Verdict: GIMMICK. But not entirely. Let me explain below…
I’ve had this tamper for a while now. 2 years on, I think I can safely write this review and feel comfortable with the brave beast I’m about to unleash.
I specifically have the 58.5mm ripple based, spring loaded tamper. It’s a calibrated tamper, meaning it has a collar that sits on the outside edge of your basket, and when you push down the inside element of the tamper pushes into the coffee bed ensuring a flat even tamped surface every time. But I’m here to tell you it’s a gimmick though, and here’s why:
The “ripple base” is marketed to create a “more even extraction” and more “even water dispersion” and prevent a “donut extraction”.
Although it does create a somewhat visually OCD pleasing ripple tamped bed, the various experiments, testing and comparisons I have done, I can confirm this has little to no effect on the extraction or taste of the espresso.
I could’ve lived with that, but the most frustrating thing about the ripple base that you’ll notice, is after a few tamps, coffee will start to build up in the grooves more and more and cake on to it. Therefore, ruining the ripple effect, and ruining your tamp by causing uneven patches, taking out small chunks of coffee from the bed.
If you’re lazy like me and like minimal effort and minimal cleaning, this is a nightmare. You need to brush it after almost every few tamps.
Ripple base aside, this is a serious tamper. It is a quality build with a solid spring inside. It has a good weight to it and fits perfectly and snug into the correct size portafilter leaving no espresso on the sides or gaps in the coffee bed.
Overall, my actual verdict is that the ripple base on its own: gimmick. But the tamp overall: definitely not a gimmick. Best tamper I’ve ever owned.
So much so, I ended up buying another, but in the flat base version. Goodbye brushing after every tamp! 🙂
If you found my review helpful, It’d mean the world to me if you purchased through below links, as I could earn a commission 🙂
Best price is here:
Ripple base if you wanna ignore my advice lol: https://link.amazon/B02wU2F0l
Is it a gimmick? 