How to choose a portafilter basket and achieve better espresso extraction? Tastier coffee from a lever coffee machine is our topic today. We'll see how to improve its extraction by using the right portafilter baskets.
Why is the cupcake so important?
Why can't one cup rule all espressos? He could too, provided you stick to one constant recipe and coffee. For example, you love ours coffee blend for espresso in such a way that you simply won't drink any other coffee. The moment when you change the coffee on the grinder and change the espresso preparation recipes, you need to have space in the portafilter for the entire range of doses coffee. That's why portafilter cups are made for 14 g and 25 g coffee and all sizes in between.
Cup sizes and espresso extraction
The expansion of roasting levels with modern coffee technologies and approaches goes hand in hand with the range of espresso cup sizes. While for the Italian standard could suffice with one 14 g cup , so for lighter roasted coffees we meet with 18 g or 20 g baskets for medium roasted espresso and for light coffee then choose a larger, for example up to 22 g basket portafilter.
When you prepare a recipe for your espresso, you combine a number of factors that influence the final taste of the coffee. Above all extraction ratio plays a role here. Because there isn't just one ideal ratio for great-tasting espresso, you'll want to use the full range between 1:1 and 1:4 . Usually we start from a ratio of 1:2 and then adapt it taste potential of a particular coffee.
The lighter the roasted coffee, the ratio increases to, for example, 1:4, and now imagine preparing such coffee with a 20 g basket! When you have 20 g of coffee at the input and extract in a ratio of 1:4, so you get 80 g espresso in a cup. If you had Thus, with the same extraction ratio, you can prepare 56 g of 14 g of coffee espresso. And this is the moment to choose the right basket.
It also works the other way around. For dark roasted coffee, when we reduce the extraction ratio to 1:1, we can use up to a 25g basket to prepare 25g of espresso. In any case, it is important that the selected dose of coffee corresponds to the volume of the basket. And with the maximum with a deviation of +/- 1 g of coffee . For the usual 18 g basket, you are working with a dosage in the range of 17-19 g of ground coffee.
A barista scale is required to set the dose.
Espresso extraction problems when changing the coffee dose
Of course, a smaller amount of coffee would fit in a larger basket without any problems, but if you use an inappropriate dosage for the given volume of the basket, you will encounter the following problems:
- low resistance of the coffee bud,
- too much space for water,
- quantity and diameter of sieve holes.
If you undercut (you put a little coffee in a big basket), so be it coffee does not have the necessary resistance to flowing water during extraction . What will happen? The water passes through the coffee faster and the espresso is underextracted. You can fine-tune the grinds, but you may need to fine-tune so much that the "fines" dust particles can clog the basket.
The space above the low-reach coffee fills during extraction with water which, however, does not have sufficient pressure . That's right due to the large free space between the shower head of the coffee machine and the coffee in a portafilter . Basically you do pre-infusion but uncontrolled . The moistened coffee then leads to a faster flow towards the end of the extraction.
Then there is also the number and diameter of the holes. Sieves are usually thicker and finer in smaller baskets. As the size of the basket increases, the number and diameter of the holes in the basket increases. When grinding extra fine to achieve better extraction even when tamping miniature coffee particles can either clog the hole or pass through it into a cup.
Differences between single, double basket and naked portafilter
The correct volume is the basis, and the next thing is the shape of the cup. Here is the most visible difference between shaping single and double cupcakes - respectively for one or two portions . Today we single cups use a minimum of . There is a problem with them. It is difficult for them to set and maintain the espresso recipe, even to knock them out. The shape of the double cups with a flat bottom and walls is much more friendly to the even extraction of coffee.
You may have noticed featured grooves near the upper edge some cupcakes. This is how they are adapted for better retention in the portafilter . Without ridges - ridgeless baskets tend to fall out when knocking the puck vigorously and need a stronger spring in the portafilter. Straight on the other side the smooth walls of the basket are more suitable for proper water flow coffee bud.
The great thing about the naked portafilter is that we can immediately see flow inaccuracies in the espresso extraction in progress. We can immediately detect the flow and channeling of coffee. Another advantage of this bottomless portafilter is the better taste of the coffee due to the cleaner environment of the portafilter. Bare lever it doesn't have a bottom with a spout through which the espresso would flow into the cup. So it doesn't even have room for coffee grounds from previous coffees that could affect the taste new espresso. The coffee flows from the filter basket straight into the cup.
The accuracy of the sieve basket vs. channeling
When we summarize today's cupcake theme, we know that: We want more cupcakes. for preparing great espressos from different coffees, we prefer double baskets with smooth walls and it would be optimal to place such a basket to the naked portafilter . Next step then there is an investment in the perfection of the strainer itself cupcakes.
There are actually two categories of cups on the market: classic and precise . For the classic ones, we can expect ordinary serial production of metal baskets with different volumes. While precision baskets are based on maximum precision of each piece.
VST, IMS, Strada, Pesado precision cups
The flow of coffee is also known as ' channeling' can get on the nerves of any barista. That's why manufacturers focus on the production of such coffee accessory that minimizes the risk of channeling. Well, here we have it. precise portafilter baskets . They are the market leaders above all brands VST , IMS , Strada from La Marzocco, now also Pesado and other new manufacturers such as Pullman or Wafo are also added.
- IMS portafilter baskets: designed for professionals as competition baskets of world barista championships. They have excellent results in terms of extraction consistency and are suitable for the finest ground espressos. The subsidiary brand E&B LAB is currently developing new metal coffee filters and espresso strainers.
- VST portafilter baskets: they were created by engineer Vince Fedele with the goal of uniformity of perforations over the entire surface of the filter, as can be seen on the hole distribution and size chart that is attached to each piece, to ensure the quality and consistency of the espresso.
- Strada portafilter cups: they are a product of the La Marzocco company, which belongs to the first manufacturers of precision sieves, together with the VST brand. Their portfolio has two series of cups, Advanced and Strada, the difference being only in quality control. At Strada, the quality of each individual piece is scanned and the precision of the basket is thus confirmed.
- Pesado portafilter cups: a young Australian brand that works closely with the well-known IMS. However, Pesado cups aim to achieve even higher espresso extractions.
Choose a new precise portafilter basket !
