Yesterday, I saw a Strietman CT1 in person for the first time and the guy who pulled shots from it told me IMS makes their baskets. The website states the same, and they are very fairly priced. I asked if I could borrow one, so here we are:
For startes, I just ground some coffee and force-filled them to the brim, tapping them on the countertop repeatedly and stockfleth-ing in every bit of coffee I could before levelling off to find some common ground for comparison. In the real world, I'd work with approx. 2 g less in each basket and go from there. Interestingly, Pavoni and Strietman both take the same dose. They also look very similar. Depth and shape are exactly the same:
Once you look inside, you spot the difference (Pavoni top-left and Strietman top-right. Bottom-left is Olympia, bottom-right is Elektra).
The most marked difference (aside from depth and thus volume) can be seen once you flip them over:
The Strietman/IMS basket is the only one with round holes.
I can't really comment on what difference it makes in the cup (yet) but I'll report back once I do. For now, I'm happy to have found another alternative. They make a good first impression and look and feel very solid.
Does anyone else have experiences with different 49 mm baskets and/or other suggestions?