walt_in_hawaii wrote:The bottom surface has about .010" or 10 thousandths of an inch unevenness. I could easily taking a truing cut and level it out, but figured there wouldn't really be a difference in taste; its not big enough to matter.

I don't know - maybe we need a double blinded test or randomized controlled trial..........

Bluesman, I am too jittery as is, don't give me no excuse to put more coffee tamping trials on my plate! ...trying to figure out if the tamper was working and trying out my La Pavoni Europiccola for the very first time, BOY was I wired!!! Even if taking just tiny sips of each pull, I could still saw through an inch of steel in under a minute. Without a saw.