Buying task · Baskets and portafilters
Baskets and portafilters
How baskets differ in diameter, height and holes, what precision baskets actually publish, and why a bottomless portafilter must match your model.
Short answer
Three things decide which basket or portafilter works for you: the basket's inside diameter, which sets your tamper and screen size; its height, which sets the dose; and the portafilter's locking ears, which must match your machine's group. A size label settles none of these on its own. Gaggia's own accessory pages for the Classic, for example, give a 58 mm filter diameter, a 59 mm bottomless filter holder and a 70 mm bundled filter.[1][2]
Diameter: the basket sets the tool size
Basket makers publish the figure that matters. IMS's Breville basket measures 54 mm inside and takes a 53 to 53.4 mm tamper.[3] VST's 58 mm-class baskets specify a 58.40 mm flat tamper, to a tolerance of +0.00/-0.05 mm.[4] Cafelat calls its Robot baskets 58 mm, yet its Professional basket measures 57.8 mm inside.[5][6]
So if you change baskets, your tamper and puck screen size can change too. The basket size guide shows how to measure yours.
Height: the basket sets the dose
| Basket | Height | Dose range the maker gives |
|---|---|---|
| IMS B70, 58 mm | 24.5 mm | 16-18 g dark, 17-19 g medium, 20-22.5 g light roast[7] |
| IMS B70, 58 mm | 28.5 mm | 20-22 g dark, 21-23 g medium, 24-26 g light roast[7] |
| IMS Big Bang, Breville 54 mm | 23.5 mm | 14-17 g dark, 15.5-18 g medium, 17.5-20 g light roast[8] |
| IMS single-shot, 58 mm | 19.5 mm | 7-9 g dark, 8-10 g medium, 9-11 g light roast[9] |
Machine makers' stock doses follow the same pattern: 18 g for Breville's 54 mm Bambino and 22 g for its 58 mm Dual Boiler.[10][11] If your dose falls outside your basket's range, change the basket rather than overfilling or underfilling the one you have.
Pressurized, precision and "more holes"
- Pressurized (dual-wall) baskets build resistance into the basket itself. Breville's guide says to use single-wall baskets with freshly ground beans and dual-wall baskets with pre-ground coffee.[12]
- Precision baskets are defined by what the maker publishes. VST measures every hole on every basket and holds total open area within plus or minus 5%.[4] IMS publishes hole counts and sizes, such as 583 holes of 0.30 mm in its Breville basket.[3] A listing that says "precision" without any published tolerances is making a seller's claim. Precision baskets explained goes further.
- Hole count alone does not decide extraction. barista.tools, a barista-tools retailer, argues there is no universally optimal number of holes; hole size, spacing and open area work together.[13]
Bottomless portafilters: the ears decide
A bottomless portafilter has no spouts, so you can watch the coffee extract and spot uneven flow. Whether it fits depends on its locking ears, not on the basket diameter.
Makers publish model lists for their own parts. Breville's 54 mm spare portafilter SP0027237 lists five Barista models, while a different part, SP0024799, lists only the Bambino Plus.[14][15] Profitec calls the GO 2.0's group a ring brew group rather than an E61,[16] so an "E61" portafilter is not a safe guess for it.
Buy a variant named for your model; the bottomless portafilter shortlist maps the variants by machine. If a portafilter will not lock in, see why a portafilter won't lock.
How to choose
- Keep the stock basket until you know what you want to change.
- For published tolerances or a different dose, choose a basket in your machine's size, at the height that matches your dose.
- For a bottomless portafilter, match your machine model first, then the ear count.
- After any change, check that your tamper and puck screen still fit.
Everything in this topic
Guides
- Precision espresso baskets explainedShows how to tell a documented precision basket from a marketing label, and which size and dose range to choose before you buy one.
- Why does my bottomless portafilter spray?Turns a spraying bottomless shot into an ordered list of checks, starting with the cheapest fixes, so you change one thing at a time.
- Why won't my portafilter lock in?Helps you work out why a portafilter will not lock and whether the fix is your dose, an accessory, the basket or the portafilter itself.
Shortlists
- Bottomless portafilters by machineMaps each bottomless portafilter variant to the machines it is named for, with the makers' own part and model lists to check against.
Common questions
Are VST baskets really measured?
VST says it measures 100% of the holes on every filter and holds total open area within plus or minus 5%. That is the maker's own statement; we have not seen an independent audit of it. More in Precision espresso baskets explained
IMS or VST: which should I buy?
Both publish the tamper size their baskets are made for: 58.40 mm for VST's 15 to 25 g baskets and 58/58.4 mm for IMS's 58 mm competition baskets. Choose by the dose range and tamper you need; we found no controlled comparison of the two. More in Precision espresso baskets explained
Do more holes mean better extraction?
Not by themselves. barista.tools argues that hole count alone does not determine extraction or flavor and that there is no universally optimal number; open area, hole size and spacing all play a part. That is an expert explanation, not a measurement. More in Precision espresso baskets explained
Is there a precision basket for Breville 54 mm machines?
Yes. IMS makes a dedicated 54 mm line for the Barista Express, Bambino, Pro and Touch, such as the B62.52TH24E: 54 mm inside, 24 mm high, for a 53/53.4 mm tamper. More in Precision espresso baskets explained
Does basket size change the dose?
Yes. IMS lists dose ranges that rise with basket height: its 24.5 mm B70 basket takes about 16 to 22.5 g depending on roast, and its 28.5 mm version 20 to 26 g. More in Precision espresso baskets explained
Does a bottomless portafilter make espresso taste better?
We found no evidence that it improves flavor by itself. Its main use is showing you how the shot flows, which helps you find prep problems that a spouted portafilter hides. More in Why does my bottomless portafilter spray?
Should I tamp harder to stop the spraying?
Probably not. In Socratic Coffee's controlled test, tamps from 5 to 20 kg gave no difference in extraction. A level tamp with a tamper that fills the basket matters more than force. More in Why does my bottomless portafilter spray?
Why does my shot spray only at the edge?
Common suspects are a tamper that is too small for the basket, which leaves an untamped ring, or grounds that are loose near the wall. Check your tamper against the basket maker's size, then stir the edges during WDT. More in Why does my bottomless portafilter spray?
Questions
Will any 58 mm bottomless portafilter fit my machine?
No. The basket size is only half of it; the locking ears must match your machine's group. Profitec, for example, calls the GO 2.0's group a ring brew group rather than an E61. Buy a variant named for your model; see bottomless portafilters by machine.[16]
Does a precision basket make better espresso?
It makes the basket itself more consistent: VST, for example, measures every hole and holds total open area within plus or minus 5%. Whether that shows in the cup depends on your grinder and recipe; we found no controlled taste comparison.[4]
Are more holes better in an espresso basket?
Not on their own. barista.tools, a barista-tools retailer, argues that hole count alone does not determine extraction yield or flavor and that there is no universally optimal number; hole size, spacing and open area work together.[13]
How much coffee should I put in my basket?
Use the basket maker's range. IMS lists 16 to 18 g of dark roast for its 24.5 mm-high 58 mm basket, rising to 24 to 26 g of light roast in the 28.5 mm version; Breville gives 18 g for the Bambino and 22 g for the Dual Boiler.[7][10][11]
Should I use a pressurized or a single-wall basket?
Breville's guide says to use single-wall baskets with freshly ground beans and dual-wall (pressurized) baskets with pre-ground coffee.[12]