The hourglass shape, beautiful wood handle, stainless steel base, fine craftsmanship and nice feel of the Reg Barber Short Convex bottom tamper is worth $40(USD).tamper
Positive Product Points
Beautiful fine crafted tamper.
Negative Product Points
Relative cost to other high quality tampers.
Detailed Commentary
Reg Barber Short Convex 58mm (vs Vivace Ergo Packer 58mm): Any tamper sized to fit your portafilter basket with what YOU consider an appropiate bottom shape, mass, balance and feel is the the "ideal" tamper. So why spend ~$40 for a Reg Barber tamper? It's a beautiful piece of hardware. The Reg Barber Short Convex Stainless Steel(RBSC) compared to the Vivace ErgoPacker (VEP) has ~1/2 the convex, weight balance bias more towards the base, wt=345g vs 259g, ht=7.5cm vs 8.2cm, diameter of top=4.3cm vs 3.8cm. The RBSC top has a nice smooth rounded surface. In contrast the VEP is flat with a rounded edge. People with small hands may find the RBSC to 'fit ' better. IMO the RBSC's larger surface area and rounded top combined with more mass feels better than the VEP. The depth indicators on the VEP are a nice feature. A handy visual reference for you initial level tamp and final depth. The RBSC handle is interchangable with the VEP base. Unlike previous reviews, the plastic insert seems dead centered.
Buying Experience
Purchased online directly from RegBarber. Delivery ~2 weeks.
