Hi all,

So it has been a little while since the great "Synesso basket" buy. I'm guessing that a number of the people who bought these baskets will have had the standard LM basket before ... so the big question is, what is everyone running now?

From left to right: 3x basket, standard LM double, synesso/ascaso double



Personally, I'm running the ascaso basket just for ease of cleanup, if nothing else. The pucks seem to KO pretty clean:



Cheers,

Luca

PS. Thanks Jon!

My "go to basket" is still the "LM" 14g ridgeless (that's the LM/Synesso/Ascaso ridgeless I guess )..... the 18g "Synesso" does not fit the Rancilio Pro PF, and my bottomless PF is frustrating to use on Silvia. My forays into triple territory has been pretty limited as well (one thing at a time I guess).

I can consistently dose 18g in this 14g basket, although I have been working that dose down a bit lately.

jesawdy wrote:My "go to basket" is still the "LM" 14g ridgeless (that's the LM/Synesso/Ascaso ridgeless I guess )..... the 18g "Synesso" does not fit the Rancilio Pro PF, and my bottomless PF is frustrating to use on Silvia. My forays into triple territory has been pretty limited as well (one thing at a time I guess).

I can consistently dose 18g in this 14g basket, although I have been working that dose down a bit lately.

Same here. I'm using ridgeless baskets almost exclusively these days. Occasionally I'll pull some shots with the 18g ridgeless Synesso, but IMHO that's a triple - and I prefer doubles. Bottomless PF all the way.
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John

I have 3 types of ridgeless baskets that I use now, the 14g doubles the 18g Ascaco/Synesso and the 21g triples from Teahan's place. Of these the 18g gets the most use and I use the 14g double for about 20%-30% of my shots. I use the 21g baskets on occasion but it's rare now....

And I also agree that the Ascaco/Synesso baskets seem to knockout easier, but of course YMMV

Quick question for all you ridgeless fans (from someone who's considering buying one): so the puck drops out easier, but do you have problems with the basket dropping out? Do you guys leave your PF springs in? Have you had to adjust them to hold your ridgeless baskets?

I have a Grindenstein knockbox and I bang the basket part of the PF (as opposed to the handle near the basket) on the bar to get the grinds out, so I'm not so worried about the basket falling out during the knock, but I'm wondering if a ridgeless basket would fall out the second I invert the PF before knocking.

Thanks,
Chris

ChrisC wrote:Quick question for all you ridgeless fans (from someone who's considering buying one): so the puck drops out easier, but do you have problems with the basket dropping out? Do you guys leave your PF springs in? Have you had to adjust them to hold your ridgeless baskets?

I have a Grindenstein knockbox and I bang the basket part of the PF (as opposed to the handle near the basket) on the bar to get the grinds out, so I'm not so worried about the basket falling out during the knock, but I'm wondering if a ridgeless basket would fall out the second I invert the PF before knocking.

The spring is left in... the basket pulls out easily but does not readily fall out when inverting. If you did knock the handle, instead of the basket it would probably fall out with a hard knock. Like you, I bang the basket, and not the handle, on the knockbox bar.

ChrisC wrote:Quick question for all you ridgeless fans (from someone who's considering buying one): so the puck drops out easier, but do you have problems with the basket dropping out? Do you guys leave your PF springs in? Have you had to adjust them to hold your ridgeless baskets?

As far as they go, for me, the only difference is that I can easily remove the basket when I clean. Any ridged basket requires me to but the back of a knife blade under the basket lip and twist to remove it. The ridgeless just pulls out. It's enough of an effort that the basket won't just fall out, but not enough that I'm cracking fingernails.

I have been using the 18 g Acaso baskets for a little over a year now. Compared to the LM ridged double basket, I have not noticed any significant difference in espresso extraction. The ridgeless basket is easier to clean and provides more clearance to my 58 mm Reg Barber tamper.

I've been using the "Synesso" 14g ridgeless baskets since receiving it. Tried the 18g basket a few times, but ended up deciding that I like a standard double basket more.

Wow....I see another interesting discussion I missed. So I'm late for this one. I use the LM 3x ridgeless, and it does make for a nice single puck knockout...usually. It is optimum when I really nail the shot, but sometimes, it ain't happenin in one fell swoop. Too fine a grind and wet pucks tend to resist "keepin it in the family". I like the ridgeless because who wants to fuss and fight with tools to get the thing out. Mine sticks enough that it stays in the portafilter just fine during the knock.

I didn't know about the Sysnesso basket. Are they better?

Rich