After picking up a Baratza Vario Grinder to use with my OPV modded Gaggia Classic, I've finally been able to experiment more. I recently purchased a 22g STD Ridged VST basket and have been using that with 23g of coffee. I've read that all their baskets are suppose to be used with +/- 1 gram of the size of the basket, so it would be 21-23g on the 22g basket. Is this correct?

Lastly, what is the correct ounces you should be pouring with each basket? I have been pulling less than 1 oz shots on my 22g basket. Is the time frame always the same no matter what basket you use, 25-33 seconds for a shot? I'm trying to really learn and get it all right

7g
15g
18g
20g
22g

There's not a "correct" volume (or weight) for each basket, or for the amount of coffee. It's going to depend on the coffee, and also on your preferences. In general though, by weight, most espresso will fall in between 50% of the weight of the dry coffee and 200%. So, if you're using 18g, the range could be anywhere between 9g to 36g of espresso.

Judging by volume is more difficult, but if you're only getting 1 liquid oz (including crema) for 21g, that's going to be a very ristretto shot. I personally prefer very tight shots like this (at least sometimes - or maybe the coffees I like work best that way?). Also, when I pulled shots on my gaggia I found that I ended up with pretty small volumes too, there might be something about the Gaggias that are biased this way. My guess is that the small boilers mean that the temp at the end of the shot drops/changes a lot, and that part of the shot tastes different (probably bad).

There's also the possibility that you're cutting the shots early, some people might use the same grind/dose, but let the shot run a few seconds longer, which can have a big impact on the final weight and volume of the final shot. Again, this is very dependent on your personal taste and the particular coffee, and could be influenced by your machine.

If you're looking to try things to improve, I would recommend trying out different brew ratios, see if you can pull good tasting shots that have more volume/weight. Or try some shots at a good cafe, they usually pull shots that are at a lower ratio than what I pull at home. But in the end it's all going to come down to what tastes good to you, trying different things just gives you more to compare too.

Thanks for the advice, appreciate it.

My gauge for cutting off the shot is when it becomes pale blonde, then I cut it no matter what, thats correct right? I can almost always get a nice, thick, oily, beautiful shot in the beginning 10-15 seconds but thats like 1/2 oz and then it starts to pour faster as it blondes. :/

Yes, VST recommends that you dose the basket according to the labeled number of grams, +/- 1g.

There's no such thing as "correct ounces" that should be poured with a VST basket, or any basket for that matter. The amount of espresso in the cup depends on the amount of coffee you use and the brew ratio that you desire. Click here to go to a thread that best explains the principles.

The Italian standard Normale single is 7g of coffee for one ounce of liquid. If you use 23g, you're using close to three times the coffee, so if you want a drink of Normale strength, you would pull triple the volume of liquid, or about three ounces. If you wanted a drink of Ristretto strength you would pull about 1.5 ounces. The 1 ounce you're pulling is very Ristretto, but there are certainly people who like their espresso that strong.

I prefer to weigh the extracted beverage instead of eyeballing the volume because the crema can make it appear that the volume is much greater than it actually is. Andy's chart provides both volume and weight figures for the common brew ratios.

There's no correct time, either. It's highly dependent on the coffee you are using and the flavor profile you are seeking. The Italian standard is 25 seconds, but there are coffees that taste best when the extraction time is 22 seconds, and other coffees that taste best when the extraction time is 35 seconds -- or even longer. Often you have to experiment to determine the best flow rate. This is part of the dialing-in process.

Many specialty roasters provide dose, temperature, volume/weight and extraction time suggestions for their coffees. That's often the best place to start. A caveat is that most of them recommend triple Ristretto extractions, because that style is favored in the USA and works well for tall milk drinks. Many of us like an Italian standard double Normale made with 14g of coffee. But you have to find the right coffee for that. Light-roasted African single-origin coffees work well for me.

Bottom line, the only part of your query that's specific to VST baskets is the +/- 1g question. The rest applies to any basket.

haunce wrote:Thanks for the advice, appreciate it.

My gauge for cutting off the shot is when it becomes pale blonde, then I cut it no matter what, thats correct right? I can almost always get a nice, thick, oily, beautiful shot in the beginning 10-15 seconds but thats like 1/2 oz and then it starts to pour faster as it blondes. :/

If it's blonding too soon, grind finer.

Peppersass wrote:If it's blonding too soon, grind finer.

Yes, but if I grind any finer it produces less than an ounce in over 35+ seconds. This is the trouble I'm having ;p

Thanks for the above information too - that is very helpful. I'm going to do some more experimenting with that in mind.

Could be beans past their prime as well, or channeling.

I just pulled this shot 20 minutes ago.

22g VST
22g Coffee
Ground with Vario
Pulled on OPV modded Gaggia Classic

38 second shot. Ends with 1.5 oz with crema. After settling there is 1/2 oz liquid. See picture below.

I would say this is an accurate representation of how almost all shots I've pulled with this basket look.

Don't hold back, tell me what sucks

Its in 1080p so you can see it in high definition:




Here is a picture of the shot a minute after the crema settled:

Regarding the doses and capacities with these baskets, VST's materials say that the baskets are designed and optimized for use in a narrow range around the labeled capacities. Most of the baskets are recommended +/- 1g (although the 22g triple basket is specified for doses +/- 2g, from 20g - 24g).

That said, coffee masses vary - "fluffy" versus "dense." VST writes that the volume fill trumps the weight: "The actual final weight should vary by the density of the coffee, not by over- or under-dosing the filter." VST recommends therefore that users dose loosely and level to rim height, then tamp. Usually, this will result in a fill height just below the basket's ridge line (in a ridged basket anyway) and about 2mm below the group screen.

This makes this arsenal of baskets very handy in practice. For example, I regularly use a couple deep roasts where a preferred ~18g dose works best in a 20g VST. Then there's a very "dense" blend where my 17g dose fits best in the 15g basket. In both cases, the extractions are great.

So the gram capacity is a useful starting point, but, as it seems with all these discussions, this one too ends with adjusting and adapting the general rules to your own circumstances. So in this case, your basket may vary.

Yeah I figured as much - thanks for the tips. That Brewing Ratios for Espresso Coffee table helps alot. So if I simply want to make a single shot of espresso whether its a ristretto, regular or lungo, I should be using a 7g VST basket?

Are those the most difficult to pull correctly?

I just need to pick a basket to practice and learn on.