Just received what I think are 3 La Pavoni Millennium 51mm double baskets as purchased.
After trying recommened doses of 14-16g I'm starting to wonder if these maybe triple baskets as they need min 18g at same grind as the single to flow equally with the F.F. set loaded spring tension.



I have a lot of head space in basket when using 14-16g would have little resistance in puck if I ground coarser in order to minimize space above puck.

Does it fit to your PF like shown without any modification to rim?

Fits with no mods or leaks under pressure.

Interesting, I had to flatten the rim for right fit. Perhaps not so much headspace in my F.F. makes difference. I use 15-16g in same basket and no problem ...

I've used the LMP double baskets in two different Faeminas with no mods to basket necessary in either case. Also found that more than 14g, while could easily fit, gets all over the screen and more prone to channeling.

But there are diffent flow rates from Faemina to Faemina, I guess dependent on the spring. Both of mine have been second gen (early 60s Blue Label) and had very different flow rates - and that remained consistent even when I installed the new Cafelat ss spring in one.

These baskets seem minutely too deep since they bottom out hitting the inside bottom of the porta filter and rocking 1mm or less at porta filter lip vs the single shorter oem filter.

I'm using a third gen F.Faemina. Don't know how they compare to previous versions but this one seems to have a very strong spring.

Maybe I have to grind ultra fine and dose lower but I don't mind getting a true double shot at fine grind and 18g. I'm already almost 1 number finer with my E37 vs the grind setting on my 1st gen La Pavoni Europiccola machines.

* Read here on HB many past threads regarding a bottomless porta filter for the Faemina.
Did anything ever become available, since I'm getting some undesirable brass taste from mine where the chrome has come off inside the porta filter. I clean it often but the brassiness never goes away. Also basket tension spring would be great since I'm tired of burning my fingers and fishing for the basket.
Would be great if Paul from Cafelat made in S.S. similar to the La Pavoni one I have he offers.

What is your practice for double? (PI, one or two pulls, grams out ...)

I tend to use AndyS brew ratio chart as a guideline at "regular espresso" ratio off 1.8-2.0 depending on taste and espresso vs Americano so 18g dose would give me 32-36g out.
Brewing ratios for espresso beverages

My preinfusion varies up to 10 sec with fresh / acidic coffee and as many pulls needed to get desired volume out.

For a double I use to do some variation of Fellini move - after 10 sec preinfusion I release handle and when first drops appear comes second pull. This gives me about 26-28g out (15g in). When tried second pull later, resistance of puck was weaker and flow rate higher.

I'd say the lessened resistance on subsequent pulls and higher flow is normal across all levers machine I've tried be it spring assisted or fully manual.