormcoreCoffee Tamper 57mm, Spring-loaded Tamper V4, Barista Espresso Tamper Flat Base with 15lb / 25lb / 30lbs Springs, Anodized Aluminum Handle and Stand, Fits Ascaso Lelit 57mm portafilters

I have a very nice, heavy tamper that I've used for 19 years. Recently I got intrigued with the idea of a spring loaded tamper because I never had any idea what force I was using manually. This particular tamper is costly but well worth it, in my opinion because of how it's made and because it also had 2 springs, as well as a total of 3 inner springs to determine tamp pressure. Beautiful, heavy, solid construction. The 25 lb spring that comes pre-installed works best for me and I don't see myself changing it. The design with the leveling plate makes it all quite easy to press down enough. Some reviews complained about the lack of an audible "click" but that isn't necessary. With the leveling plate on top of the filter basket, you just press down the entire distance that you can push and that's it so no click needed.What I've realized though all this is that I was never tamping hard enough with my manual tamper. In addition, when I would press it down hard the tamp would not be even, and one side would usually end up higher than the other, and this led to channeling.It's important to properly prepare the puck. I measure bean weight and grind into the portafilter basket. I use a funnel collar and and WDT tool to distribute the grinds well and break up clumps. I then use a distribution tool, which smooths everything out before the final tamp. Then comes the tamping which I can now do with a consistent, level pressure. I have my grind fineness pretty dialed in at this point and haven't needed to change that up much. Since implementing the puck prep described above, every single time my coffee has turned out perfect. Before doing things this way and without my new tools (i.e. previously using only finger smoothing and tamping with a manual tamper) I had a lot of misses and wasn't usually happy with the espresso I got. I'll say it again....the quality of your shots depends on good, consistent prep of the puck. This tamper is a very necessary part of that prep, I now realize. I recommend this particular tamper very highly.Last comment: You can get the same tamper with a circular ridged bottom. I can't see there would be much advantage to that, and the ridged bottom would definitely catch coffee in the ridged areas, making cleanup a bit more annoying. With this smooth tamper, all it requires is a quick wipe on the bottom (usually nothing there anyway) and then there is a nice little matching cup to set the tamper in.

Great quality tool that helps eliminate one of the variables when making an espresso. Incredibly simple to use and the tamping has always been consistent and reliable. Many imitations have inevitably popped up over the years, but there is a reason why the Normcore tamp still sells so well and is so highly regarded by baristas. If you're making espresso at home and looking to simplify your routine, this really is a no-brainer to add to your setup!

This thing is a power house that tamps the perfect puck with little effort! It’s easy to grip and use, makes a great puck for high quality espresso, fits nicely on the coffee bar. Much faster than multiple tamps too

The Normcore v4 Tamper is a game-changing evolution from traditional tampers in several ways.First, it auto-levels to your filter basket. This solves the most common mistake of uneven tamping of coffee grounds.Second, it has a calibrated spring to ensure you are always applying the correct pressure. Sure, there is the Force Tamper selling for 4x the cost of this one which does it for you with a pop, but that might be overkill for a home barista who makes a few drinks a day. This tamper allows you to get similar results manually and with repeatability. Anyone who makes espresso knows how important it is to eliminate unnecessary variables on the road to great coffee.I use this tamper many times every day and cannot recommend it highly enough.**Post-Prime Day Update**Although I stand behind what I wrote above concerning the Normcore V4 Tamper, someone recommended I try a similar tamper from another Amazon company, MHW-3BOMBER. I found I preferred that tamper over the Normcore for the following reasons:1. It is a knockoff of the Force Tamper, which means you don't have to press too hard and hear/feel a click when tamping is done. Considering the Force Tamper is $200 and the MHW-3Bomber is a fourth of that price, it's a really good deal for that functionality.2. The Normcore Tamper has a flat base whereas the MHW-3Bomber has a beautiful rounded ridge pattern, which looks like it might help distribute the grounds a little bit. Again, it's like what is offered on the Force Tamper.Otherwise, they are very similar. Both offer self-leveling while tamping. I will keep the MHW-3Bomber tamper, because it doesn't require as much downforce as the Normcore, which can help avoid any repetitive injury while making several shots.

I have been very happy with this tamper. It was one of the only self leveling tampers available and came at a price that was half of what some self leveling tampers are going for. The diameter of the tamper fits perfectly in the 58mm portafilter that came with my Breville Dual Boiler. The self leveling feature has produced a very consistent and level espresso puck. The fit and finish of the tamper is very nicely done, and even comes with a base to catch any grounds that might be stuck to the bottom of the tamper. Would have given 5 stars if it came with better instructions. The tamper comes with 2 additional springs, but the instructions don't do a good job of explaining which spring has what tension, when you would use a different spring tension, or how to clearly change the spring inside the tamper. Fortunately, I have been happy with the tamping pressure of the default spring, so this has not yet been an issue for me.