# Opinion on dosing cups?



## Plopmaster5000 (Jan 23, 2020)

Hey, I'm trying to get a more consistent distribution of grounds in my basket and eliminate clumps... I'm thinking the best method maybe to grind into a dosing cup, give it a little shake and then upend into the basket. Thoughts on this?

also any recommendations on 58mm dosing cups that aren't hugely overpriced would be appreciated.


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## Inspector (Feb 23, 2017)

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F372862803509

This should do the job nicely.


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## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

Seller not processing orders until January 28th according to ebay.



Inspector said:


> https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F372862803509
> 
> This should do the job nicely.


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## catpuccino (Jan 5, 2019)

Plopmaster5000 said:


> Hey, I'm trying to get a more consistent distribution of grounds in my basket and eliminate clumps... I'm thinking the best method maybe to grind into a dosing cup, give it a little shake and then upend into the basket. Thoughts on this?
> 
> also any recommendations on 58mm dosing cups that aren't hugely overpriced would be appreciated.


 I give it a little shake with the niche cup but I still WDT in the basket. I know some just do the shake, for me the cup is more of a workflow thing than a distribution thing.


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## Plopmaster5000 (Jan 23, 2020)

Thanks for the link and input. I was hoping to avoid WDT as I'm lazy and it's messy 

alternatively a dosing funnel and leveller?


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## catpuccino (Jan 5, 2019)

Plopmaster5000 said:


> Thanks for the link and input. I was hoping to avoid WDT as I'm lazy and it's messy
> 
> alternatively a dosing funnel and leveller?


 Levelers do a good job at leveling but not much distribution I'm afraid. Give the dosing cup a go and see if it works for you. For me, it wasn't giving the same results as doing WDT too.


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## catpuccino (Jan 5, 2019)

Plopmaster5000 said:


> Thanks for the link and input. I was hoping to avoid WDT as I'm lazy and it's messy
> 
> alternatively a dosing funnel and leveller?


 p.s. get a good funnel and it's not messy at all. Something like the one Londinium sell for £45, expensive but heavy and high sides keep it and the grounds in place.

https://londiniumespresso.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=212


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## Plopmaster5000 (Jan 23, 2020)

Can't seem to find a cheap dosing cup that actually ships from the UK ?


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## Inspector (Feb 23, 2017)

Plopmaster5000 said:


> Can't seem to find a cheap dosing cup that actually ships from the UK ?


 https://coffeehit.co.uk/products/rhino-short-dosing-cup?variant=31234585231425&fo_c=1166&fo_k=234393757cd1c094d2cbb3f650da1a3c&fo_s=gplauk&gclid=Cj0KCQiApaXxBRDNARIsAGFdaB9V1ZxLCpgAuWyZlc0D2p25ZMtAGjC87RGSjoq3mP3RPXprCqSbMJsaAirrEALw_wcB

Might be a little bit expensive with delivery tho.


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

I remembered reading when it was first around that Niche, before getting their own cups made, were using a chocolate shaker cup. So a very quick google returned this, I think there may be better fitting options - as theirs was - but I have cups so not interested to dive in further ?

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/32141/PME-Stainless-Steel-Shaker-with-Cover?gclid=Cj0KCQiApaXxBRDNARIsAGFdaB_KKy-7Fmn-nFFCzQXu8Fi2UQ4mMQmOiLedC5eROh7XwMc90z9Pno8aAmJQEALw_wcB&src=gfeed&ef_id=Cj0KCQiApaXxBRDNARIsAGFdaB_KKy-7Fmn-nFFCzQXu8Fi2UQ4mMQmOiLedC5eROh7XwMc90z9Pno8aAmJQEALw_wcB:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!406904279484!!!g!296800576029!


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## Stevebee (Jul 21, 2015)

I found the Tidaka dosing funnel to be the best. It sits on the basket not in it so leaves no imprint. You can also tamp with it in place although I use a levelling Tamper which rules that out. I have also used a Norvin one, Orphan Espresso plus a couple of others.


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## Plopmaster5000 (Jan 23, 2020)

I went for a clone of the Blind Shaker by Lyn Webber


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## HowardSmith (Jan 21, 2018)

The blind shaker is good but it is not the best. I have a shaker, tumbler homemade hog (the thing that matt prefer started to play around with), but I have found the most consistent method to get perfect bottomless pours is to dose straight into the poryafilter using a dosing ring/funel type thing and then give it a really good mix with a paperclip type thing with a circle on the end (WDT)....

The blind shaker is good, it works well most of the time but it's not as consistent as WDT and it's more messy than grinding straight into the PF...

However I am sure you will enjoy playing with your new toy, I get mine out once in a while just to change things up.

Sent from my H3113 using Tapatalk


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

If the OP is using a grinder that can produce a nice even central heap directly into the portafilter it might be best to forget cups even though they are fashionable now. That can be done on a mazzer mini if some stick on stops are put onto the portafilter holder. I used a funnel that fitted in the filter basket for ages and late switched to one rather like the Decent one but sold on amazon. The change did nothing at all. All I did was do a rather light pretamp with a 2 slope "distribution" tool and then tamped. They don't distribute anything really more give a square surface to tamp on. When beans were weighed in on the mini there wasn't any clumping worth bothering about - the antistatic grid had been removed. Removing declumpers etc from grinders may not be possible and some may not use a grid. I used a small weight on top of the beans as well. Serious reduction in pop corning and also kept bits in the main part of the grinder.

Niche is another kettle of fish. I've tried all sorts and a few different beans now as well. Early on it may pay to tap the side of the can firmly to dislodge any grinds stuck to the sides. My cup needs washing at times, if down to that I knock them out onto the tamping mat and brush them in later. Natural rubber tamping mats help with use of a brush as the grinds don't stick. I then place the portafilter onto the cup and invert as neatly as I can followed by side to side, front to back and circular motions to try and get the grinds level.  I'm getting better at doing that and if way out when the cup came off I did put it back on again. Often it still isn't level but low at one edge and higher at another. I use the handle of bean scoop to push the high to the low without compressing them. When there I use the same to compress them. If I think the low edge is still likely to be low / loose I push a tad more grinds in from the centre. Then leveller and tamp.

Don't know why but I always tamp twice. I use a 15kg tamper but have recently added further tamp at around 20kg by leaning on it.

Grinds also sometimes stick to the side of the leveller. A decent knock onto the tamping mat dislodges them and I sweep them in after using it. I used to use a 58mm and forked out for a 58.5. Pointless it is better to offset the 58 and run it around offset. My tamper is 58.5 but an offset firm polish with a 58mm does the same thing.

John

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