How it works

Manual WDT depends on how you stir. Stir too fast and the grounds are thrown towards the basket wall; stir too shallow and clumps near the bottom survive. The Autospin replaces the stirring with a fixed, motor-driven pattern. Twelve 0.3 mm stainless steel needles reach 22 mm into the basket and follow a planetary path, so they cover the whole bed rather than circling a single track. The direction alternates between clockwise and counter-clockwise during the cycle, which is how Timemore avoids pushing coffee out to the edges.

There is no power button. The motor starts when the four legs make contact with the portafilter and stops when you lift the tool away. The top of the frame is open, so you can watch the needles work. Timemore warns against pouring grounds into that opening, as they can get into the motor.

Check your portafilter and basket first

The four legs are spaced to centre the tool on the rim of a standard 58 mm basket and hold it level while it runs. When the tool is sitting on the counter, the same legs shield the needles. That geometry is also the main limitation:

• 58 mm baskets only. Smaller groups such as 54 mm or 51 mm are not supported.
• Straight-walled baskets only. Timemore lists curved-walled baskets as incompatible.
• Portafilters with two locking lugs. Three-lug portafilters are not supported.

Portafilter ears also differ between brands, and at least one owner has reported that the Autospin would not sit flat on a Rocket portafilter. If your portafilter has an unusual shape around the rim, compare it with the photos before ordering.

Autospin or a manual WDT tool?

The case for the Autospin is repeatability. Every shot gets the same needle pattern and the same cycle, whoever is making it, which helps when you are pulling several drinks in a row or sharing a machine. A manual tool costs less, needs no charging and works with any basket size or shape. If your machine is not a 58 mm two-lug group, or you prefer curved baskets, a hand tool such as the Normcore WDT Distribution Tool V3 is the better fit.

Charging and care

The 500 mAh battery charges over USB-C in about 1.5 hours and runs more than 2,000 cycles per charge. An LED shows orange while charging and white when the tool is on or fully charged. Timemore recommends charging it every three months, and a charging cable is not included. Six spare needles come in the box, so a bent needle does not put the tool out of use. A brush or air blower clears grounds from the needles between shots.

Specifications

What’s in the box

• Timemore Autospin WDT Tool in the chosen colour
• 6 spare needles

USB-C charging cable not included.