The Portafilter basket and its role in extraction!
So if you love coffee like us you're most likely all over the importance of things like, grind size, Weighing in and out, brew ratios, water quality and a few more. Well I think like most of us we get the importance of a Portafilter's baskets, do we actually comprehensively understand their significance and impact on extraction though?
A coffee basket’s job seems relatively simple right, filter hot water through extremely fine ground coffee particles within a high pressure environment. Well easier said than done, now from the naked eye the coffee particles all look identical in size when ground so finely. When in actual fact from a microscopic level all these particles are of many different shapes and sizes.
Small particles make their way through and into our Cup giving us a rich espresso taste. Some other stubborn particles which are a little bigger clog up the holes which creates problems if a few holes get clogged.
It's just like being in a long line up in traffic, if one lane is blocked it only delays those in that lane but if it's two or three lanes it has a knock on effect slowing the complete flow of traffic.
Just like traffic, our grounds in the basket work the same. Having partial or multiple occlusions with a basket from these ‘chunkier’ particles means that the domino effect results in under extraction to that localised area. This will lead to less extraction and depending on how well trained your taste buds are you’ll notice the deficiency in flavour.
Each standard basket is different from the next. Shape and precision of the holes have a big impact on the chances of blockage. These baskets can be sharp, jagged, uneven and inconsistent in circumference. On the contrary, if the holes are the complete opposite of what we’ve just described, there is a notable decrease in opportunity for blockage.
Precision accessories such as the IMS espresso basket or VST basket, are designed in a way that they all have identical variability in hole dimension. With this in mind, across group heads you’ll have consistent flow rates and won’t be questioning your poor grinder. If you’re a coffee enthusiast brewing from home on your single group head you won’t be seeing a difference in flow rates.
Time to give your machine the best possible chance to extract the thousands of compounds in your grounds, in a consistent manner.
What sizes of portafilters can I buy?
This really comes down to how you like your coffee! Filter baskets are available in single, double and triple. Usually single sits at 7g-14g, double 14g-21g and triple is anywhere above 21g in size. Their diameters usually sit at 58mm (your most common size), 57mm and 53mm so make sure you give your portafilter handle a measure prior to buying!
What is a brew ratio for coffee?
Whether you're using a single, double or triple basket the goal remains the same, brew up some pure magic. A brew ratio is essentially a recipe, we use and recommend a brew ratio of 1 to 2. If you want to increase the intensity you can lower the brew ratio or if you prefer something a little less intense you can drag out the brew ratio to 1 to 2.2. So a single portafilter basket at 14g in and 28g out, the larger 20g basket may be 20g in and a 40g yield, given you are following the 1 to 2 ratio.
What is a precision basket?
A precision basket is exactly what it sounds like. Some include the vst baskets, ims precision coffee baskets and Pesado precision filter baskets. They are manufactured in a way that the filter holes have identical hole variability in dimension. If you're working with multiple group heads, you'll have uniform extraction without blaming your grinder!
As we know by now, there’s a little more to brewing coffee than just putting a coffee capsule into a machine and hitting a button, well for a quality cup of coffee anyway. All of our accessories are meant to complement and significantly enhance your brewing experience and ability! Usually, you’d begin your espresso process by using a Dosing tool to weigh the appropriate amount of beans with your Coffee Scales before grinding your fresh coffee!
Your coffee grounds will be put back into your dosing cup and transferred into your Portafilter Basket which may be a single, double or triple! The Distribution tool will help you to evenly distribute the grounds within the Filter Basket prior to using a coffee tamper to compress the grounds. By placing your portafilter onto a Tamping Mat you’ll prevent damage to the portafilter handle or bench, simply place 10-30kg of even pressure down on the tamper and twist to polish. Lock the portafilter into your machine, use the scales under the spout with whichever cup, glassware or reusable cup you prefer and commence brewing.
Now when texturing milk it's important to use the correctly sized milk jug for the amount of milk you require. Once you texture the milk, use a milk Thermometer to get the ideal steaming time for whatever milk you’re working with and if in a cafe you might have the option of a Milk Jug Rinser which is incredibly convenient for the post brew clean! A chocolate shaker is a must for those mocha or cappuccino lovers. When the shot is pouring, make sure to use a barista timer or your scales to measure for the perfect extraction, we recommend 23g in and 46g out at an extraction time of 25-30 seconds. Knock the puck out in either a Knock Box at home or a Standing knock tube or in bench shoot if you’re in a cafe!
Now every machine deserves a good clean, check out our range of Blind Filters, cleaning brushes, cleaning products and chemicals! Everyone loves having a few beans up your sleeve so be sure to check out our favourite Coffee Storage units for home or cafe! If you've got a passion for coffee, well there's nothing tastier than some cupping, use some of our coffee Cupping Tools, such as bowls and spoons to bring this professional experience into your own home!