i have an idea
it may be a good or it may be a bad idea, please feel free to shoot it down ...

to make a flat disc of paper like the type used in the Illy pods to place on top of the puck after tamping and before pulling the shot

this would act sort of like a condom (or a diaper? ) for the group head,
i.e. to help keep the group head cleaner and to put a lid on top sludge before approaching the knock box

anybody know where to get or how to specify such paper?
ds

DennisS wrote:to make a flat disc of paper like the type used in the Illy pods to place on top of the puck after tamping and before pulling the shot...anybody know where to get or how to specify such paper?
ds

This sort of disc can be easily obtained from any laboratory supply company. It is referred to as Buchner funnel filtration paper. It comes in all imaginable porosity and diameter combinations. I imagine you would want the coarsest possible type.

Problems I see with this approach: the added flow restriction of the filter paper will affect the flow rate of the espresso and change the overall extraction profile. The sides are unsealed, so the water may be forced to channel around the filter paper. It won't keep coffee oils from getting to the screen, which will still need some maintenance.

Then again, pods seem to work fine. Maybe this would work, too. It might be worth a try. I would get some pods first to get an estimate of what the appropriate filter type would be. Maybe you can even try disassembling a few pods and placing the empty pod paper on top of your tamped espresso first, just to see how it works.

DennisS wrote:to make a flat disc of paper like the type used in the Illy pods to place on top of the puck after tamping and before pulling the shot

This was discussed on alt.coffee a long time ago. I don't think it ever caught on because it doesn't accomplish much.

I remember those discussions, My guess now is that if it does anything at all, it's more likely to hurt than to help. For a good shot, you want the puck to expand, and you don't want it crashing into the shower screen, a demi-filter or anything else.

If the OP has a problem with fouled shower screens, a lower dose or deeper basket, so that there's adequate head space, may be a simpler way to go.

thanks for your comments
i will put the notion to rest

what promoted this was that on my cremina i pull about 2-3 cleaning shots for each real one and the boiler isn't that big

i have a lower end machine in the office that uses the Illy pods and i had noticed the much reduced mess factor, actually for a $150 plastic machine it does a pretty decent job, it's a Delongi, don't know if they still make it
ds

DennisS wrote:i have an idea
it may be a good or it may be a bad idea, please feel free to shoot it down ...

to make a flat disc of paper like the type used in the Illy pods to place on top of the puck after tamping and before pulling the shot

this would act sort of like a condom (or a diaper? ) for the group head,
i.e. to help keep the group head cleaner and to put a lid on top sludge before approaching the knock box

anybody know where to get or how to specify such paper?
ds

And to keep the basket holes from getting clogged, you could put a piece on the bottom of the basket before dosing.

I think this one can safely be added to the list I'm trying to get started.

If this helps to increase your personal enjoyment of the process then why not, but I do not see how it could improve the espresso.


Gus

I use this method on my Cremina. The idea of using filter discs as I understood was not only to keep the shower screen and piston cylinder clean from coffee oils but also to reduce the violent attack from the water on the puck as can be the case in lever machine, kind of improving the water distribution.

timo888 wrote:And to keep the basket holes from getting clogged, you could put a piece on the bottom of the basket before dosing.

that would mean the espresso has to pass a filter and filters are known to reduce the coffee oils. A filter disc on top should have very little impact on the taste of the espresso as only hot water goes through. If the filter is rinsed in water before use the it is a little easier to place it on top of the basket.