With being new to espresso, and especially pump-driven machines, I was worried that my tamping would be sub-par and not give an even distribution. Being able to watch the flow of coffee through the brew basket has given me confidence knowing that I am tamping even, and now I have the option of using so many different sized baskets as well. I decided to go to a Breville branded portafilter, because I was worried that a third party one could potentially damage the plastic collar in the machine.