For most espresso machines, coffee needs to be packed tightly and evenly in the portafilter basket for good extraction. Poor tamping can result in too little or too much pressure, channelling and dead spots. These things lead to poor tasting coffee. Using a naked/bottomless portafilter makes these issues much easier to observe and rectify.
The ROK espresso maker comes with a measuring scoop which also doubles as a tamper. While the scoop/tamper is adequate, we recommend using a real tamper. A properly weighted and sized tamper should provide a better fit in the basket, be easier to hold and thus allow you to apply pressure evenly across the coffee.
Effective tamping results in better espresso.
View our full range of Tampers Here