Normcore Corner Tamping Mat, Espresso Silicon Tamper Mat, Coffee Tamp Station, Espresso Accessory, Waterproof and Heat Resistant, Food-grade Silicone Rubber, Dark Green

Like pretty much anything else from Normcore that I've used, this tamping mat is well made and looks good. It's a pretty sturdy and robust mat and gives me a good spot to tap my portafilter to settle the coffee grinds after dropping them in from the blind shaker. I have my espresso setup on a small cart that has a wooden top, so this a good tamping mat is essential to protect the surface. It has a nice "wood grain" textured pattern on it and the green is a nice match with the brown surface. I haven't had it slip out of place and the thickness means I can also place a hot kettle down on it without worrying about damaging the surface beneath it. It's easy enough to rinse under the faucet when it needs cleaning.

Got this because I wanted a white tamping mat for my setup. Material is really smooth and has a "wooden" grain texture for grip. I've used it for several months now and it's exactly what I was looking for.It's not as grippy/sticky as more standard brand name tamping mats - so it might slide around, but hasn't been an issue.This tamping mat is also perfect for those who have shorter countertops. The edge lip is much shorter than traditional tamping mats that overhang, so you can get the grip you need without extra material. You can see a comparison between the Normcore mat and a Profitec tamping mat in the photo.Another great Normcore product!

Love the mat. Great quality finish and look. And it’s large enough to provide you ample space to prepare and tamper your portafilter filter.

I use this as a little prep space. To tap my portafilter before tamping. Or knock my milk in to hegemony. It’s super high quality. Easy to clean. And a super useful part of my workflow. Normcore makes the nicest stuff stuff.

This is a review for the Normcore Corner Tamping Mat, Espresso Silicon Tamper Mat, Coffee Tamp Station, Espresso Accessory, Waterproof and Heat Resistant, Food-grade Silicone Rubber, Dark Green.This is a rubberized (silicone rubber) mat measuring 148mm (5 7/8") by 227mm (9"), with a 15mm (5/8") deep lip on the long edge. It is 6mm (1/4") thick and features a 2mm (1/16") raised edge on three sides, designed to contain any spilled coffee.This mat provides a protective, easy-to-clean surface for loading an espresso machine’s portafilter with coffee and tamping it into a uniform puck. The one I received is dark green with a simulated wood grain finish.The build quality is excellent - no flaws that I could find, and no chemical smell out of the box. Installing it is as simple as placing it on the counter and warming up your espresso machine!I’ve used a towel for this purpose for years, so I was curious to see if this was an upgrade. I’m happy to report that it absolutely is. It’s easier to clean than a towel and looks much tidier in front of my machine. A quick rinse and dry in the sink is all it needs.Would I return this item after using it? Absolutely not. It’s simple, durable, and does exactly what it’s supposed to do. It now has a permanent spot in front of my espresso machine and will undoubtedly be used for many years to come.

I don’t love the molded areas on most tamping mats. Not sure why, but probably because not all of my accessories fit the footprints, which bugs me. Don’t even get me started on the WDT that had a square base.Anyway, these days, I’m more about pourovers than espresso, but I found I still needed a mat so I could bang my grinder cup on the counter to loosen fines. It’s also nice to have something to put the hot carafe on so it’s not clinking against marble.Enter the Normcore tamping mat! I really like their stuff, which is usually pretty high-end (with a price tag to match), but this is reasonable priced. It’s made of a thick, stiffish piece of silicone, which is great at absorbing the brunt of my grinder-knocking. But even better, it’s not too big or floppy that it’s hard to clean, which is my chief complaint about a lot of silicone products (especially baking liners like Silpat! Grrrr!). Another reviewer didn’t love the grain that’s etched into the surface of this mat and I wasn’t sure I did at first, either, but then I remembered how much I also hate the way a lot of other silicone items that are just flat look once they’ve gotten wet or washed—hard water or soap residue or something leaves them kind of gross and it’s a pain to get it cleaned properly. This doesn’t have that problem at all. I’ve gotten some fines caught in the crevices, but they brush off generally. The worst was some flour from baking that got sprinkled on the mat, but a little scrub under running water and it came right out. It also does a good job of containing coffee grounds. Sure, it could be maybe an inch bigger both in length and width, but I’m pretty satisfied with it.

The media could not be loaded. This is a well built and nicely designed tamping mat. However, it is rather small. Nevertheless, it will hold all the essentials and will work nicely if you have a limited surface to put it on.

It's just a silicone mat. It may seem pricey for something so simple, but it's at least good quality, like other normcore products. It feels durable and holds up to heat and abuse well.