The Dezco spring tamper is a wholly new way of dealing with the issue of tamping espresso coffee efficiently and effectively. Such was the new way of approaching this basic task that I was somewhat caught off guard by inability to get it right the first time. (Take heart. I got it right the second time.)

For those unfamiliar with coffee tampers, here is the quick explanation. There are long winded descriptions all over this site so I will not be repeating much of it here.
Espresso coffee must be packed into a holder called a portafilter. It is packed down to do one of several things: It should be of uniform density and it should be packed with such a density as to restrict the flow of water through the coffee. The Reg Barber tamper I tend to use exclusively is a simple device. There is a steel puck, of a specific width, attached to a ergonomic handle. To use it, you fill the portafilter with espresso coffee and pack it down with the Reg Barber tamper. It is no more complicated than that. Well, not quite.

How much you pack the coffee is up to you. I don't know about you but I do not have a digital scale built into my hand. As a result, one tamp is going to be different than the next. We can assume that as we grind coffee, the grind is going to stay the same. It is up to the user to pack the coffee consistently. Perfect consistency is not possible. It is hit and miss. Wouldn't it be nice if there was some mechanism for getting the tamp the same each and every time? This is where the Dezco tamper comes in...

Whereas the Reg Barber is designed in such a way to leave it up to you, the expert, to determine how far to push the coffee, the Dezco has some checks and balances built in.
To start with, it has a thin steel disk that matches the width of the standard portafilter, 58MM. This is attached to a steel shaft that has a spring associated with it. The shaft has a stop on it that only allows for a limited range of movement or 'penetration', if you would, into the portafilter.

Usage of the Dezco is no more complicated than loading up your portafilter, either part way or full and placing the Dezco on to the top of the portafilter. You press. It packs and stops at 30 pounds or so. If there is not enough coffee in the portafilter, the Dezco bottoms out eliminating the problem of 'over packing' the tamped coffee. The only weak link in all of this is that you just might not add enough coffee to your portafilter and end up with, well, not enough coffee in your portafilter. What happens if you do that? Well, your shot comes to quickly and you have insipid and thin espresso. When all things are right and you use the Dezco the way it was meant to be used, you end up with a properly loaded portafilter that will give you the same shot over and over.

Is this a superior method of preparing espresso coffee? Yes and No. In fact, it might make life easier for the regular drinker. The Dezco gives you an edge much in the same way "Cruise control" in your auto makes driving long distances somewhat more pleasurable. It is not absolutely necessary to have this feature but it is nice when you need it. Personally, I like the physicality of fully manual tampers, like the RB. Then again, if I have a crowd of people to caffeinate, the Dezco gives me that gold metal Olympic edge!

The Dezco tamper is a good idea that has an earned place beside my flock of RB Tampers. For 139$-Canadian, you can have one too. Keep in mind, you have to allow it to do some of the work. The Dezco also eliminates some of the guesswork of getting the tamp perfect every time.

Many thanks to Philippe of Dezco Canada for the sample of this brilliant tamper.