Best Baskets for Medium to Darker Roast?

#1: Post by **Moxiechef** » February 20th, 2016, 12:17 am

I'd love to hear some opinions on baskets. Right now I'm pulling Blue Bottle Hayes Valley, 20g in, 20g out in about 30 seconds. I've used my VST and my Strada baskets but was wondering if they were the best choose for this dark of a roast.

IMO, the Strada pulls a little slower, which allows me to grind a touch coarser. Grinding too fine brings out some ashy flavors.

#2: Post by **TomC** » February 20th, 2016, 12:20 am

The darker the roast, the more forgiving of equipment, especially IMO, if you're pulling short.

Use whatever you have on hand that isn't fancy or expensive. It was designed with those types of coffee in mind long before the "recent wave" or whatever you want to call it, came to the forefront.

If you can updose a slightly coarse grind and get beautiful tasting shots, you've gotta ask yourself what more do you want before spending money on "better" baskets.

#3: Post by **NightFlight** » February 20th, 2016, 8:11 am

What Tom said and very little preinfusion on dark roasts will negate the ashy.

February 20th, 2016, 2:33 pm

Thanks.

Am I to assume the VST style baskets are actually not preferred for darker roast?

#5: Post by **CTurner** » February 20th, 2016, 4:01 pm

I've always been a bit confused by the small variations in basket shapes and number of holes, etc. The slightness of change in details seems to me not all that sufficient to achieve some difference.

#6: Post by ds » February 20th, 2016, 4:46 pm

Moxiechef wrote:Am I to assume the VST style baskets are actually not preferred for darker roast?

They work great for dark-roasts especially if you pull shots on ristretto side.

#7: Post by **keno** » February 20th, 2016, 4:55 pm

VST baskets require a somewhat finer grind than many other baskets to get the right flow. With darker roasts a finer grind may result in overextraction and potentially an ashy or bitter taste. To compensate when using a darker roast with VST baskets try overdosing with a slightly coarser grind to get the right flow and/or pull ristretto shots (as mentioned above).

#8: Post by **dominico** » February 20th, 2016, 5:20 pm

I simply don't use my VSTs for dark roasts, in my opinion VSTs really shine with coffees that want finer grinds, darker roasts generally don't want finer grind. I will updose in an IMS basket, or I will use the HQ or Faema baskets, whatever is on hand that isn't a VST.

#9: Post by **Ellejaycafe** » February 20th, 2016, 5:29 pm

I use VST baskets for dark roast all the time. I find if I pull a 1:2 ratio in a shorter amount of time it really shines. So 18g in 36out in 23-25 seconds takes out the ashiness (at least for the roast I am using) and gives a well balanced, thick shot, that is almost ristretto like. YMMV and this is just my experience and opinion.

February 20th, 2016, 7:14 pm

thats the fun thing about espresso, it's crazy how things vary. I had redbird and pulled a long ristretto (35s) with a VST basket to get rid of ashyness. ha