When Timemore offered to let me test its PUCKS set, I said yes without hesitating. I had already had the brand's Millab M01 and Millab E01 in my hands, and I have very fond memories of them: a truly remarkable level of finish for coffee gear. Millab being Timemore's premium line, we're talking very high-end here. Needless to say, my expectations were high, since the PUCKS set was supposed to sit at the same level of finish. The PUCKS set brings three tools together in one: a calibrated tamper, a gravity distribution tool and a WDT tool. All of that for $199, compatible only with 58 mm baskets - the set is available on Amazon. Is it worth it? After several weeks of daily use, here's my verdict.
This set was sent to me by Timemore. This article was written entirely independently: my evaluation is based solely on my real-world experience as a user, with no commercial influence whatsoever.
The calibrated tamper - precision and a pleasure to hold
The PUCKS tamper is the centerpiece of the set, and the piece that surprised me most. It isn't my first calibrated tamper: I had already tested a Timemore Impulse Impact and an MHW 3Bomber, two good-quality tools that are excellent in the hand. So I had some misgivings about how the PUCKS tamper, a handleless tamper, would feel. But after using it several times, I can say I was wrong: the grip is different from what I was used to, but very pleasant.
The mechanism is simple and effective: a progressive spring system calibrates the pressure at 13.6 kg (30 lbs), and an audible, tactile click tells you, unmistakably, that you've hit the target. That consistency really changes the workflow. Before I moved to a calibrated tamper, I tamped "by feel," with variations depending on the time of day or how tired I was; now, every tamp is identical.
Find the Timemore PUCKS set on Amazon or on the official Timemore website
The distribution tool - a base that adjusts itself to the height of the coffee
The gravity distribution tool is the one that took me the longest to truly appreciate. Not because it's bad, far from it, but because the way it works is so unobtrusive that you could almost forget what it's doing. And yet it does something important.
The principle is ingenious: the base of the tool has a star pattern that automatically adjusts to the height of the coffee in the portafilter, with no manual adjustment. You set it down, turn it gently, and the grounds redistribute evenly. No collar to screw down or height to calibrate: it's self-adjusting, and it works. The magnetic attachment is well thought out: the tool stays in place during rotation, without the shell going one way while the base turns the other, a problem I had already run into elsewhere.
The cherry wood finishes, in keeping with the rest of the set, and a heavy, well-balanced distribution tool that neither slips nor tips over: the build quality recalls that of the tamper, designed to last. I always use it after my WDT tool, right before tamping, and the surface of the grounds comes out noticeably flatter and more even than with my old tools.
The distribution tool works by gravity: don't press down on it, just let it rest on the grounds and turn it gently. A light touch is enough: its design does the work, not the force you apply.
The Timemore PUCKS set (tamper + distribution tool + WDT tool) on Amazon
4 tips to avoid channeling with a bottomless portafilter
Discover how to avoid channeling during your espresso extractions with a bottomless portafilter.
Read the article →
If you want to understand why channeling ruins your espresso and how to avoid it, take a look at my anti-channeling tips for bottomless portafilters. And if you'd like to dig deeper into grind distribution, the article on distribution in the portafilter is an ideal companion read.
The WDT tool - the one that worried me most, and reassured me most
I'll be honest: it wasn't the principle of WDT that worried me. It has more than proven itself and does a great job of breaking up clumps in the grounds. What made me more cautious was the comparison with my old model, the Apollo WDT, the Chinese imitation of Weber's Moonraker: its geared mechanism needed a real push to get going and turned less steadily, in fits and starts. This WDT tool doesn't rely on that kind of gear system: it's this absence of gears, combined with its dual bearings, that lets it turn very easily and continuously. It doesn't spin "on its own," because the grounds put up a slight resistance, but it has a smoothness that makes it noticeably more pleasant to use.
The Timemore PUCKS WDT tool is in another league. The 8 needles, 0.3 mm each, go into the grounds without shoving them around, carried by a dual-bearing mount that delivers a smooth 360° rotation without any jerking. You set the tool down using its magnetic attachment, give it a light push, and it keeps turning for several seconds, deep in the coffee bed. A premium tool, and you can feel it right away.
The detail that makes the difference: Timemore included 8 spare needles, which shows real thought about the product's durability. Needles are fragile by nature: one drop, one wrong move, and a needle can bend. Having spares included in the box is a touch I appreciate. The maple wood handle contrasts slightly with the cherry wood of the other two tools, but the whole set stays cohesive and elegant. And cleaning the needles after use? Easy: you put the WDT tool back on its magnetic base, give it a little spin, and the leftover grounds simply fall off.
See the current price of the Timemore PUCKS set on Amazon or on the official Timemore website
The stand - a base whose quality comes as a surprise
All three tools in the set rest on the same stand, and that's a detail I didn't expect to be this good. At first glance, I would have taken it for wood: the finish is deceptive. It's actually plastic, but a dense, well-molded plastic, not the kind of thin material that flexes under the pressure of a finger. The construction inspires confidence, and I'm convinced that it will last as long as the rest of the set. And I don't think this choice of plastic is about saving money, but rather about aesthetics: the resulting white pairs very well with the tools you set on it.
Conclusion - A demanding set, with results to match
The Timemore PUCKS set fully deserves its 4.5/5 rating. The result in the cup is tangible: noticeably less channeling, more consistent extractions, even crema. The $199 price is still high, but it's defensible: an equivalent set from Normcore comes to a similar total, without the aesthetic cohesion or the quality of finish that Timemore has already proven with its grinders, and that you find in full in the Millab M01. I recommend it to passionate home baristas who want to refine their workflow without tipping over into professional equipment (like an electric tamper). My one personal gripe: the base is plastic. I don't think Timemore chose this material to save money, since you can feel the quality and the decision reflects a real aesthetic cohesion, but I would still have preferred wood.
- Wood finishes
- Calibrated tamper that's very effective - crisp click, cup-to-cup consistency you notice immediately
- Orbital WDT tool - dual bearings, smooth rotation, truly effective 0.3 mm needles
- Spare needles included
- Self-adjusting distribution tool - no height adjustment, it simply works
- Tangible reduction in channeling
- $199 price - high, even if justified by the quality
- 58 mm only - no alternative for other basket diameters
