Morning. As Jason points out that is simply called a bottomless portafilter. It is simply a portafilter that has had the bottom cut out of it so I can see what is going on to diagnose extraction issues. Very handy tool to have especially if you are new the process. WLL sells them so I am sure you could get one for your machine.

That video was panned back enough to show the lever positions so you could clearly see how it is used.

WholeLatteLove wrote:I know I have been playing phone tag with you and I appreciate all the help from everyone on line and cant wait to hear the the happiness after you get this figured out.

Hi Mark. Thanks so much for taking the time to post.

Well, I'm embarrassed-albeit happy-to report that it was the lever being in the "middle" position that was evidently the problem. This morning, I had the lever in the "back" position and no leaking. It was perfect!!!

Thanks again for ALL of your advice and help with this issue. You guys are the BEST! And thanks Mark again for your suggestion, which apparently is EXACTLY what you suggested, but my lack of hardware knowledge is what caused the problem.

Thanks!!!

cannonfodder wrote:Morning. As Jason points out that is simply called a bottomless portafilter. It is simply a portafilter that has had the bottom cut out of it so I can see what is going on to diagnose extraction issues. Very handy tool to have especially if you are new the process. WLL sells them so I am sure you could get one for your machine.

That video was panned back enough to show the lever positions so you could clearly see how it is used.

That is really cool.

Question: is there any advantage to having a "naked" portafilter? Just curious. I really like the look of the shot though. It's beautiful!

onegirlcreative wrote: Question: is there any advantage to having a "naked" portafilter? Just curious. I really like the look of the shot though. It's beautiful!

Some people specialize in filming gorgeous pours, aka "espresso porn." But the most important use is to train people who are new, or who had been doing it wrong for decades (like me), how to properly level and pack the basket.

-- The water is at high enough pressure that it will widen any tiny cracks in the puck and come squirting out of the bottom of the basket in all directions (aka spritzies).

-- Also, if the puck isn't level, the pour will come through shallower part and leave the other parts dry. You'll see this, since the pour-cone won't be a full circle. It will be part of a circle or a donut, while the rest of basket bottom is staying dry.

It's clear if either of these things happen, the shot is not going to taste as good as it would have had the pour been even (really, really bad coffee excepted). With a naked PF you can see this easily (or too easily sometimes); with a regular PF, these are very difficult or impossible to spot.

An E61 group like yours comes up to pressure slowly, so that some of the cracks get sealed and the cake gets somewhat leveled before the heavy pressure starts. So it is fairly forgiving. Also, if you dose fairly low, the classic 14 grams double or 7 gram single, the puck has a chance to soak thoroughly, again sealing the cracks and self leveling. But even with all this, it's almost guaranteed that your first dozen or so bottomless shots are going to be very messy and ugly looking.

Most experienced people regard it as the most indispensable learning tool for starting baristas, home grown or professional. There is no agreement whether it's useful to keep using it once you are up to speed on your machine. My advice is that whenever you change your procedure or gear -- new coffee, new dose, new basket, grinder, machine, etc.; you roll out the bottomless to see that the pours are going right.

Thanks Jim for that wonderful description.

I think since I am somewhat new to this, I want to ensure a PERFECT shot every single time. I'm anal that way. I have literally thrown away espresso after it has been poured if the crema is unacceptable. Sick, I know. My husband thinks I'm nuts, but like you describe it, I consider my espresso making experience like porn. I HAVE to have it!

I will research getting a bottomless portafilter, because anything that can aid my espresso pouring ability is key.

Thanks!

Honestly, as a former MDF owner, you might want to invest in a better grinder before buying that bottomless portafilter. The MDF, while a decent grinder, is really sub-par when compared to something like a Mazzer Mini. Upgrading to a Mazzer Super Jolly made a world of difference for me. Honestly, if I'd bought the SJ first, I may not have gotten rid of my Gaggia when I did.

Mike

I disagree with Michael. While the MDF isn't going to be your last grinder; it is decent enough to get good espresso and good pours

Being able to make shots with a bottomless is the acid test for a competent barista. Until you can do that, everything else is a waste of time, since all the horrid shots are far more likely to be you than the gear. The backhanded upside of learning with the MDF is that once you can get consistent shots from it, any commercial grinder will be a piece of cake.

Hi Mike, actually I do want to upgrade my grinder, in fact, the one I am looking at is the Mazzer Mini. Funny that you mentioned that. I'm not that impressed with my MDF, but for now, it's better than nothing. I can't really afford getting a new gadget that's over $500+ right now, so it's something that will unfortunately have to wait.

Maybe I can put one on layaway...LOL

another_jim wrote:I disagree with Michael. While the MDF isn't going to be your last grinder; it is decent enough to get good espresso and good pours

While it's true that the MDF is capable of very respectable grind quality, it's adjustability is far from ideal. In my experience, it's somewhere around 7 secs / per detent when adjusting grind. I found dialing it in to be at times very frustrating. Once I got to know it better, I could always compensate with dosage, but that got to be tiresome.

Mike

Any recommendations for a good, decent grinder for $550 or less?