Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

according to people

195
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #167,630 most helpful out of 571,544,897 reviews
★☆☆☆☆
Not a tamper for you if you want the best tasting espresso.
Yes, 1 star! I would go less if I could. While yes, this could be a step up from the cheapo plastic tamps that arrive with your machine, it is a very small step, and in some cases a step backwards. I invite you to consider saving up a little longer and getting a better tamper. The "Rosewood" brand tampers are a knockoff of the industry standard Reg Barber, and are just over $20 here on Amazon. They are proof that you don't need to spend $70 if you are a home user that is not pulling hundreds of shots a day. You really do need a tamper that is sized to properly fit your porta-filter, or your pulls WILL suffer. Measure the inside of the filter and buy accordingly. The pressurized water will go the path of least resistance, and if you tamper is too small, you will over extract the outside edge and under extract the middle. The result is a shot with little to no body and bitter. Did I mention bitter? A good tamper makes a HUGE difference. Being flat on both ends makes this tamper very hard to use correctly - in my experience. Getting a level tamp was challenging. Do yourself and your espresso a big favor and just walk away from this item. Search online for videos on how to properly tamp, and you will quickly see why this tamper is not a good choice, and learning all you can about the process will only improve your shots.
October 2009 · Home and Kitchen
the product in question
RSVP International (TAM) Dual Sided Coffee Espresso Tamper, Aluminum Alloy
4.6★ · 8,481 ratings, as of 2023
worser bester