Dosing IMS Basket

#1: Post by **Sp0ke** » July 26th, 2022, 3:58 pm

Hello! I'm currently using a Lelit basket by IMS 18-21gr that came as a gift with Lelit's naked portafilter. My concern is that I put 18gr of coffee and it's full. Today I put 20gr and it was dropping coffee from the basket. Should I look for a new basket ? VST ? IMS ?

In the first photo I've used 18gr of coffee.

#2: Post by **cafeIKE** » July 26th, 2022, 5:07 pm

Are you using the Niche cup to fill?

Rap on the counter to settle, then tamp

#3: Post by **Jeff** » July 26th, 2022, 5:25 pm

The fill level will depend on the grind and the roast level. I find that lighter roasts tend to be denser and darker roasts less dense.

I use a dosing funnel and my standard fill in the basket I commonly use looks about like that. These days I do not tap to settle and can just tamp it cleanly at that level. Others will use a very careful settling tamp. I've done both and have reasons, though no proof, to select not tamping (this month).

There's nothing that says that 18 g or 20 g is "right" across all machines. I have one machine that would be overdosed at 10 g. I typically pull 17 g on another machine. If you do want to try 20 g and it doesn't fit, you might try a slightly taller basket.

Unless you know you have a reason to use a high-flow basket like a VST, I generally don't recommend them. The one you have looks to be tapered at the bottom, with a reduced diameter for the hole pattern. Baskets like that tend to be pretty forgiving.

I don't know the dimensions of that basket, but it looks similar to the B702TH28,5, but may be a custom for Lelit. IMS catalogs can be downloaded from https://www.imsfiltri.com/ I'd check the height of the basket to see how closely you can match/guess what you've got and what might be the next size up. A squarer-cornered basket will often hold more grinds for the same height. Tapered and squared baskets can extract differently. Which is "better" and when is an unsettled question.

#4: Post by **dilin** » July 27th, 2022, 1:13 am

Different beans at different roast levels "fluff" differently.

In my Lelit IMS 14-18g basket, my 18g when tamped, is slightly higher than halfway up the basket. I figured I can at least cram 4-5g in there.

July 27th, 2022, 2:12 pm

Jeff wrote:The fill level will depend on the grind and the roast level. I find that lighter roasts tend to be denser and darker roasts less dense.

I use a dosing funnel and my standard fill in the basket I commonly use looks about like that. These days I do not tap to settle and can just tamp it cleanly at that level. Others will use a very careful settling tamp. I've done both and have reasons, though no proof, to select not tamping (this month).

There's nothing that says that 18 g or 20 g is "right" across all machines. I have one machine that would be overdosed at 10 g. I typically pull 17 g on another machine. If you do want to try 20 g and it doesn't fit, you might try a slightly taller basket.

Unless you know you have a reason to use a high-flow basket like a VST, I generally don't recommend them. The one you have looks to be tapered at the bottom, with a reduced diameter for the hole pattern. Baskets like that tend to be pretty forgiving.

I don't know the dimensions of that basket, but it looks similar to the B702TH28,5, but may be a custom for Lelit. IMS catalogs can be downloaded from https://www.imsfiltri.com/ I'd check the height of the basket to see how closely you can match/guess what you've got and what might be the next size up. A squarer-cornered basket will often hold more grinds for the same height. Tapered and squared baskets can extract differently. Which is "better" and when is an unsettled question.

Since it's IMS is it a precision basket? I read somewhere that precision basket will give a better extraction and probably I'll need to grind finer.

#6: Post by **Jeff** » July 27th, 2022, 2:22 pm

"Precision" is a marketing term. As best as I can figure, any basket these days that isn't using stamped holes (and probably some that are) claim to be "precision".

Among the precision baskets, some tend to be faster flow, like the VSTs and some of the IMS, and others tend to be more benign. In the US, the EPNW HQ 14 basket is a precision basket. In my experience, it dials in with a notably lower flow than a similar-sized VST basket.

I wouldn't say that either "better extraction" or "grind finer" is the case for all "precision" baskets out there today. From the looks of things and that Lelit is probably shipping a basket that a relative newcomer will have good results with, the basket you have is probably pretty benign in its behavior. It probably takes a reasonable grind, isn't tweaky around grind, dose, or prep, and does a good job extracting shots.

July 28th, 2022, 1:43 am

Jeff thank you very much for your answer!! So you think I won't see a big difference if I purchase a VST right? and IMS has so many option.. So far what I understand is that VSt has bigger holes , more flow, so less forgiving ? But tastewise I won't see much of a difference, right ?

#8: Post by **Jeff** » July 28th, 2022, 1:49 am

I think many people will be able to more easily and reliably dial in better tasting shots with a benign basket than they will with a VST or other high-flow basket. I think for those people, the VST will be "worse" in the cup.

There are people that are working with coffees, grinders, and experience that find the advantages of a VST basket for their situation outweighs its weaknesses.

July 28th, 2022, 2:20 am

Oh I got it! So it's better , since I'm a beginner in this journey , to keep working with this IMS , till I master my puck prep and in the future we see. Thank you !!