Portafilter Baskets

The use of a Portafilter Basket

A good portafilter basket is crucial for your espresso, as this is where the extraction takes place when hot water is pressed through the coffee.

Make sure you go for a high quality portafilter basket: non-pressurized, with well-distributed perforations that enable an even flow of water through your puck and into your barista cup.

Pressurized vs. Non-Pressurized Portafilter Baskets

Loads of espresso machines come with a pressurized filter basket as standard. They're easy to spot with their double walls and one tiny hole at the bottom.

This type of filter basket is great for beginner baristas because it almost always produces something that resembles coffee. The pressure is built up by the basket itself and not by the coffee.

These pressurized filter baskets are best with coarsely ground coffee, meaning any supermarket pre-ground will do. They can also cover up any mishaps during the extraction.

But all of this comes at the expense of quality and, most importantly, taste!

So if you use good beans or want a tasty espresso at home, don’t use these pressurized baskets.

A non-pressurized (single-wall) filter basket is the better choice when you’re aiming for a delicious espresso

With a single wall, you can immediately see all the holes at the bottom of the portafilter basket. Now the pressure has to be created by the coffee itself, which requires a bit more know-how.

Use good coffee in the right ratio, and distribute & tamp it well. This way, you’ll also get the tastiest espresso at home in no time.

What's a blind filter?

In addition to the 18-gram filter baskets, we also have a blind filter. You can use this to maintain your espresso machine.

By backflushing regularly, you remove stubborn residues and keep the brew group clean. The brew group is one of the most important parts of an espresso machine, so it’s important to keep it clean.

For home baristas, we recommend going through this process once a week. In addition, it’s best to do this every three months with a cleaning agent such as Cafiza or cleaning tablets

The right size portafilter basket

Just like many other accessories in your home barista setup, filter baskets also come in different sizes. In our size chart, you can find which one you need to buy.

As a guideline, here are some key sizes, brands, and machines:

51 mm filter basket: Fits portafilters for various De’Longhi and Gastroback machines.
53 mm filter basket: Suitable for most 54 mm Sage, Solis, Breville, and Gastroback models.
58 mm filter basket: Works with E61 brew groups such as ECM, Rocket, Rancilio, Bezzera, and Gaggia.