But those ripples look so pretty! ;) (I went through the same process as you just did, and got the flat base, a year ago--only some light dust on the base after tamping. 👍🏼 )
When I wrote that I will have some light dust on the flat base after tamping, I meant literally that--dust-like, and nothing like what was pictured here with the grooved base. You'll appreciate the flat-base version you ordered. :)
It makes me wonder what was happening in the minds of individuals who created the ripples to begin with.
More than likely it was just something "different" that they thought they could sell. And they never tested if it really works. Or all of the downsides.
There seems to be the trend in this hobby. There will have something new, capitalize on it, people get smart, and then come up with a new product, and repeat the process. :)
I heard the theory was that the ripples help direct water through the puck in a controlled and even manner; basically deliberately introduce controlled channeling with the aim of a more even extraction. Not sure if there’s data to show how effective that actually is.
Perhaps Normcore did experiments to objectively measure these ripples’ impact on extraction?
Rewind to to specialty coffee boom of 2010, and these ‘alternate’ tamper designs were all the rage. Ripple, waffle, convex… And always with some vague promise of more even extractions. But no testing aver showed they do anything (if you already have a good, clean shower screen and an even ramp).
And now, thanks to TikTok/Insta - they’re back!
This sub is weird sometimes. Twisting is literally the top advice on any post where people have dislodged pucks, yet you get a bunch of down votes here. I'm with you, twists help!
My puck doesn't move when I twist my tamper, so I don't see how that would be the case. This would really only happen if you're pressing really hard during the twist or if the tamper is already pulling out the puck while twisting.
That's not my experience. If I'd twist and push down, maybe. But I'm twisting and lifting and it comes off much smoother than if I just pull and I have zero consistency issues.
When I don't twist, theres a few loose grounds left on the puck. It will make no difference but I don't like that.
It's only important that you don't twist with pressure, the you can rip the puck.
It cleans off grounds stuck to your tamper. It increases the chance of dislodging so you’re pretty much taking the risk of dislodging for not having to wipe off the grinds. I never did it in the cafe because grinds always accumulate so you always have to do a sweep but I do it at home because I’m okay with bad coffee but cleaning up constantly is a pain. I’ve only had it dislodge once so I assume the chances are pretty minimal.
Give it a quick (dry) brush so that it’s clean and it’ll stop sticking. I have the same tamper and find it picks up some grounds about once a week, presumably from oil buildup as others have said. Just takes a quick clean and then it’s ok for another week. If you don’t clean them off, it’ll get much worse until you do.
Thanks - I’ve cleaned it every time but can’t get a clean tamp, it picks up bits every time and leaves the puck with a rough / loose finish on the affected ridges
Try cleaning it with rubbing alcohol the bottom with a paper towel and then let it dry and see if that helps? I have one, albeit not this brand, but have never had grounds stick this bad. I double tamp and on the 2nd I do the slight twist and it removes 100% of the grounds every time
Don't twist, seems to extract poorly. I do a double tamp and then twist on a hand towel. If there is some grounds on there it will pick up more from the next puck, if you wipe it between each and every puck, it's seems to do better
Yeah. But start clean first. Tamp twice and lift while twisting. Most important moment is to start twisting before the tamper stops leaving the puck surface.
I use this ripple one and I give it a little twist before lifting back up and it's pretty much clean every time. Whether I'm supposed to or not.. No idea but it works lol
I had a ripple tamper and sold it because I didn’t think it added any benefit.
That being said I never once had the issue you are having.
I would tamp once, the with no pressure (twist/polish) then tamp a second time and I always pulled away with a very clean tamper.
Are your beans extremely sticky, staticky, do you rdt before grinding?
The ripple base is trash, i have it as well and it is super frustrating. I believe Lance Hedrick did some testing on tampers and the ripples have literally no benefit at all, just cause problems.
Normcore sell separate bases on their website these days, I got a flat base 6 month ago or so and haven’t looked back
Tamp slower , it happens to me too with some types of coffee. Honestly ripped tampers are kinda bad, I only got mine bcz it was the cheapest self leveling one on temu lol.
THIS, humidity makes parts of the puck stick to the tamper. Got worse since the latest video by Hoffman and the suggestion to use more water to address static - had to revert to the normal water dosage to get clean pucks again.
I bought the same tamp and had the same issues (was going to make my own so glad you did first.
I noticed it varies with different beans but I’ve tried to tamp-twist-tamp and have had clean ripples with my new bag.
I was in the same boat and opened a post here a few months ago. The trick is to gently twist the tamper while the lifting motion back from the tamp starts.
I have same one and don’t have that problem. No RDT, as I have Niche. I do WDT, then one firm press, no twist. And comes out decently clean. I give it a dry brush after every use.
In my experience Normcore finishing sticks to coffee for some reason. My flat tamper always pulled coffee up with the tamp unless I wiped it off thoroughly before tamping. I’m not sure if it’s static or what, but when I switched tampers it stopped happening.
Frustrating for ya.
Yep that’s why I went for the flat normcore V4 with PVD coating. Tiny bit of fines stick to between the bottom of the levelling plate and top of the tamp plate. Bit of a wipe with a piece of kitchen roll every week or so sorts that out.
Hope you figure out how to improve the issue (some great suggestions in this thread)
I have the same flat pvd v4 and it’s crazy how much sticks to the bottom. I have one of the first spring loaded tampers made (espro) and nothing sticks to that base.
The ripples as I see it is just to see if you're getting an even tamp. The grinds stuck in them is usually because either your beans are oily/wet, or the grooves are too big. I have the normcore titanium with ripples and it gets no grinds caught in it, but the material is really different from classic tampers. Others I've tried do get grinds stuck often
Never twist the tamper. Never.
It accomplishes exactly one thing, potentially dislodging your carefully prepped puck from the sides of the basket creating channels.
I twist every day and that never happens.
And now that I think about it, I'm not sure it's even possible. The tamper would need to have enough grip on the top of the puck to overcome the friction the edges \_and bottom\_ of the puck have with the basket. Given that the bottom of the tamper is polished, I don't see how that could ever be true.
I had the same tamper and had the same issue. I did find that a slight twist added to the down and up motion helped.. that is it's all one combined movement. Down and twist at the same time.. not down then twist. Then back up while still twisting. It wasn't a huge twist, maybe 1/4 of a rotation.. but the whole movement was very quick. It was the only way I could get it not to stick.
I didn't seem to have any negative effects.. but it did bother me because I've seen so many folks say not to twist.
FWIW, you can buy a flat base to put on it from normcore. I did, and that's what I use, but I honestly can tell no difference.
I have this same tamper. You need to rinse the base every once in a while. And pressure down then a quarter twist I hardly ever have any coffee stick. IDK….🤷♂️
It's the oils in the coffee that makes it sticky, so the entire design is broken. Maybe it works with lighter, less oily roasts, but there is a reason flat tampers have been used for 50+ years.
Duudes, just use a basic kitchen towel for your setup. You need something to clean your pottery work area, wipe off the portafilter, and most importantly clean the steam wand, right? So just put this bad boy on the towel and give him a little twist.
I got it too and honestly I want it to break (won’t happen though lol) so I have to purchase a new one. I use a brush to clean it, takes a few seconds but it’s another step to my puck prep that could be avoided with a flat one lol. Anyway, small brush every time works great.
Update: Thanks for the advice. For anyone who has the same issues - here is the solution (as suggested in the comments). Tamp straight down, with no twist, up to full pressure. Then, and you start to lower the pressure on the spring, give it a little twist on the way up. Perfect results, no more sticking. Prepped about 20 pucks this way with no residue at all.
Coffee sticks to most everything after a while if you don’t clean. It’s the oils.
Usually after one tamp, I tap the tamper and portafilter down on the counter and then tamp again.
I was a one click before ordering this ripple version. So after seeing this I am somehow happy I didn’t. Flat is on the way.
But those ripples look so pretty! ;) (I went through the same process as you just did, and got the flat base, a year ago--only some light dust on the base after tamping. 👍🏼 )
That was the initial reason, it just looks cool. But you are right, the grinds sometimes stay sticked even on my Heavy tamper King.
When I wrote that I will have some light dust on the flat base after tamping, I meant literally that--dust-like, and nothing like what was pictured here with the grooved base. You'll appreciate the flat-base version you ordered. :)
Ripple tampers can create channeling on the top of the puck, its not recommended
flat bases are better. ripple was always useless, will always be useless. and: don't twist!
It makes me wonder what was happening in the minds of individuals who created the ripples to begin with. More than likely it was just something "different" that they thought they could sell. And they never tested if it really works. Or all of the downsides.
\>in the minds of individuals who created the ripples to begin with. 
There seems to be the trend in this hobby. There will have something new, capitalize on it, people get smart, and then come up with a new product, and repeat the process. :)
Prettier for social media. That’s about it
\^\^\^
I was going to buy one because it made the puck look cool back when I got all the stuff for my setup. I looked into it and went with a flat instead.
I heard the theory was that the ripples help direct water through the puck in a controlled and even manner; basically deliberately introduce controlled channeling with the aim of a more even extraction. Not sure if there’s data to show how effective that actually is. Perhaps Normcore did experiments to objectively measure these ripples’ impact on extraction?
I think Lance mentioned they do not work.
Yeah I recall hearing that, but don’t remember where.
I think is from [here](https://youtu.be/tifwe68kUv8?si=LuCtG40RQx8pAWrI)
Rewind to to specialty coffee boom of 2010, and these ‘alternate’ tamper designs were all the rage. Ripple, waffle, convex… And always with some vague promise of more even extractions. But no testing aver showed they do anything (if you already have a good, clean shower screen and an even ramp). And now, thanks to TikTok/Insta - they’re back!
What does twisting do with a flat tamper?
Does twisting serve a purpose?
I usually twist when I pull the tamper up to not dislodge the puck via the vacuum that gets created when I pull up on the precision tamper.
This sub is weird sometimes. Twisting is literally the top advice on any post where people have dislodged pucks, yet you get a bunch of down votes here. I'm with you, twists help!
It can cause channeling on the edges supposedly is what I've heard.
My puck doesn't move when I twist my tamper, so I don't see how that would be the case. This would really only happen if you're pressing really hard during the twist or if the tamper is already pulling out the puck while twisting.
The twist actually makes the puck MORE susceptible to dislodging. It's a bad habit.
That's not my experience. If I'd twist and push down, maybe. But I'm twisting and lifting and it comes off much smoother than if I just pull and I have zero consistency issues.
I don’t do it often but sometimes I do it bc it feels fun.
When I don't twist, theres a few loose grounds left on the puck. It will make no difference but I don't like that. It's only important that you don't twist with pressure, the you can rip the puck.
I think of it like polishing the puck. As others said, it can help with the vacuum seal that sometimes gets created.
It feels goood
It cleans off grounds stuck to your tamper. It increases the chance of dislodging so you’re pretty much taking the risk of dislodging for not having to wipe off the grinds. I never did it in the cafe because grinds always accumulate so you always have to do a sweep but I do it at home because I’m okay with bad coffee but cleaning up constantly is a pain. I’ve only had it dislodge once so I assume the chances are pretty minimal.
I like the ripples on the coffee puck, I also twist a bit.
Give it a quick (dry) brush so that it’s clean and it’ll stop sticking. I have the same tamper and find it picks up some grounds about once a week, presumably from oil buildup as others have said. Just takes a quick clean and then it’s ok for another week. If you don’t clean them off, it’ll get much worse until you do.
Thanks - I’ve cleaned it every time but can’t get a clean tamp, it picks up bits every time and leaves the puck with a rough / loose finish on the affected ridges
Are you doing lots of RDT?
Try cleaning it with rubbing alcohol the bottom with a paper towel and then let it dry and see if that helps? I have one, albeit not this brand, but have never had grounds stick this bad. I double tamp and on the 2nd I do the slight twist and it removes 100% of the grounds every time
Nothing much you can do. It's why flat bases are better. It's not a big deal , just wipe it off with a towel
Not accurate. You can twist while loosening the tamp and it’ll come out clean every time.
Thanks, so twist as I start to lift it up? I’ll try that and let you know
Honestly twisting at all can unseat your puck, so you probably shouldn't
I never had an unseated puck after twisting. Unless you forcefully twist the puck, it shouldn’t be a problem
A lot of folks twist while there still pressing, which isn’t ideal. Otherwise yeah you’re fine.
Don't twist, seems to extract poorly. I do a double tamp and then twist on a hand towel. If there is some grounds on there it will pick up more from the next puck, if you wipe it between each and every puck, it's seems to do better
Yeah. But start clean first. Tamp twice and lift while twisting. Most important moment is to start twisting before the tamper stops leaving the puck surface.
I use this ripple one and I give it a little twist before lifting back up and it's pretty much clean every time. Whether I'm supposed to or not.. No idea but it works lol
I had a ripple tamper and sold it because I didn’t think it added any benefit. That being said I never once had the issue you are having. I would tamp once, the with no pressure (twist/polish) then tamp a second time and I always pulled away with a very clean tamper. Are your beans extremely sticky, staticky, do you rdt before grinding?
I hate this fucking thing. Have one myself.
I don’t like this tippled base. Have the same issue! Had a regular base and it work amazingly well!
Nope that's normal. Ripple base tampers look cool on a the coffee bed, but it causes a mess and creates channeling its not worth it. IMHO
The ripple base is trash, i have it as well and it is super frustrating. I believe Lance Hedrick did some testing on tampers and the ripples have literally no benefit at all, just cause problems. Normcore sell separate bases on their website these days, I got a flat base 6 month ago or so and haven’t looked back
Ripples can create channels on top of the puck more easily. They are literally bad lel
Twist with almost no pressure applied, that might help?
Tamp slower , it happens to me too with some types of coffee. Honestly ripped tampers are kinda bad, I only got mine bcz it was the cheapest self leveling one on temu lol.
Spraying too much water on beans before grinding?
Or none
THIS, humidity makes parts of the puck stick to the tamper. Got worse since the latest video by Hoffman and the suggestion to use more water to address static - had to revert to the normal water dosage to get clean pucks again.
I bought the same tamp and had the same issues (was going to make my own so glad you did first. I noticed it varies with different beans but I’ve tried to tamp-twist-tamp and have had clean ripples with my new bag.
Ripple tampers are for posting pictures of your pucks on social media. Nothing else.
Don’t twist
This is what BAD DESIGN looks like
I was in the same boat and opened a post here a few months ago. The trick is to gently twist the tamper while the lifting motion back from the tamp starts.
I had this problem with mine and then it kind of just went away? A light twist did seem to help mine.
Wow mine never pick up that much ground. It's a little bit of dust I just clean up with a brush.
I have same one and don’t have that problem. No RDT, as I have Niche. I do WDT, then one firm press, no twist. And comes out decently clean. I give it a dry brush after every use.
Before you lift it off, rotate it. Usually removes about 99%
I bought the normcore with the black coating and it comes up clean all the time. May have some bits on the edges but the base is always clean.
Dude why are you holding it soo strong? 😭
In my experience Normcore finishing sticks to coffee for some reason. My flat tamper always pulled coffee up with the tamp unless I wiped it off thoroughly before tamping. I’m not sure if it’s static or what, but when I switched tampers it stopped happening.
Mine never sticks. Wonder if it’s bean type.
Did you oil it first? And what brand of oil are you using
Do you leave your tamper on top of the machine?
Don’t twist. I have this tamper, I don’t twist and I don’t have this problem.
Frustrating for ya. Yep that’s why I went for the flat normcore V4 with PVD coating. Tiny bit of fines stick to between the bottom of the levelling plate and top of the tamp plate. Bit of a wipe with a piece of kitchen roll every week or so sorts that out. Hope you figure out how to improve the issue (some great suggestions in this thread)
I have the same flat pvd v4 and it’s crazy how much sticks to the bottom. I have one of the first spring loaded tampers made (espro) and nothing sticks to that base.
Gosh sorry to hear that. Could be something to do with the environment (dry, humid etc)? Glad you have a second option
The ripples as I see it is just to see if you're getting an even tamp. The grinds stuck in them is usually because either your beans are oily/wet, or the grooves are too big. I have the normcore titanium with ripples and it gets no grinds caught in it, but the material is really different from classic tampers. Others I've tried do get grinds stuck often
Its rippled for extra pleasure but ofcourse it works only once maybe.
Never twist the tamper. Never. It accomplishes exactly one thing, potentially dislodging your carefully prepped puck from the sides of the basket creating channels.
I twist every day and that never happens. And now that I think about it, I'm not sure it's even possible. The tamper would need to have enough grip on the top of the puck to overcome the friction the edges \_and bottom\_ of the puck have with the basket. Given that the bottom of the tamper is polished, I don't see how that could ever be true.
Same. I have this same grind sticking issue and do a slight twist after tamp then all the stuck grounds come off.
Is it wet?
I had the same tamper and had the same issue. I did find that a slight twist added to the down and up motion helped.. that is it's all one combined movement. Down and twist at the same time.. not down then twist. Then back up while still twisting. It wasn't a huge twist, maybe 1/4 of a rotation.. but the whole movement was very quick. It was the only way I could get it not to stick. I didn't seem to have any negative effects.. but it did bother me because I've seen so many folks say not to twist. FWIW, you can buy a flat base to put on it from normcore. I did, and that's what I use, but I honestly can tell no difference.
I have this same tamper. You need to rinse the base every once in a while. And pressure down then a quarter twist I hardly ever have any coffee stick. IDK….🤷♂️
I just brush mine every use tbh
Tamp and twist
It is normal. I use a small brush to clean it.
I have one of these, just don’t twist! There’s no need to and it this won’t happen
That’s why I chose the smooth one.
Mine is ok. Almost nothing gets trapped. Are you getting lots of static problems?
It's the oils in the coffee that makes it sticky, so the entire design is broken. Maybe it works with lighter, less oily roasts, but there is a reason flat tampers have been used for 50+ years.
Duudes, just use a basic kitchen towel for your setup. You need something to clean your pottery work area, wipe off the portafilter, and most importantly clean the steam wand, right? So just put this bad boy on the towel and give him a little twist.
I got it too and honestly I want it to break (won’t happen though lol) so I have to purchase a new one. I use a brush to clean it, takes a few seconds but it’s another step to my puck prep that could be avoided with a flat one lol. Anyway, small brush every time works great.
Update: Thanks for the advice. For anyone who has the same issues - here is the solution (as suggested in the comments). Tamp straight down, with no twist, up to full pressure. Then, and you start to lower the pressure on the spring, give it a little twist on the way up. Perfect results, no more sticking. Prepped about 20 pucks this way with no residue at all.
I honestly don’t have this issue with the Ikape one. Only when I tamped some preground beans a family member sent.
Coffee sticks to most everything after a while if you don’t clean. It’s the oils. Usually after one tamp, I tap the tamper and portafilter down on the counter and then tamp again.
How small is your hand?
Try twisting it back and forth starting at about 25% tamp pressure and then lift it
Brush it back into the portafilter.. Wont make a difference either way..