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rhb-
Helps with de-clumping but my grinder's pretty good at providing 'fluffy' grounds.
I normally just tap the portafilter a few times to level the heap, gently press the tamper down (bit of turning to assist levelling). Seems to provide a pretty even extraction, flow tends to come in a single stream from the centre pretty much every time.
mmccarthy
For what it's worth, I just stick to a tamper and have no desire to change that. These tools (though I can see more benefit from the levelling tools) are not worth the hassle/cost IMO. Looks like a little iron maiden.