That certainly makes things easier - solid points!

aecletec wrote:A calibrated tamp sounds all well and good... but I don't see the need to press harder than when the grinds stop compacting easily....

I have been saying this for quite some time. In the "Tamping" section of my EASY GUIDE TO BETTER ESPRESSO AT HOME I wrote, "If you find that a specific tamp is required, particularly one that is quite high or quite low, it is possible that you are compensating for other problems." That portion was written back in 2008.

I have two calibrated tampers- the MG-Tools digital and the Espro Tamp. I have found, and as stated in this thread, that once you reach a certain force the coffee stops compacting. That is right around 30 to 35 pounds. For folks with medical issues or in high volume situations, avoiding repetitive stress injury or protecting previous injuries is a consideration. At home I most often use the Espro tamper. Why? It feels good in my hand and gives me good control. I ignore the click. I do use the M-G Tools tamper occasionally. Why do I use it? For the same reason that James Hoffman stated in his presentation at the Nordic Barista Cup 2011 "Reinventing Espresso", he asked why do baristas spin the tamper in the basket? "It looks cool!" The 48 minute video is worth a watch.

DanoM wrote:If I were going for a special tamper now, I think I'd look at one of those "mushroom" tampers that have a flange wider than the basket and guarantees a level tamp when the edges of the "mushroom" hit the basket. Screw the tamper base up and down as necessary for the depth of tamp.

I've been using one of these I made for the last year and really love it. At this point, I use it exclusively. It totally eliminates several variables at once. I like tampers in general just for their aesthetic qualities, so I hate to see all my classic tampers sitting up on my shelf, day after lonely day, as I tamp with unequaled ease and precision using my push-style tamper. But...that's progress!

While I'm waiting for my espresso equipment to arrive I can't wait for my CafeLat drop tamper. (About a 9 day wait left after 40 days without a machine!) I liked learning with my espro calibrated tamper, but the feel of the Cafelat drop tamper is my favorite. Rarely do I have a tamp that goes off kilter. One light push down, release pressure, light twist of the tamper with no force, lift tamper, and lock the PF. I've tried knocking, leveling, tapping and the like, and a good center load on the PF with a straight down tamp works best for me, but I do have a double shot tapered base that probably prefers a heavier center load.

One additional caveat is that I also use a nice bottomless/naked PF on a good old Cafelat classic tamp stand - as stable as can be. Even if I use a spouted PF it handles the spouts giving me a nice stable base for tamping. If you are having tamping issues then don't forget to make sure your tamping base is solid.

Most important is to find what works for you!

The puck is a calibrated tamper. when it stops compressing you are done. What comes before the tamp is more important.