Most important for me, does the scale give the same reading when a weight is positioned in different places? The timemore absolutely failed in this department for me. My brewista was perfect for this before I killed it.
I got a normcore needle distributor v2 today. The needles are 0.3mm for sure, with spare needles too. I managed a good extraction by using a deep WDT first and then use normcore needle to correct the deep WDT errors.
@@LifestyleLab_ At 2:51 , how did you get that delayed feedback click sound like The Force Tamper? I have not heard that sound in any of the other Normcore V4 tamper videos. Was it a different audio? Did you mod the Normcore? Please let me know, thanks! :)
the tolerance on the base is for storage. If they were much tighter or closer to the actual size of the tool they're holding, it would be a lot more difficult and fiddly to get them back into the base. I think the idea is that the base stays on the counter and thats where you store your tools. When you're done, you just put them back in the base. That would be very difficult if there werent fairly sloppy tolerances.
I know it’s video is now almost a year old but if you haven’t tried the latest Black Mirror Basic+, they’ve made a few improvements. One, there’s now a physical power switch on the side and two , the “buttons” are now visible as they’re slightly recessed. I wrote “buttons” in quotes because they’re touch sensitive and no longer need to be pressed. In fact, hovering a finger about a millimetre above will activate them.
I literally just got the tamper and distributer last week in 58 millimeter. So far I think it's helped my preparation alot. Any part of the process I can get better consistently is a plus lol.
Hey, great video. Helped a lot. Short comment on the Timemore scale: I have the plus version and I can simply hover above the button that I want to press and activate it without actually touching it. Feels weird at first but helps when u don't want to see the weight changing at all.
Man I've been in the market for a super nice coaster... and it comes with a free scale! quality bargain In all seriousness, thanks for the review, super helpful and helped me make my decision to pick up a few of these items!
Did you test accuracy of the scale? I recently bought it as well and out of the box, my 500g calibrated weight came in at 500.7. I contacted Normcore and they explained the recalibration process which seemed to solve the problem. I was getting 499.9 or 500 even although recently I got 500.1 so I'm going to have to keep an eye on drift.
I have just got the Normcore scales and the 500g calibration weight also weighed in at 500.7g. Are you able to share how you calibrated it? Also, I have found that if I sit the 500g weight on the scales, the weight on the display slowly increases in increments to + or - 1 gram, even 2 grams on occasion, without out any additional weight being added to the scale.
Great video! Currently have that tamper which is my favorite now! Also have the portafilter which is very well built except the basket they sent had multiple holes not punctured, which can't help with my shots lol
Hey thank you so much for this video And I know its very old, But if you can do a small test. Does the sage dosing funnel fit the normcore portafilter ? I have read on reddit it does not. If you can test it out, it would be awesome !
Рік тому
hey, have you tried the normcore basket that comes with the portafilter? If you did, what are your thoughts about it?
I'd just like to let you know, I have a 58 mm Normcore WDT tool. It is very well made and addresses all of the problems you mentioned with the 54 mm one. The ring sits on the portafilter and doesn't rotate, it's very solidly made, the brush is fixed to the base and doesn't seem to have any plastic that I can see. I like it even more than the tamper. Excellent build IMO....
Mine definitely came with 15lb spring instaled. How to know which one is 25lb and which one is 30lb. There’s no visible difference between them? 15lb is definitely smaller. The other two looks just same
Could you please share a link for the wood Bottomless Portafilter that you showed in the videos. I want a good one for my delonghi dedica ec685, not sure what brand. Thank you
So close….. easy to adjust the machining on the distributor cover, probably easy to spec thinner splines on the WDT, and probably easy to move the charge port to the front of the scales. The levelling collar on their tamper is a great idea, but I just don’t see if your going to use a distribution tool why not get one that is also a palm tamper ?
Which would you choose for espresso, the Timemore or Normcore scale? Also, I saw a review of the Normcore where it didn't register any weight until several coffee beans where added. How is yours at detecting .1g changes? Thanks
Most espresso scales have a minimum weigh register of 0.5g or so. Above that, the accuracy is 0.1g. For espresso I’d probably go with the Normcore because it’s so slim, unless automatic timer starting is important to you, then the Timemore Nano is better
It's a tough thing to find! Might do a video on it. I've HEARD, the Brewista Smart Scale 2 works nicely (but no first hand experience). I'm still using the $10 Amazon special with my 58, works like an absolute charm!
@@LifestyleLab_ I’m really waiting for someone to say “Brewista works with the 58”. I keep buying the $10 scales because they do the job, but I wouldn’t mind something nicer
Personally, I'm not a fan of puck screens over-all so I may not be the best one to comment. However, in the few shots I have pulled, it seems identical to the screens from Flair and other companies. I imagine they're all almost identical
I find that it can encourage early perimeter channeling due to there never really being a complete seal between the screen and the perimeter of the filter basket. BUT, that is just my experience. Lots of people swear by them, so for the minimal expense, I say give it a shot!
The zero clean up of shower head alone makes it worth it lol, but honestly I love the screen. Still get slight squirting but not as bad as without. Good point on them not touching the sides that can't be good🤔
The Normcore Scale with auto-tare and auto-start timer on weight change would make it a compelling product and it is unfortunate and odd that the company didn't foresee this.
I' get a same sample scale of this from the factory who make & produce this scale without branding on it. For my version, I have the espresso mode auto tare/time, auto mode for hand brew or immersion brew. For the auto turn off function the scale allow me to set 4 timer that wish the scale to do auto turn off, also the original manual turn off for the scale i get is 2.5-3 sec. I think when Normcore ODM it they disable and simplify the scale function.
I bought the WDT tool and it's honestly really bad. I found that almost every shot I used it for was channeling when using my homemade WDT tool, 1 in 10 channels. I can also agree with the comment about the brush, it's crap and I found myself searching for bristles out of coffee grounds a few times when I used it. Don't buy it, buy a rake style tool or make one yourself, it's better (or save for a duomo).
It’s not about “having the time” Matthew. It’s not a good user experience. If the time to turn off was instead 20 seconds, I’m sure you’d agree that is silly even though it’s not going to make anyone late for work
@@LifestyleLab_ Yeah, those cutaways are good, although it's not the same as actually pulling a shot with the thing. That, compounded with your wording (you don't mention what YOU found in the summary, so it just sounds like you're making claims for the product) don't give confidence that you have much personal experience with the product. The technical explanation of it is good. I bought a Flair Pro which didn't come with a tamper and there aren't many on the market in that size, and many use this spring loaded mechanism which doesn't convince me (at least with a solid one you learn how to feel the firmness of your tamp, these make that harder if anything). Their design clearly trims a substantial amount of shipping weight compared to a solid steel tamper but they cost more - I wish I got more of a feel of the heft of this thing in the video. Honestly, it looks pretty light duty - the head on the other one looks twice as thick.
Am I the only one that is genuinely put-off by Amazon pseudobrands? Especially ones that slap their name on it. Normcore is no exception. I like their products, but the name drives me insane. There's one that is just absolute chaos, "MHW-3BOMBER", which has literally zero meaning, and their motto is "Make Heart Warm". I still don't know what "Normcore" means, and their website doesn't explain anything.
I disagree with the USB C placement. I don't think I'll ever use a rechargeable weighing scale in an espresso machine while its charging. So having a gaping USB C hole right in the front would be unnecessary and unaesthetic
Wedge Distributor: geni.us/wlk0k
Calibrated Tamper: geni.us/N2Z2
WDT Tool: geni.us/CuZx2
Espresso Scale: geni.us/ytulaSw
Bottomless Portafilter: geni.us/j6Bz
Timemore Scale: geni.us/UXA1zx
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
Link for the distributor does not work. Can’t find any at Amazon for the normcore 53.3mm distribution tool
Not possible to have it work for every single country, you can also check out there website if its not available on Amazon in your specific region :)
Most important for me, does the scale give the same reading when a weight is positioned in different places?
The timemore absolutely failed in this department for me.
My brewista was perfect for this before I killed it.
I got a normcore needle distributor v2 today. The needles are 0.3mm for sure, with spare needles too. I managed a good extraction by using a deep WDT first and then use normcore needle to correct the deep WDT errors.
@@LifestyleLab_ At 2:51 , how did you get that delayed feedback click sound like The Force Tamper? I have not heard that sound in any of the other Normcore V4 tamper videos. Was it a different audio? Did you mod the Normcore? Please let me know, thanks! :)
the tolerance on the base is for storage. If they were much tighter or closer to the actual size of the tool they're holding, it would be a lot more difficult and fiddly to get them back into the base. I think the idea is that the base stays on the counter and thats where you store your tools. When you're done, you just put them back in the base. That would be very difficult if there werent fairly sloppy tolerances.
I know it’s video is now almost a year old but if you haven’t tried the latest Black Mirror Basic+, they’ve made a few improvements. One, there’s now a physical power switch on the side and two , the “buttons” are now visible as they’re slightly recessed. I wrote “buttons” in quotes because they’re touch sensitive and no longer need to be pressed. In fact, hovering a finger about a millimetre above will activate them.
Also the timemore nano is smaller and thinner and meant for espresso
@@robojimtv yes. I have one of those too. My Basic+ is for home and my Nano (a recent Christmas gift) is for work/travel.
Excellent reviews. It is nice to see more options for Breville out there.
I literally just got the tamper and distributer last week in 58 millimeter. So far I think it's helped my preparation alot. Any part of the process I can get better consistently is a plus lol.
Hey, great video. Helped a lot.
Short comment on the Timemore scale: I have the plus version and I can simply hover above the button that I want to press and activate it without actually touching it. Feels weird at first but helps when u don't want to see the weight changing at all.
I love the aesthetics of the tamper and bottomless portafilter. Definitely the items I would upgrade to from my stock breville pieces
Great video! I appreciate your thorough review and honest opinions. Cheers!
Thanks for watching Morgan!
I have the sprint-loaded distributor/tamper....it supposedly is 58.5mm....have you been able to confirm this is accurate?
Same here. I also am not sure if the tamper side has any adjustments? So far I have only been able to adjust the depth on the distributor side.
Man I've been in the market for a super nice coaster... and it comes with a free scale! quality bargain
In all seriousness, thanks for the review, super helpful and helped me make my decision to pick up a few of these items!
Did you test accuracy of the scale? I recently bought it as well and out of the box, my 500g calibrated weight came in at 500.7. I contacted Normcore and they explained the recalibration process which seemed to solve the problem. I was getting 499.9 or 500 even although recently I got 500.1 so I'm going to have to keep an eye on drift.
I did!
It was spot on with the rest of my scales. Haven't checked any with a calibrated weight though
I have just got the Normcore scales and the 500g calibration weight also weighed in at 500.7g. Are you able to share how you calibrated it? Also, I have found that if I sit the 500g weight on the scales, the weight on the display slowly increases in increments to + or - 1 gram, even 2 grams on occasion, without out any additional weight being added to the scale.
@@mattmiles3152 if you email Normcore they will send you a video showing the process to calibrate
Great video! Currently have that tamper which is my favorite now! Also have the portafilter which is very well built except the basket they sent had multiple holes not punctured, which can't help with my shots lol
great videos its my go to channel for espresso👍 would you rather get crema distributor or normcore wedge distributor?
Can Normcore naked portafilter fits Solis Barista Perfetta Plus 1170?
Hey thank you so much for this video
And I know its very old, But if you can do a small test. Does the sage dosing funnel fit the normcore portafilter ?
I have read on reddit it does not. If you can test it out, it would be awesome !
hey, have you tried the normcore basket that comes with the portafilter? If you did, what are your thoughts about it?
Will 58mm Normcore bottomless portafilter fitt Breville Dual Boiler? Can’t find any info if it’s compatible
I love that scale! Can't seem to find it available in Australia sadly but the aesthetic and functionality seems just what I need.
Hi,
I saw a video where the lower part shows play, so I think even if the top cap is level, the low part will move, so probably not equal level
Thanks
I was referring to the Tamper
There is no play, the tamp is perfectly parallel to the basket rim.
I'd just like to let you know, I have a 58 mm Normcore WDT tool. It is very well made and addresses all of the problems you mentioned with the 54 mm one. The ring sits on the portafilter and doesn't rotate, it's very solidly made, the brush is fixed to the base and doesn't seem to have any plastic that I can see. I like it even more than the tamper. Excellent build IMO....
They have a new gen 2 version now :)
I'm looking at one in 58.5 mm ,how tight and well fitting is the piston moving inside the base ,do yiu feel any looseness?
Tamper is great! The Other tools are really overpriced specially the needels tool… great vídeo.
If i have the tamper, is it worth getting the distribution tool? I often feel like my result after tamping isn’t level
Any tamper will require proper distribution beforehand. My recommendation is to use WDT instead of a blade distributor
Mine definitely came with 15lb spring instaled. How to know which one is 25lb and which one is 30lb. There’s no visible difference between them? 15lb is definitely smaller. The other two looks just same
Squeeze them.
Could you please share a link for the wood Bottomless Portafilter that you showed in the videos. I want a good one for my delonghi dedica ec685, not sure what brand. Thank you
ua-cam.com/video/LY4BTQPNFWo/v-deo.html
Would you recommend upgrading the basket from the portafilter to something like an IMS one?
Yes I would :)
ua-cam.com/video/58WWDyZjXVM/v-deo.html
So close….. easy to adjust the machining on the distributor cover, probably easy to spec thinner splines on the WDT, and probably easy to move the charge port to the front of the scales. The levelling collar on their tamper is a great idea, but I just don’t see if your going to use a distribution tool why not get one that is also a palm tamper ?
Which would you choose for espresso, the Timemore or Normcore scale? Also, I saw a review of the Normcore where it didn't register any weight until several coffee beans where added. How is yours at detecting .1g changes? Thanks
Most espresso scales have a minimum weigh register of 0.5g or so. Above that, the accuracy is 0.1g.
For espresso I’d probably go with the Normcore because it’s so slim, unless automatic timer starting is important to you, then the Timemore Nano is better
What scal is more suitable for a Rocket? Mine is too think and barely fits...willl the Normcore do the trick?
The Normcore is serving me great on the Rocket! Nice and thin
@@LifestyleLab_ Excellent....the price is also very good
Thanks for watching!
St. Anthony Industries makes their BT Wedge Distributor for 53.3mm size
Thanks for sharing!
Knew at least one other must exist
Crema Coffee makes some great Breville products as well. Including the wedge distributor. Great review! I definitely will be picking up a tamper.
Can the scale fit a portafilter on it if you want to weigh the grounds when they are in the basket.
Bottomless, yes
Spouted, you'd need a portafilter holder
1) Normcore vs Timemore for pour overs?
2) How responsive is the Normcore during a pour over?
TIA
I would choose the timemore for pour over. More real estate, more functions
They are both very responsive. mL accuracy is possible if you want
Does the scale for the flair 58?
It doesn't fit in the base cutout, it would need to sit on top. So no, not ideal for the Flair 58
@@LifestyleLab_ thanks! Do you have any recommendations for flair 58 scales? Not ugly 10$, but not Acaia expensive either 😅
It's a tough thing to find! Might do a video on it. I've HEARD, the Brewista Smart Scale 2 works nicely (but no first hand experience). I'm still using the $10 Amazon special with my 58, works like an absolute charm!
@@LifestyleLab_ thanks a lot! Love your channel 👍
@@LifestyleLab_ I’m really waiting for someone to say “Brewista works with the 58”. I keep buying the $10 scales because they do the job, but I wouldn’t mind something nicer
What are your opinion on the normcore puck screen? Worth it?
Personally, I'm not a fan of puck screens over-all so I may not be the best one to comment. However, in the few shots I have pulled, it seems identical to the screens from Flair and other companies. I imagine they're all almost identical
@@LifestyleLab_ I just heard that it helps with late shot channeling, which i suffer from.
I find that it can encourage early perimeter channeling due to there never really being a complete seal between the screen and the perimeter of the filter basket. BUT, that is just my experience. Lots of people swear by them, so for the minimal expense, I say give it a shot!
The zero clean up of shower head alone makes it worth it lol, but honestly I love the screen. Still get slight squirting but not as bad as without. Good point on them not touching the sides that can't be good🤔
Hello, any clue if the normcore scale fits flair 58?
It BARELY does not
Could you please review the Picopresso?
We do have one! Just haven't gotten around to trying it
They also have a needle wdt for 32… which seems expensive for a very ordinary product
How well does the scale fit on the bbe drip tray?
Fits great :)
The Normcore Scale with auto-tare and auto-start timer on weight change would make it a compelling product and it is unfortunate and odd that the company didn't foresee this.
Nice video fun and informative thank you
I' get a same sample scale of this from the factory who make & produce this scale without branding on it. For my version, I have the espresso mode auto tare/time, auto mode for hand brew or immersion brew. For the auto turn off function the scale allow me to set 4 timer that wish the scale to do auto turn off, also the original manual turn off for the scale i get is 2.5-3 sec. I think when Normcore ODM it they disable and simplify the scale function.
Great video
Thanks Shane!
I bought the WDT tool and it's honestly really bad. I found that almost every shot I used it for was channeling when using my homemade WDT tool, 1 in 10 channels.
I can also agree with the comment about the brush, it's crap and I found myself searching for bristles out of coffee grounds a few times when I used it.
Don't buy it, buy a rake style tool or make one yourself, it's better (or save for a duomo).
Yeah its disappointing. I gave them a bunch of feedback though, and they say there's a 2.0 version coming
More reviews with the word ‘slosh’ please 👍
Noted ✅
Don’t get it, you can’t tamp to strong only to loose. So what’s the point of taking the 15 pound spring? 30 pound spring sounds like the way to go
one day of tamper and already resend to Amazon. It semmes good inb hand but squittle and move when you tamp. not good at all...
If you don’t have 4 seconds to turn off a scale, then you need to reevaluate your situation
It’s not about “having the time” Matthew. It’s not a good user experience. If the time to turn off was instead 20 seconds, I’m sure you’d agree that is silly even though it’s not going to make anyone late for work
@@LifestyleLab_ it's 4 seconds. If that ruins your user experience, clicking a button for too long isn't your worst problem
@matthewwilson9749 so bitter, for absolutely no reason. Best of luck to you
@@LifestyleLab_ Okay
I got only so far before I realised you were just going to sit at a desk all the way through and never show the things in use.
Expect I did show many clips of them in use, and summaries of my user experience with each.
@@LifestyleLab_ Yeah, those cutaways are good, although it's not the same as actually pulling a shot with the thing. That, compounded with your wording (you don't mention what YOU found in the summary, so it just sounds like you're making claims for the product) don't give confidence that you have much personal experience with the product. The technical explanation of it is good. I bought a Flair Pro which didn't come with a tamper and there aren't many on the market in that size, and many use this spring loaded mechanism which doesn't convince me (at least with a solid one you learn how to feel the firmness of your tamp, these make that harder if anything). Their design clearly trims a substantial amount of shipping weight compared to a solid steel tamper but they cost more - I wish I got more of a feel of the heft of this thing in the video. Honestly, it looks pretty light duty - the head on the other one looks twice as thick.
@Mekchanoid we have another more recent video on favourite tampers. The Normcore is included. They're very well made
Am I the only one that is genuinely put-off by Amazon pseudobrands? Especially ones that slap their name on it. Normcore is no exception. I like their products, but the name drives me insane. There's one that is just absolute chaos, "MHW-3BOMBER", which has literally zero meaning, and their motto is "Make Heart Warm". I still don't know what "Normcore" means, and their website doesn't explain anything.
Don’t waist your money on Normcore products, they are not bad but they’re not good either, just keep by our budget for higher quality products
Which 54mm accessories do you prefer?
Their products are Way too expensive
I disagree with the USB C placement. I don't think I'll ever use a rechargeable weighing scale in an espresso machine while its charging. So having a gaping USB C hole right in the front would be unnecessary and unaesthetic
how many grams can hold the 58mm normcore portafilter. Basket looks slightly smaller the Breville one
Capacity is determined by what basket you use, not the portafilter itself. Can swap out for any size!
How well does the normcore fit under the flair 58?