I usually just tap the edge of my PF near the sink to remove the puck screen to prepare it for cleaning between shots, then I knock out the puck & discard.
I clean the puck screen with the hot water from my machine, then leave it on top of my machine to keep warm. I'm not sure if having a wet puck screen makes a difference or not. I've experienced both good and bad results with pre-wetting the puck screen, but I always make sure it's hot. A cold puck screen significantly decreases extraction.

What is everyone else's experience with pre-wetting the puck screen? Does it produce better results than a dry & hot puck?

I also use the Sworksdesign metal screen as it's so thin. Those thick screen are horrible for temperature stability. I just push with my finger on one side of the screen pushing it a bit into the puck and the other side flips up and I can take it out which is really easy. No need for any tools.

I leave the basket and puck screen on top of my machine to heat up.

Pulling it out is a breeze, i knock it on the bar of the knockbox and it comes out first, then more knocking for the cake!

I tried a couple of puck screens and found no taste benifits and a major pain in the workflow. Stopped using them and it cleared right up with no negative in the cup side effects.

After consistently getting some top eroded looking pucks with my 67 Cremina I decided to try a puck screen. At temp the Cremina really shoots the water out of the group and I think a slow lever raise was eating the puck away in spots before the pull. Thought to give a puck screen a try to slow down and more evenly disperse the saturation.

Got a 1.7mm×49mm screen. Just gave it a try. It works pretty well. Haven't checked if maybe the headspace is gone with the regular dose amount and I'm getting a showerscreen tamp with the puck screen in place. Used store bought Kimbo for the pull so not sure how a fresher roast with more blooming will fair. The Kimbo puck was dry and no signs of channeling or washing away. Kimbo taste was good; better than what I was getting.

With so many variables and ways to control them it's hard to say how necessary a puck screen is but it can be helpful to even out the extraction saturation with an aggressive springless lever, I think. The screen banged out pretty clean and easy so I didn't find workflow was affected. I have a screen coming for my Europiccola as well and am looking forward to giving it a try.

PIXIllate wrote:I tried a couple of puck screens and found no taste benifits and a major pain in the workflow. Stopped using them and it cleared right up with no negative in the cup side effects.

In most cases, I don't think you'll derive a taste benefit...I never did. My continued use of a top screen is for group head cleanliness. As for workflow, my 2mm screens easily pop out. My 0.2mm screens don't come out as easily. I just purchased a couple of 0.2mm magnetic screens from Sworksdesign which are easy to remove with a small horseshoe magnet. It's a piece of cake!!

Used a 1.7mmx51mm puck screen on my Europiccola. Store bought Kimbo roast. Underdosed for more headspace. A bit restricted but a nice even extraction. Compact even coloured puck. Good tasting espresso. Easy to knock out screen alone. Grouphead left clean.

Time spent knocking out and cleaning the screen was less than what I'd have spent scrubbing, flushing and portafilter wiggling the showerscreen and grouphead gasket groove clean. Puck screen was not expensive. Worth the cost, IMHO.

I have noticed no change in taste with or without, and I guess the temp drop from using the puck screen is not taste-able by me.

In terms of workflow I found the spoon and knock trick both worked but in the end I discovered I could just push the puck screen on one edge and that loosens it so I can just tip it into the sink. I then knock the puck out as normal.