Solid, Precise, and Makes a Real Difference
This espresso distributor is one of those tools you don’t realize you need until you use it. The build quality is excellent, hefty, well-balanced, and smooth to adjust. It evenly and consistently levels espresso grounds, noticeably improving extraction and taste. Using it feels natural and quick, and it takes the guesswork out of tamping prep. For anyone serious about their espresso at home, this is a simple upgrade that pays off every time you pull a shot. A reliable, well-made tool that does exactly what it’s supposed to do.
✔ Verified Purchase
K
Kevin Bastian
September 03, 2021
Best money you can spend on espresso
Beware negative reviews. The first one listed for me was from early 2019. I'm not disputing the reviewer's experience at all, but what matters is what the product is now, not what it was then. This espresso distributor is PERFECT! We bought a new espresso machine last Christmas and have been steadily upping our game in search of perfection (read consistency). We use a digital scale and measure our espresso load to the tenth of a gram. Our grinder costs more than our espresso machine. I absolutely know we're "perfect" in our grind and the load. The espresso machine does an excellent job. The one variable we were inconsistent with was the tamp. Our machine has a manometer (pressure gauge) and we'd be all over the map from 7 bars to 14 bars. It usually wasn't that bad, but sometimes it was. I want to get 9-10 bars every time, and we just weren't achieving that. In fairness, my wife comes closer than I do, but it varies for her as well. We put a digital bathroom scale on our kitchen counter (its actually cool looking and it stays there!). That helped us with our tamping, and we consistently tamp at 30 pounds. But after 8 months of this, we concluded that we just weren't getting the espresso powder consistently distributed, so sometimes we'd get channeling, sometimes not.I don't know why I waited so long to buy this. As soon as it arrived, I was blown away at how well made it is. You'd never know I price-shopped! This is worthy of sitting next to a $3,000 espresso machine (not that I'll ever experience that). The workmanship is first class. It's heavy and does its job extremely well. We tap the portafilter a little and use our finger to somewhat level out the coffee, then use the distributor. You'll have to play around a few days with the adjustment of the distributor; it lets you loosen the top, then screw out the distributor section to extend or retract it to the right depth. Only a little experimenting will let you find the right height. And you HAVE to be completely consistent on the grind and quantity of espresso you load into the portafilter; otherwise there will be no way for the distributor to be consistent!I could tell the first day this was a big improvement, and it got better the next couple days as I got the correct depth set on the distributor. Now I'm seeing much more consistency in our pressure, and therefore in the quality of the espresso we're pulling.Just make sure you're loading a consistent amount of espresso in the portafilter before you distribute and tamp or you'll never achieve consistency.Oh, and this should be obvious, but make sure you order the correct diameter distributor; they come in three sizes. My Solis Barista Perfetta Plus uses a standard 54mm portafilter, so the 53 mm Apexstone distributor was perfect (well, I suppose a 53.9 mm might be even more perfect, but you really don't want to cut it that close! My tamper is also 53mm.)In short, if you're making espresso, this will be the best $15 you will ever spend. I buy a lot from Amazon and most of the time I don't bother to post a review, but this distributor blows me away so much, ESPECIALLY for the low price, that I had to give it its due and recommend it to you.
✔ Verified Purchase
Love this thing. Solved all my problems.
Haven't needed to tamp since I got this thing. You find the sweet spot and voila! Perfect shot everytime. Great for "manual" espresso makers that struggle with inconsistent pressures. Also had troubles finding good tamps that actually fit my espresso pod. This is a perfect fit and it's easy to clean. I just blow the extra espresso off and wipe what's left with a paper towel. No water necessary. Looks good and goes with my black/stainless steel vibe I got going on. A must have for any espresso maker.
✔ Verified Purchase
Great...but with a couple issues
Over all I would give a 4.5. Great value for money, Actually, I no longer tamp... and get more consistent results. I fill port a filter to top with coffee (in conjunction with a coffee funnel I separately purchased) and then use this deviceI do not remember this coming with instructions, and that was a little confusing at first. There are basically three components. The bottom tamper screws out to adjust how deep it goes into the portafilter. The middle section then tightens down on the tamper to lock it in place at that setting.When properly adjusted, the device will be as deep as possible in the portafilter.... and yet spin easily without resistanceYou can check the tamp by using your tamper to see if there is more compression requiredThis gives a great, level, and consistent tamp!The two problems were. No instructions, and, after tamper is adjusted, there is a small gap between the tamper and the handle. This can collect coffee grounds. Other than that, it has been well above expectations
✔ Verified Purchase
Good price, Great quality, heavy, about 1lb, and adjustable depth. What more do you want ?
Very good quality and very heavy. There is no good reason to spend more money for anything else since this works as it should as a coffee distributor and heavy, well made and also adjustable depth. You can tell me if a more expensive model would make coffee taste better if you dont think so.
✔ Verified Purchase
A good Coffee evener.
Works perfect. Helps with the pull of the shot. Fits my bottomless Normcore tamp snuggly.
✔ Verified Purchase
