Puck screen experience?

December 8th, 2021, 3:55 pm

Hey guys,

What has your experience been with puck screens? Do you use them? Do you like the results? Do you find that they change the taste and the mouth feel of your coffee, for better or worse?

Thanks!

December 8th, 2021, 8:22 pm

There are video reviews. Here is one.

#3: Post by **Jeff** » December 8th, 2021, 8:31 pm

I use a BPlus with every shot and have for several months now.

It definitely helps with cleanliness.

I don't think it hurts the flavor, nor can I honestly say it improves it.

I haven't noticed any dramatic difference in flow rate or EY.

I now tamp and slide it in place with the "two thumb" trick that brewzologist (I think that's their handle here) pointed me to. Others prefer tamping it into the puck. Since I don't see an "in your face" difference with or without the screen, I can't say that either way is "better" than the other in the cup.

I rinse it with my basket after a shot and it goes in the weekly Cafiza soak with the baskets, screen, upper brass, and steam tip. Some have used small ultrasonic "jewelry" cleaners. I haven't tried that so I can't say if my rinse/soak regimen is "enough" or not. It definitely gets feeling a little oily each week. Not surprising as it is functioning as the group screen which also got oily after a week.

#4: Post by **Grant** » December 8th, 2021, 9:02 pm

My opinion is that the benefit is proportional to how "aggressive" your machine water flow is etc to some degree. My Elektra A3 is a water flow monster, and the BPlus tamed it nicely and very noticeably. The water flow through the puck is slowed greatly with the screen in and the puck is in a far better cohesive condition afterwards.

If you have a more well behaved machine with infusion, a more gentler pressure ramp etc, I think there is diminishing returns in that case.

It *does* make a lot cleaner group head for sure too...added bonus.

#5: Post by **BruceWayne** » December 8th, 2021, 11:19 pm

I had been doing a weekly Cafiza soak. I recently picked up an ultrasonic cleaner and there was a dramatic difference in residue and oil from the older of the two screens I use, so the weekly Cafiza soak will become a regular Cafiza/ultrasound soak.

#6: Post by **ojt** » December 9th, 2021, 12:06 am

Especially useful on your new Pavoni

A bit like Grant said. There are times when the Pavoni will shoot a strong jet of water from between the inlet hole and the piston towards the puck, breaking it and causing channeling. Both a paper filter disk and the puck screen will solve the issue. This is the original use-case for which the BPlus puck screen was developed for, to my best knowledge.

#7: Post by **PIXIllate** » December 9th, 2021, 8:13 am

I just got a Bplus. To be honest I was expecting it to....... do something. It really hasn't. I do expensive puck prep with the Levercraft WDT tool and currently use an IMS screen on my e61 machine. It didn't speed up or slow down my shot not did it make the streams come together any quicker. I also find it fussy to handle after the shot. For people with e61 machines there may be another issue and that is the cleanliness of it. You may find yourself with a stiff squeaky lever after a week or two of using the screen.

I'll continue to experiment but for now it's another $40 accessory on my shelf.

December 9th, 2021, 10:57 am

Thanks for all the feedback. I am going to give the puck screen a try.

#9: Post by **LBIespresso** » December 9th, 2021, 11:08 am

Grant wrote:My opinion is that the benefit is proportional to how "aggressive" your machine water flow is etc to some degree.

I agree with Grant. I don't need one for my Cremina but with my CT2 (which I like better) if I don't throw a resized aeropress filter on there I get a divot in the puck no matter how slowly I raise the lever.

Personally I like the paper filter since I think it likely has the smallest impact on the water temp.

#10: Post by **BaristaBob** » December 9th, 2021, 11:26 am

PIXIllate wrote:I just got a Bplus. To be honest I was expecting it to....... do something. It really hasn't. I do expensive puck prep with the Levercraft WDT tool and currently use an IMS screen on my e61 machine. It didn't speed up or slow down my shot not did it make the streams come together any quicker. I also find it fussy to handle after the shot. For people with e61 machines there may be another issue and that is the cleanliness of it. You may find yourself with a stiff squeaky lever after a week or two of using the screen.

I'll continue to experiment but for now it's another $40 accessory on my shelf.

I agree. I'm using the slightly less expensive Flair 58 screen (still made by B-Plus). Absolutely no change in shot time or flow from the bottom of my IMS competition shower screen. I still use it simply because it keeps the group head totally clean, and the pucks drop out of my pf like it's Teflon coated.

I'd like to know whether LMLM users experience longer shot times with the screen? There is a great youTube video by Sprometheus evaluating the B-Plus screen (see post #2) and he noticed a substantial difference in shot time on his LMLM.