Bottomless portafilter

Bottomless portafilter as a diagnostic tool

Making espresso with a bottomless portafilter (or naked portafilter) teaches you a lot about your extraction, if you know what signs to look for.

This is because a bottomless portafilter exposes the underside of the filter basket, unlike a classic double-spout portafilter.

Here are some of the problems you can spot with a bottomless portafilter:

• Channelling (an uneven extraction)
• Donut extraction
• Overextraction
• Underextraction
• Uneven tamp

We recommend bottomless portafilters for home baristas who want to improve their espresso, or who suffer a frequent problem.

Note: Using a bottomless portafilter properly does require some time and attention. How exactly to do this is read below.

How to use a bottomless portafilter

A bottomless portafilter is a handy and fun tool to experiment with. We do recommend that you first master making espresso with a regular portafilter before venturing into this upgrade.

Some things to bear in mind when using your naked portafilter:

• Always use freshly roasted coffee, ground just before you brew your espresso.
• Use the basic recipe: 18 grams espresso grounds in, 36 grams espresso out in 25-30 seconds. You’ll need a coffee scale to measure this,

Want to know more about using the bottomless portafilter? Then also consult our bottomless portafilter FAQ.

Bottomless portafilters designed for home baristas

At Barista-Essentials, we do a lot of our own product development, including our bottomless portafilter.

Note the following features:

• Stainless steel head keeps your espresso warm
• Removable filter basket for easy cleaning
• No plastic parts that collect dirt and old espresso residue
• Ergonomic handle in plastic or rosewood
• In 8 sizes suitable for a long list of espresso machines

The bottomless portafilter for your espresso machine

We aim to make the home barista life accessible to as many people as possible. That’s why we offer barista tools in a wide range of sizes.

Find your machine below to see which bottomless portafilter size you need:

Bottomless portafilter 51mm

We developed the 51mm bottomless portafilter for DeLonghi espresso machines:

51mm bottomless portafilter Delonghi Dedica): Delonghi Dedica (except the Maestro Plus, see 51mm La Specialista), Smeg ECF01, Smeg ECF02

51mm bottomless portafilter (Delonghi La Specialista): Delonghi La specialista (Prestigio, Arte, Maestro), Dedica Maestro Plus

Naked portafilter 51mm (Delonghi Icona Vintage): Delonghi Icona vintage

54mm bottomless portafilter

With a 54mm diameter, this version is suitable as a Sage bottomless portafilter:

54mm bottomless portafilter (Sage): Sage Barista Express, Sage Barista Pro, Sage Barista Touch, Sage Bambino, Solis Grind & Infuse Pro*

*Our 54mm bottomless portafilter only works with the original Solis filter basket. Applies to Solis machines only.

58mm bottomless portafilter

Our 58mm bottomless portafilters are suitable for:

58mm bottomless portafilter (E61): La Marzocco, Flair 58, Rocket espresso machine, Vibiemme domobar, Rancilio, Ascaso, Quickmill* and ECM bottomless portafilter

58mm bottomless portafilter (Gaggia): Gaggia classic, Gaggia Classic Evo, Gaggia Classic Pro, Gaggia Baby, Gaggia New Classic

58mm bottomless portafilter (Sage): Sage Dual Boiler, Sage Oracle Touch, Sage The Oracle, Solis Triple Heat.

58mm bottomless portafilter (Bezzera): Bezzera BZ10, Bezzera BZ09, Bezzera BZ13, Bezzera BZ07

*Our 58mm bottomless portafilter does not work with “three-wing” Quick Mill portafilters such as 820, 3000, 3004

Is your espresso machine not listed here? Then take a look at our size chart, or contact us! We’re always happy to help.

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