# Chinese Coffee Distribution tools



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Seem to be coming down in price a bit now

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272476353139?ul_noapp=true


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

Dispatch within one day but estimated delivery may take up to 7th April.

They need a fitter pigeon!


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

theres always a downside! China Post, cheap and cheerful but if you are not in a hurry....


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## DaveMak (Dec 6, 2016)

im a bit dubious about these, surely all's they do is shift the top layer of coffee about. i guess they are ok if your distribution from the grinder is good but surely if thats the case then why use another tool.

plus all the phaffing about adjusting height for different doses which can be hit and miss, It seems like more messing about but if i have missed something obvious then feel free to put me right


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

They seem to work well. At least for me, using a VST 18g, coffee grinder are never levelled to the rim of the basket. Use one of those every day:

- Grind into basket with a OE funnel;

- Distribute / Level with one of those tools;

- Level Tamp;

- Pull

No mess when grinding, no need to touch coffee with your fingers, no mess when distributing = Happy me & Happy wife.


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

The leveller works well for me. Prefer a conventional tamper though.


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## Phobic (Aug 17, 2016)

they speed up workflow significantly for me when I'm making cappa's for a few people especially when used with the LW tumbler, but I prefer not to use any of that if I'm just making spro for myself.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I'm really pleased with mine. They give good consistent distribution


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## Tewdric (Apr 20, 2014)

I've just made an offer of £12.50. Let's see what they come back with


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## Tewdric (Apr 20, 2014)

They counter offered it for £19.69; I've gone back in with £15..


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## Phobic (Aug 17, 2016)

£20 is a bargain, just buy it


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## Tewdric (Apr 20, 2014)

..and they've come back with £18.99, not bad as one has just sold secondhand on the forum for £25..

one offer left so I've gone back with £16.....


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I've ordered a couple from china via EBay. One was meant to be 58.4mm but was 58mm. The other failed to appear.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

urbanbumpkin said:


> I've ordered a couple from china via EBay. One was meant to be 58.4mm but was 58mm. The other failed to appear.


I cannot think the odd 0.4mm will matter with this tool. It is not like a tamper that seals the puck


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

dfk41 said:


> I cannot think the odd 0.4mm will matter with this tool. It is not like a tamper that seals the puck


Maybe you're right, maybe not. It was advertised as 58.4 and it wasn't. If I'm going to all this trouble of OCD distribution I wasn't going to take the chance.


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## oursus (Jun 5, 2015)

Had them both for a while, not looked back...


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

oursus said:


> Had them both for a while, not looked back...


Noticeable difference in the cup from your previous technique oursus?


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## oursus (Jun 5, 2015)

kennyboy993 said:


> Noticeable difference in the cup from your previous technique oursus?


Same result achievable in a quarter of the time (for distribution and tamping) with little or no concentration...


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

oursus said:


> Had them both for a while, not looked back...


I've got Boots's old 58.4mm one, its brilliant. Makes a massive difference.


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## oursus (Jun 5, 2015)

Dose into tumbler (through @whiteyj funnel) weigh, shake, funnel into PF, tap to redistribute, OCD, tamp - takes about 20s


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

oursus said:


> Dose into tumbler (through @whiteyj funnel) weigh, shake, funnel into PF, tap to redistribute, OCD, tamp - takes about 20s


Nice. Any chance of a vid some time? I'm getting decent shots most of the time but it's a ball ache to get right and takes a while.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

oursus said:


> Same result achievable in a quarter of the time (for distribution and tamping) with little or no concentration...


I've got one too, for me the best thing about it is my misses can now make a decent coffee without spraying the kitchen using the naked pf.


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## rob177palmer (Feb 14, 2017)

kennyboy993 said:


> Nice. Any chance of a vid some time? I'm getting decent shots most of the time but it's a ball ache to get right and takes a while.


I'd like to see a video of these also - I can't understand how they work.

I don't have naked portafilter yet, so when that comes I might suddenly realise my distribution is poor and need help from one of these!!

Presumably you use a ramp after distributing with this tool?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

It levels the bed of grinds completely flat before you tamp it.


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## rob177palmer (Feb 14, 2017)

urbanbumpkin said:


> It levels the bed of grinds completely flat before you tamp it.


My VST 15g is almost brimmed with ground coffee before I tap to compact it (i dose to 14g). I can't see how the "blades" could distribute to the bottom of the puck without overflowing the grinds. Or does this only stir the top few mm of grinds?


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

There's plenty on YouTube showing these in action.

I was particularly interested in oursus workflow as it seems so repeatable and predictable.


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## rob177palmer (Feb 14, 2017)

kennyboy993 said:


> There's plenty on YouTube showing these in action.


I hadn't realised - the results looks very impressive. I suppose the counter knock to collapse distributes the grinds at the bottom of the puck and this tool deals with the top few mm.

I sense a new purchase coming on....!


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

rob177palmer said:


> I hadn't realised - the results looks very impressive. I suppose the counter knock to collapse distributes the grinds at the bottom of the puck and this tool deals with the top few mm.
> 
> I sense a new purchase coming on....!


I still grind into mound from my Mazzer Major. Give the PF a few gentle side taps to collapse the mound, tap on the counter, distribution tool, then tamp.


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## PHB1969 (Dec 26, 2016)

Mine has turned up....first off, it's a heavy thing! Will have a play and see how I get on....took about 3 weeks to arrive....


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