Bottomless portafilter

A Bottomless Portafilter as a Diagnostic Tool

A bottomless portafilter gives you instant insight into your espresso extraction. Unlike a classic double spout portafilter, you can directly see the underside of the filter basket.

This allows you to spot exactly what’s happening during extraction – and where there’s room for improvement.

Common issues you can identify:

• Channeling (uneven extraction)
• Donut extraction
• Flow running too fast
• Flow running too slow
• Uneven tamping

That’s why we recommend a bottomless portafilter to home baristas who want to actively improve their espresso or troubleshoot extraction issues.

Good to know: using a bottomless portafilter requires some practice. Below, we’ll explain how to get the most out of it.

How to Use a Bottomless Portafilter

A bottomless portafilter is a powerful learning tool, but we recommend mastering espresso preparation with a classic portafilter first.

Our key tips:

1. Always use freshly roasted coffee and grind just before brewing.

2. Start with 18 g of ground coffee and aim for 36 g of espresso in around 25 seconds. A coffee scale is essential here.

Designed for Home Baristas

At Barista-Essentials, we design our tools based on our own experience as home baristas. This bottomless portafilter is developed in-house.

What makes it special:

• 100% stainless steel head for even heat distribution
• Removable filter basket for easy cleaning
• No plastic inserts where coffee residue can build up
• Ergonomic handle in plastic or rosewood
• Available in 8 sizes to fit a wide range of machines

Choosing the Right Size

Our goal is to make professional-grade tools accessible for as many espresso machines as possible. Below is an overview of the available sizes.

Bottomless Portafilter 51 mm

51 mm (DeLonghi Dedica): DeLonghi Dedica (except Dedica Maestro Plus), Smeg ECF01, Smeg ECF02, Gastroback Espresso Piccolo / Pro / Plus, Solis Grind & Infuse Compact*

51 mm (DeLonghi La Specialista): La Specialista (Arte, Prestigio, Maestro), Dedica Maestro Plus

51 mm (DeLonghi Icona Vintage): Icona Vintage

Bottomless Portafilter 54 mm

54 mm (Sage): Sage Barista Express, Barista Pro, Barista Touch, Bambino, Sage Dual Boiler, Gastroback Advanced Duo / Pro / Touch, Solis Grind & Infuse Pro*

*Only compatible when using the original Solis filter basket

Bottomless Portafilter 58 mm

58 mm (E61): La Marzocco, Flair 58, Rocket, Vibiemme Domobar, Rancilio, Ascaso, ECM, Quickmill*

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

58 mm (Sage): Sage Dual Boiler, Oracle, Oracle Touch, Solis Triple Heat

• 58 mm (Bezzera): BZ07, BZ09, BZ10, BZ13

*Not compatible with Quickmill models featuring three locking tabs (e.g. 820, 3000, 3004).

Can’t find your machine? Check our size guide or send us a message — we’re happy to help! 👋