Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

Am I mad wanting a single sprout portafilter? It must be a PITA to tamp without some kind of stand. I don’t like how the double sprout one I got is too wide for some espresso cups I have.
 
My machine came with both a single and a double. I bought a tamp-stand with it specifically because of this. Though later I swapped to a bottomless anyway, and that's all I use now :p

e: one just like this:
9pS5pStm.png.jpg
 
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my cups are too narrow to reliably get the rat's tail from a double spout,
but, I always use a cloth under the pf when charging it beneath grinder, moving to knock bin, and also when I hold it on the single spout on work surface to tamp.
a square profile pf handle would be good.
 
Dj_Jestar said:
My machine came with both a single and a double. I bought a tamp-stand with it specifically because of this. Though later I swapped to a bottomless anyway, and that's all I use now :p

e: one just like this:
9pS5pStm.png.jpg
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I know about these but they take up too much space, I am trying to avoid having these if I could, like having a smaller stand design (without that bit on the side or tamp on the end of the bench.
 
Siliconslave said:
there are edge of counter mats with little cutouts for the PF, or the decent espresso tamping stand is smaller (but $80! https://decentespresso.com/cradle) - finally you could get something custom made i guess...

Just go naked, much better all round :D
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I already have a naked one but whilst I love seeing it all drip, I HATE the random squirt of coffee that goes all over the counter, some of it so small it's hard to see during the pour but on a white worktop I will find it later on and if I don't wipe it off quick enough it stains the worktop!
 
Just received a VST basket today, not cheap at £28 delivered but boy....what a revelation, it’s made my coffee much better. I’ve not changed the settings at all from the old Gaggia basket and it is coming out much more like how it should with everything the same.

Totally worth the £28.
 
Raymond Lin said:
Just received a VST basket today, not cheap at £28 delivered but boy....what a revelation, it’s made my coffee much better. I’ve not changed the settings at all from the old Gaggia basket and it is coming out much more like how it should with everything the same.

Totally worth the £28.[/QUOTE

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What size did you go for? I've been very tempted
 
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Begbie said:
Has it changed the flavour a lot? It's a lot of cash for a basket!
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Less bitter.

I couldn’t understand why my shots one pull is 25s and then next was 1min long. I changed nothing. I also noticed when the basket is empty, water is not flowing through it but sitting on top.
 
Raymond Lin said:
Less bitter.

I couldn’t understand why my shots one pull is 25s and then next was 1min long. I changed nothing. I also noticed when the basket is empty, water is not flowing through it but sitting on top.
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Yeah mine does that, with the water. I'll need to go look now, probably go with the 15g too.
 
Begbie said:
Yeah mine does that, with the water. I'll need to go look now, probably go with the 15g too.
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It is not cheap, you can get a complete new portafilter with basket for about the same money but it’s so good I am tempted to get a 18-20g to put in my naked portafilter....
 
no picture, I don't covet hamburgers, but, a new pf - ridgeless shiny ?
the italians/LM have some different definitions on coffee capacity

these pf stands look cool but can't see them individually
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...ng-Station-Portafilter-Stand_62392473777.html


tank water filters - I now think I need to leave the water filter in the tank, since I think its resistance keeps the silicon tube to the pump full of water, otherwise when you're brewing I get some intermittency in flow, I theorize that's the pump having to suck water through the tube that has emptied with mavity ?


jpaul said:
LMexit decision .... espresso is better in IMS

Unhappy with LaMarzocco 17g ridged basket , extraction typically too fast & inconsistent with about 15g dose and also wet puck ( lot of space above coffee) so tried a change to the IMS Italian option 18g but ridgeless and also has slightly convex base.
So far getting better results, was concerned that the ridgeless might drop out, knocking out, but holds fine with pf spring and yes I guess it does help for puck ejection.

basket_zpslqjkgmm7.jpg~original


After researching about LM (I had originally been disappointed by finish)
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that is what they say anyway - but I do not have one of those.


I had emailed IMS to see if there was a UK supplier, but could not find anyone supplying ridgeless IMS in the UK (some folks sell the ridged) so I made several offers at this ebay seller, who also has a shop, but ebay was surprisingly cheaper. $17.5

Can get the VST brand ridgeless readily in the UK, but ~£20 seemed excessive, and utube review + threads sold ims to me.
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LuckyBenski said:
Definitely, get stuck in. So much of coffee is about slowly refining what you can do and what you like. It does sound ***** but it's a journey. I didn't really develop the palate to appreciate differences between coffee, or even good Vs average coffee, until well after I'd started experimenting with making coffee at home.
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Missed this reply, yep I think thats definitely it. I need to take the plunge...with the aeropress :P and then I can start working out what I wanna do.

I found that Rave Coffee do a little gift pack, aeropress, 250g coffee and a little book for 30 so I might just put that on my christmas list as the missus never knows what to get me!

Rave seems a fairly decent brand but I am sure that is whole other rabbit hole to go down!
 
To me - Rave is the answer to where the stepping stone is between cheap and expensive. I suspect they are a big operation masquerading as an artisan roaster but what they produce are nicely roasted beans even down to £16/kg which is a real benefit for bean-to-cup owners like myself. Discount from the loyalty scheme is a real thing as well not just a token.
 
AKAK said:
To me - Rave is the answer to where the stepping stone is between cheap and expensive. I suspect they are a big operation masquerading as an artisan roaster but what they produce are nicely roasted beans even down to £16/kg which is a real benefit for bean-to-cup owners like myself. Discount from the loyalty scheme is a real thing as well not just a token.
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Rave is tiny (well, not tiny like 1 guy in his garage), they have a warehouse (next to a couple of other shops) in Cheltenham with a few parking spaces out front.

The warehouse at the back you can see from the shop at the front and you can see all the coffee beans, roasting machines and packed coffee. Compared to SquareMile (in James Hoffmann's tour of their office), Rave feels about half the size at least actual space wise..
 
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