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What is a 51mm portafilter?

A portafilter is an essential part of your espresso setup. It’s what holds your carefully prepped coffee puck and locks it onto the group head. No portafilter means no espresso.

A 51mm portafilter is specifically designed for espresso machines with a relatively narrow group head, like many De’Longhi and SMEG models.

At Barista Essentials, we offer bottomless or double spout portafilters in 51mm. The difference between those will be explained a little further down.

Why should you choose a 51mm portafilter?

Every espresso machine you buy already comes with a portafilter. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to make any coffee with it.

But upgrading to a high-quality portafilter for your De’Longhi or SMEG can make a big difference.

Many standard portafilters contain plastic inlays or weirdly designed filter baskets that trap coffee residue inside the portafilter. If you still use your standard portafilter, check the plastic inlay in between the filter basket and the spouts. Guaranteed, there´s some coffee gunk stuck underneath there.

Types of 51mm portafilters

We offer two types of 51mm portafilters:

1. Double spout portafilter

Just like the name says – it has two spouts underneath to split your espresso shot in two. Perfect if you want to make two espresso or cappuccino drinks at once.

This type always uses a double shot basket (included: 18g basket).
We don’t offer single-spout versions – and that’s on purpose. Single shots are notoriously tricky to extract well and often taste sour or bitter.

Our double-spout portafilters fit easily over two espresso cups or cappuccino cups. Prefer to catch the full double shot in one cup? Grab a latte cup.

2. Bottomless portafilter

Our 54mm bottomless portafilter also comes with an 18g basket for a double espresso. The difference is all about the bottom: the spouts are gone.

This design lets you see the espresso flow directly from the basket – perfect for checking your extraction. It’s also a great diagnostic tool.

If you tamp unevenly, you’ll see coffee flowing faster from one side.
Nailed the puck prep? You’ll get a beautiful, steady stream from the center.

Our 51mm bottomless portafilters are ideally sized for most De´Longhi machines, including De´Longhi Dedica. Check out all of our bottomless portafilters here.

Compatibility & Features

Our 51mm portafilters are compatible with many popular De’Longhi and SMEG machines, including:

  • De’Longhi Dedica
  • De’Longhi La Specialista
  • De’Longhi Icona
  • De’Longhi EC series
  • SMEG ECF01
  • SMEG ECF02

Our 51mm portafilter (bottomless or not) provides a great upgrade when you use one of the above machines. This is because they feature a solid stainless steel head and contain no cheap plastic pasrts that trap coffee gunk.

Additionally, the portafilter basket is removable and easy to clean, just like the handle. Need a new one? We also sell replacement handles, just contact us to see what’s possible.

About our 51mm portafilters

At Barista Essentials, we design many of our coffee tools ourselves, including these 51mm portafilters. That means that when you buy from us, you know you’re buying barista tools with thought put behind them.

Our 51mm portafilters are designed with a number of features in mind. First, they’re made to fit a number of De’Longhi and SMEG coffee machines.

Secondly, each portafilter is made from stainless steel with a replaceable wooden or plastic handle. We use rosewood for our portafilter and bottomless portafilter handles.

Lastly, thanks to the full stainless steel head and basket, your portafilter heats up quickly and stays hot, keeping your espresso warmer. And they’re easy to clean too, just use some espresso machine cleaning powder.

FAQ

Below we answer some of the most commonly asked questions about our 51mm portafilter and 51mm bottomless portafilter.

Will a 51mm portafilter fit my espresso machine?

If you own a De’Longhi or SMEG machine, chances are high it will. Common compatible models include the De’Longhi Dedica, EC series, and La Specialista.

To be 100% sure, check our size chart for more precise measurements and machine matches.

What’s the difference between 51mm, 54mm, and 58mm portafilters?

Portafilters must fit your machine’s group head precisely to build the right pressure for extraction.

We sell three sizes: 51mm, 54mm, and 58mm. Even a few millimeters can make a big difference.

Not sure which portafilter fits your machine? Check out our complete collection of portafilters here.

How do I clean my portafilter?

Keep your portafilter clean and lasting long by following the steps below:

  • Knock out your puck after every shot of espresso. This way, oils and coffee residue don’t stain your portafilter head.
  • Wipe down your portafilter using a clean barista cloth.
  • Never knock your portafilter directly on the trash can (ew). Instead, use a coffee knock box or knock box drawer.

Most of all: clean it regularly to keep your espresso tasting great. At least once a week is best.