I’ve been using the stock Breville tamper. Too skint to buy a new one especially since I’m waiting on a 58mm machine to be delivered sometime this year. I’ve been using the method DaveC shows in one of his videos of using fingers around the portafilter rim to ensure level tamp but It’s getting painful for my wrist and a rapidly growing 2-year old is not helping matters. The conventional doorknob hold feels much better but I always get a slanted puck surface that way. Would a palm tamper be better ergonomically? Hard to find a palm tamper that also claims to be self-levelling. I think only Happy tamper, but the look doesn’t really appeal to me. The normcore palm tamper may fit the bill but when I enquired whether it’s self-leveling like the v4 conventional tamper, Normcore replied that they don’t claim it to be so. Recommendations please? Especially anyone who has had experience with less popular products like Kazak and Stamper from Korea (found it on the same site as ssp burrs).

hthec I use the Push tamper and really like it’s looks and feel. It’s overpriced, but it does look great in red, matching all the other red coffee bits I have.

The normcore self leveling with the lightest spring in it might be ok? That doesn’t need much force

@hthec this may not help because both alternatives I’m going to suggest are a bit pricey and my issue is not the same as yours but I’ll throw in my experience in case it helps at all. I have arthritis in my right wrist and whilst I love the self levelling tampers, any pressure that ends in an abrupt stop causes pain and means I can’t use my wrist for things I enjoy like tennis. For my 58mm baskets I use a PuqPress but it takes up a lot of space. I’ve just ordered a Boston Electronic Tamper from https://bosetamper.com/ but they are a bit pricey. I expect it to arrive mid November so I’ll be sure and post first thoughts here. By all accounts it performs well and it will free up some bench space. Durability is the only question that remains unanswered so I won’t be selling my PuqPress for a couple of years at least. For the 49mm basket I ordered a custom tamper from https://www.malwani.de/english-1/product-information/precision-tamper/ The tampers weigh half a kilo or more and are heavy enough for me to simply sit it on top of the basket and give it a very gentle nudge using Dave’s fingertip technique. The tampers are so heavy that the puck obediently compresses with the slightest of touch. Wrist pain is a pain in the … well, the wrist I suppose. But as you know if can be quite debilitating and in my case, the more I can avoid using my wrist through means such as the above, the more mileage I’m likely to eek out of it for things I enjoy such as tennis. Good luck with your tamper selection.

simonc yeah I might just end up with that if I figure I don’t really need a palm tamper…

tompoland thanks for sharing! The Boston looks nice but 🤑 my heart actually wants one of these from Laube

hthec Bravo do a self leveling palm tamper too

PortafilterProcrastinator https://www.bravocoffee.com.br/tamper is this their site? I don’t see palm tampers

hthec Yes. Worth emailing him. This is from his Instagram:

PortafilterProcrastinator Gilberto’s email. A lovely man to deal with. bodnariuc@msn.com

Self-leveling tamper recommendations for someone with wrist strain

PortafilterProcrastinator

LMSC I wasnt able to go for a Bravo in the end, so have a Normcore now - but the idea of a self leveling button tamper is very appealing.

Let’s see what the next year holds!

hthec

PortafilterProcrastinator good shout, I’ll contact him. Thanks LMSC

Enea_

I haven’t tried this, but maybe it’s a good answer to your issues:

https://idroprep.ch/en/

hthec

audiomacgyver maybe I should just give that a try. it does seem to me that most palm tampers should be level as long as there’s not much play in the spring and shaft

Enea_ interesting for sure but it doesn’t address the wrist issue

audiomacgyver

Oddly enough just played with the normcore tamper today as I had ordered one for work. I pulled about 3 shots with it. I thought for the money it was reasonably well made, was neat to play with as it was my first time with a palm tamper. Mine seemed to be a proper fit to the IMS baskets and was too large to fit in the stock Unic baskets. The puck bed seemed nice and level after the shots.

Cuprajake

There’s play in the normcores, personally I’d spend more

audiomacgyver

Cuprajake If it was for my home I would. The last Espro calibrated tamper went missing, so didn’t want to spend a bunch.

hthec

Cuprajake Well noted. Thanks for being direct!

PortafilterProcrastinator

@hthec If you get a price for the Bravo palm tamper please could you let me know?

hthec

PortafilterProcrastinator sure thing

hthec

PortafilterProcrastinator It’s 640BRL for the Bravo mini tamper, and 160BRL for shipping to the UK

Stevebee

I’ve got a Bravo, Eazytamp, Normcore, Decent and the Force Tamper. If you have issues with your wrist I’d agree with an earlier suggestion and go with the Force. Hardly any effort needed. You push gently down and it triggers or fires the internal mechanism. I use 2 Force tampers at Farmers Markets for a few years now and despite dropping them on numerous occasions they still keep on going.

hthec

Stevebee it’s not so much the pressure but the posture. For example I can still do knuckle push-ups comfortably. And I’ve found I can tamp comfortably in the normal way holding the handle too. It’s just I can never get it level that way.

Force looks beautifully made, but a bit above my budget. I’m ambivalent about the piston action. The sound is satisfying but at the same time a little scary like it will smash my puck 😅

Enea_

hthec That’s why the gel one would address your issues: you don’t have to worry about it being level and it’s less than £50.

PortafilterProcrastinator

hthec £140 - which is a shame as it is a smidge over important tax isn’t it?

Also not far off the Force Tamper.

We can but dream!

CoyoteOldMan

PortafilterProcrastinator it is a smidge over important tax isn’t it?

Not really - and it may actually make life easier. Below £135 goods are duty exempt, but the seller has to be registered for VAT in the UK… duty on a tamper should be 2%.

hthec

PortafilterProcrastinator I’m not in the UK but I think it’s not too far off import tax for me too. From my experience, the chances are high that it will simply pass through since it’s a small item. But yes, not too far off the Force tamper so why not go the whole hog…

LMSC

PortafilterProcrastinator I paid about 850 Brazil = £110.88. It was cleared by customs in 1 day but got picked for a random check. It stayed at the customs for 2 more weeks. They didn’t ask for anything extra. The rules may have changed now as @Cuprajake paid closer to £50 for his goods from ACS. I do not know what his costs were before UK VAT and import taxes.

hthec

I did go the whole hog after all… Ordered a Force Tamper as I could find it on a local retail platform and some vouchers made the price a little more palatable. I also saw a video of someone effectively pressing on the top with her palm so I’m hoping I can do that for a nice, light, pain-free tamping experience as @Stevebee suggests. Look out for it in the postman thread! Now if only my new machine would arrive soon…

Cuprajake

you can tune the spring to, there belting.

id just use the flat base though, the ridged version was just messy on the shower screen

hthec

Cuprajake yes I got the flat base. not seen much evidence for ridged, except that it looks nice. and mess is a big no

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