My new espresso machine, a Crossland CC1, has failed all expectations of making me instantly fabulous espresso. It's almost like I have to learn how to make it! Imagine that!

In order to assist this "learning process", I'm thinking about chopping out the bottom of my portafilter. I'm planning on taking it down to the machine shop at my school and sweet-talking the experts into doing it for me, so I'm probably not running too much risk of destroying it. Is there a reason I shouldn't do this to my one and only portafilter? I'm not even sure where to find a replacement, let alone a replacement in Canada.

Is it a double spout?

Double spouts are practical when comes the need to split a shot. I usually use my naked when i'm making drinks for myself and i pull out the double spout when there's company.

The CC1 has a 58mm portafilter. I don't see why you couldn't find a spare one. If you got it in Canada, ask your reseller if he can get extra ones. If not, Chris Coffee in the US sells it and i'm sure he can help you out.

Assuming that it uses a "standard" 58mm portafilter, there's little reason to chop your own unless you're not in a position to buy a second portafilter. My search-fu is lacking, but if memory serves, there was an older discussion on the mouthfeel of a spouted vs. bottomless PF. I didn't run extensive tests, but found little significant difference in mouthfeel between my spouted and bottomless PFs.

If you don't buy a second PF, the possible reasons for keeping your PF spouted:
- "velvety" mouthfeel
- OEM condition for higher resale value
- ease of discerning blonding (according to this thread)
- ease of splitting shots

Reasons for chopping:
- more immediate visual diagnosis of distribution/tamping/prep errors

I converted to using bottomless PFs exclusively and haven't looked back.

My experience would lead me to this- I already know I'm making bad espresso, a naked portafilter will only confirm that and it won't be pretty. So, make sure you've got the basics right:
- a 25 or so second shot
- fresh roasted and fresh ground coffee
When you're that far along, then get a naked pf and it won't be quite as messy, but you'll be refining something thats pretty good, instead of just getting doused with coffee spritzes.

IMO, the bottomless PF does not significantly improves one's ability to make good shots. Poor distribution is exposed just as mercilessly with a spouted filter. If the stream is not thick and evenly running down the center of the spout for the entire length of pull, grind and / or distribution is off.

Far too many here concentrate on making espresso porn when attention to a consistent moderate dose, even distribution and not screwing up the preceding with a grossly canted tamp would produce much quicker improvement.

cannonfodder wrote:Again, don't get caught up in how pretty the extraction looks. I can pull you a shot that looks good enough to frame and hang on a wall, but tastes like road tar and asphalt. You can pick up certain visual cues from a bottomless portafilter but the primary things you should be looking out for are spritzing and uneven extractions. Don't get overly concerned with the 'size of the cone'. It can give you some insight to the overall freshness of the beans but play with grind settings, doses and timing just to get 'a big cone'. from Extraction cone size on bottomless portafilter?

I agree with Ike that you can figure out your grind/dose/distribution/level/tamp issues with a spouted PF, but the bottomless PF makes this much easier, especially when starting out, or starting out on a new machine. Ike's an old hand at this, so maybe he can reliably detect premature blonding in a spout on half the basket when the other half is still pouring dark, but I sure can't and I've been at it for decades.

The permutations of preparation faults can be bewildering when starting out, and seeing the coffee only after its been combined from all parts of the basket makes diagnosis not unlike solving sets of simultaneous equations with multiple unknowns. Being able to see the spritzes, gas, uneven development, lop-sided starts, dead spots and so forth in isolation makes it so much easier to pinpoint and correct the problems.

Again, though, this is a diagnostic tool. It's in no way a substitute for taste, and I'll save another_jim a few pixels here by agreeing in advance that pretty visuals do not guarantee delicious espresso. On the other hand, it's pretty tough to get good results with poor extractions, and the bottomless PF will help you diagnose and correct a multitude of flavor- and texture-killing extraction faults.

If it turns out that your taste and constituency call for splitting shots, then you'll probably want to have a double-spouted version too, but many - in fact most I think - members on this board are in the one-basket-one-drink camp, with (again, my sense only here) preferring ristretto shots which, if split, make for a mighty small beverage.

I also recall seeing the aforementioned comments regarding a creamier mouth-feel when using a spout, and who knows, these may be absolutely correct. However, worrying about squeezing the last few percent of textural perfection out of your shots is not exactly the focus until your basics are producing acceptable results to begin with.

You can easily convert your own in less than an hour with little more than an electric drill and a $12 hole saw bit. RayJohns on this site published a very fine how-to, and even if you don't take yours all the way to his gemstone-quality finishing, you can get it pretty nice in short order. I've done these spout-ectomies more than once and glad for it each time.

Good luck however you decide to proceed!

Honestly, as a beginner, I think it will just frustrate you further. The bottomless is like a bad teacher. It tells you, "you are wrong" but not what you did wrong. As you progress you will be able to think back to your prep and maybe say, "oh yeah I think I did that a little wrong." At the point you are at though, I would just focus on getting all the key basics down, dialed in grind, proper and consistent dose, even distribution, and level tamp. Just focus on getting it to taste decent. As everything becomes second nature, I think then a bottomless won't be as frustrating since you will better know what you did.

EDIT: I also think your spouted pf will produce more pleasing shots sooner. Most people I have heard speak about trying bottomless for the first time, sound like they were content with the taste until they went bottomless and their eyes told them it tastes bad. Sometimes ignorance is bliss! Just a thought to consider

Charbucks, there are obviously two schools of thought here and it's unlikely the twain shall ever meet (you don't know stubborn until you've experienced stubborn-on-caffeine).

To help you decide, I would recommend that you at least check out Dan's Perfecting the Naked Extraction on this site, which provides several examples and diagnoses regarding what a bottomless portafilter can help you understand about what's going on (and there are several other useful extraction threads on the FAQ page as well).

If you decide to learn using the stock/spouted version after reading that piece, at least it will be a fully informed decision. Either way, good luck with the CC1 - lots of potential there for good things.

IF a BF is such a great diagnostic tool why do so many 'critique' requests look like this



Presumably, with such a useful instrument, such monstrosities should be forever banished to the great knock-box in the sky.

Prep videos would be a lot more instructive than the shot's 'corpse'
What was the cause of death : shot, knifed, strangled, poisoned, hung, natural causes
Unfortunately, puckology has not evolved to the same level as forensic autopsy.

EDIT ; The BPF is approaching 10. To date, there is no Defect / Remedy bible.. At best, diagnoses are could be, may be, try....