Rattleware Premium Black Tamping Mat – Dense, Durable, and Non-Slip Design – Perfect for Espresso Lovers & Baristas – Expertly Crafted for Baristas & Coffee Lovers (8.75″ x 3″)

What can you say about a rubber mat?
I’ve lately been disappointed by several products I’ve purchased so I was delighted that this tamper mat completely met my expectations. First, it is the perfect size. I can place my latte mug and frothing pitcher on the mat and still have room to place my espresso basket to tamper it. The mat is also quite thick so I have no problems making sure my grinds are packed in without damaging my counter top. It stays put and doesn’t slip around. When I first opened the package, there definitely was a strong smell. I did not mind the odor since it reminds me of when I get new tires for my motorcycle which I equate to fun. However, the oder does dissipate after several days. I do notice that it comes back somewhat when I rinse it, especially in hot water. So, if you make espresso, this is a must to protect your countertop.

Handy dandy!
Beefy, thick rubber sheet. Smells like rubber tire when I received it, but I left it on the counter by a window for a few days, and the smell went away. Works well for protecting your counter from damage while tamping. A quick wipe off and it’s clean.

Perfect, solved a couple of problems for our coffee making
We had two problems – I wanted a tamping mat and something to make it easier to clean up spilled/overflow grinds. The counter that the grinder used to be on was tile, which I found especially frustrating to clean spilled grinds from. The Rattleware grinder tray solved the problem. We no longer have that problem with our new granite counter, but now we have the grinder on a slide-out tray. The Rattleware grinder tray enables the grinder to fit well and securely on the slide-out tray, and makes it very easy to clean up. And this size tamping mat is perfect for us. It’s all we need, and we use it both to tamp and also to knock the grinds out – I usually have no trouble getting the flick of the wrist just right to get the grinds out but for some of us it’s easier to knock the basket against something. I used to worry the basket would get damaged or dented, but now we just take the tamping mat and place it next to the sink or trash can and knock the basket against it. perfect! The mat and tray fit perfectly with our Gaggia burr grinder on our Milen Handy Caddy slide-out tray, so I couldn’t be much happier with this purchase.

It does exactly what it is supposed to do.
It’s literally a slim piece of rubber. It does have the rubber odor, as everyone complains. When I opened the package, the smell reminded me of pirelli tires I installed on my 911. Perhaps pirelli is getting into the espresso industry?Regardless, simply wash it and air it out… the smell eventually decreases over time.The bottom line – it protects the counter and effectively allows proper tamping. Because it stinks, dont leave your tamper or portafilter sitting on it for an extended period of time.

Prior to buying this tamping mat, I was making a regular mess of the kitchen worktops (not to mention floor). Since buying the tamping mat, not only am I finding it easier to tamp the coffee grounds, but I seem to be making better coffee and there is no mess! The real bonus is that I have moved from my wife’s bad books [almost] into her good books. Well worth it for me.

Good service but the product really smelled of rubber. Bought another product that didn’t smell of rubber.