I was watching this video which is OCD 2 vs Pullman Chisel. I don't understand exactly what I am looking at there... the OCD finished later than the Pullman. Is that bad? If so, why? I thought the point of these tools was to prevent channeling which I can not tell in this video.

Hi Darin,

I watched the video...what I see is more coffee grounds adhering to the OCD tool, less on the Pullman Chisel...less is better. This is a common complaint...and was the reason I remain a "Chisel guy" after owning both.

During the extraction phase, it appeared to me that the drops started forming later and the extraction lasted longer for the Chisel...that's a good thing, IMO. It was interesting that because the puck surface looked less "groomed" after spinning the OCD 3 to 4 times, he did it again...so does that invalidate the extraction phase of the video...maybe.

Also I went to the Crema and Cream Coffee Roasters website and they sell Pullman stuff, not ONA stuff...so I think their video is endorsing Pullman products.

Do you also have the Kafatek grooming tool from your Monolith?
How does it compare with the Chisel?

this video is totally biased. the distribution tool, pre tamping, would not cause a shot to start late unless the two grind settings were different. I have been using a chisel type of tool and i ocd type tool, i don't see much of a difference between using the tools or wdt'ing in the basket and tamping.

They could be adjusted for different depth. Or the dose a bit different or any other factor.

I don't know if the video is misleading or biased but I'd find it hard to make a judgement one way or the other. In other words I'd choose the professional (least expensive) one.

For home users, I think we would be much better off doing WDT (stirring the ground coffee) and tamping with a self-levelling tamper.

These distribution tools (either chisel or clover-type) seem to be geared towards cafe setting, where the barista don't have the time to maneuver the puck in their workflow. So having a distribution tool (a quick step) is better than not doing anything at all, and doing a WDT is better than using the distribution tool.

The 'distribution' tools are only grooming the top of the puck (don't do much to the uneven coffee underneath), and may help to get a level puck if you tend to tamp at a tilted angle. So in a home setting, I see their utility no more than being an aid in getting a more level tamp. For the money some of these are selling for, may as well go for a self-levelling tamper that pretty much guarantees a level tamp. Just my 2 cent.

Fully agree that WDT is more important and that these tools mainly groom and level, rather than distribute.
I even recall seeing a test by Socratic Coffee showing a reduced TDS with the OCD and no improvement in shot consistency.

The question still remains whether there is a difference between different tools, when used after WDT and not instead.
I recall seeing some claims by users that the BT wedge and Chisel perform better than the OCD or tools the look like it.

It does not make much sense, as they all seem to do the same job, but the devil is in the details, so perhaps there are differences that become apparent only when one has used several tools.
I'm referring more to extraction and result in the cup and less to usability (e.g.: coffee sticking to the tool etc.).

MonLon wrote:Do you also have the Kafatek grooming tool from your Monolith?
How does it compare with the Chisel?

I don't have the Kafatek grooming tool though I've used similar ones, along with the Chisel. The Pullman Chisel is the only wedge designed distribution tool I've used, and I say this because it's wedge design is cut "deep". Maybe other knock-offs are the same, don't know. This deeper cut moves further into the grounds to distribute them...maybe a 1/3 of the way down. Best characteristic for me is that the wedge design hardly attracts any grounds to itself...no mess.

Radio.YYZ wrote: the distribution tool, pre tamping, would not cause a shot to start late unless the two grind settings were different.

That is what I thought also. it was confusing...