Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

[peter.wake]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

What is the biggest VST basket that will fit in the ordinary portafilter?

A slightly different question: given the already large capacity of the stock double basket on the 900, what VST size is going to produce the best double shot of regular strength?

Basically, what size VST basket should I buy first to fit in the stock portafilter to pull doubles?

Ill probably get a naked portafilter in a few weeks, but I dont want to introduce too many new things at once; I just want to see what difference going to a VST basket might make, if any.

[DavidW1960]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

I got a 22g one which is pretty much a tripple. It holds 28g which is exactly twice a 14g single basket. It makes it easy to get the right dose.

But for you, why not use the stock Breville basket - its pretty good. I just found I was wasting too much coffee.

[DavidW1960]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

There are other cheaper options than VST too...

[peter.wake]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

But for you, why not use the stock Breville basket - its pretty good. I just found I was wasting too much coffee.

Are you saying that the VSTs (excluding the single) use more coffee than the stock basket?

There are other cheaper options than VST too...

For you...? Odd emphasis there... Yes, the obvious cheaper option is the basket I already have. Strangely enough, Ive tried that one and its ok, but having heard so many hymns sung to the wonders of the revolutionary VST design, I thought "there is a way to spend $35 and maybe get coffee that tastes a little bit better, and if it doesnt, I can always give it to a friend who really needs a decent double basket because he doesnt have one at all." Also, the VST will probably be a hoot to play with when I get around to ordering a naked portafilter.

It seems like a neat thing to try, rather than, say, dropping $1200 on a Mazzer mini with timer that wont really fit in my kitchen anyway... Thats the kind of purchase you only make when your wife cant complain you just bought a new coffee machine and grinder just a few weeks ago.

I thought Id ask what was the right one to buy instead of wasting money on three when Ill only end up using one (or none) of them.

[DavidW1960]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

Im saying a 22g VST triple will use more than the stock double. I cant remember the nominal size of the double. The only reason I got the VST 22g was because I figured it would hold 2 single shots 14 x 2 =28 so I then wouldnt waste coffee as 28g was too much for 2 presses on my grinder.

IF talk coffee (I think it is) had introduced their VST lookalike triple basket I may have gotten that. Like I said I was only interested in the size. I cant yet comment on the magical properties of the VST basket.

It wasnt clear to me that you didnt like the Breville- as I said if it held 28g I would still be using it.

[Thirteen13]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

anyone compared VST with Stock OEM baskets ? Hows the results.. lets look more at the Double basket as they are better to compare.

[Muscles]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

anyone compared VST with Stock OEM baskets ? Hows the results.. lets look more at the Double basket as they are better to compare.

Yes, I have compared both ridged and ridgless, 18g and 22g VSTs against the stock baskets. The stock baskets are great, in fact they are better than I expected from Breville. Uniformity across the holes, ie cleanly punched right through and same size.
But, in my opinion the VSTs are better and I now only use the 18g ridgeless.

[Thirteen13]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

Hmm ok thats interesting to know.

Why in your oppion are teh VSTs better, what makes them better than the OEM ?

[DavidW1960]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

Theres no difference between ridged and ridgeless is there? Except the spring required to keep them in place?

I use the standard single basket for long blacks and the 22g VST for a cappachino in a larger cup. Again I only use the 22g because its 2 x a single basket.

[Muscles]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

With the VSTs I can fit more coffee in as the walls are near perpendicular whereas they quite are sloped on the Breville, even the double. The VSTs have more holes that cover more of the bottom of basket. The pattern formed on a stock breville basket by the holes is an octagon - on the VSTs its a dodecagon. The pucks are not as sloppy when I use the VST and I realize this is quite insignificant (and caused by several factors, not just the basket) but I like my solid pucks!

As I said, the the stock baskets are very good, but I prefer the VST.

I am sure many would disagree as the BDB with all stock parts is soooo easy to get a good cup from and many have tried the VSTs and hated them.

[Muscles]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

Theres no difference between ridged and ridgeless is there? Except the spring required to keep them in place?

I use the standard single basket for long blacks and the 22g VST for a cappachino in a larger cup. Again I only use the 22g because its 2 x a single basket.

Pucks come out with less taps and in one piece with ridgeless. Very minor and no need to upgrade from one to the other... although I did.

How much are you dosing in to the 22g, 28g wasnt it? The nominal dose for a single is what - 6 or 7g? So how do you figure that 28g is a double?

[DavidW1960]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

How much are you dosing in to the 22g, 28g wasnt it? The nominal dose for a single is what - 6 or 7g? So how do you figure that 28g is a double?

Yeah 28g never said it was a double but its 2 presses of my grinder button with no wastage. I dont have to adjust the grinder. So I normally use the ingle basket with 14g and its correctly dosed ang 28g correctly doses the VST.

[galumay]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

Gawd knows what new form of coffee you are making when you pack 28g into an extraction! Sure as hell isnt espresso or any other form of coffee as we know it!!

I spose it might be designated a quadruple, given that its 4 times the amount of coffee used for a single espresso. But if you are only extracting the standard double of around 55ml / 30g of liquid coffee in 25 secs or so, then its something else again.

Out of interest, has anyone tried to get the BDB to make a more standard extraction, eg dosing a double with 14-16g coffee for a 55ml/30g extraction?

[blend52]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

Ahh ! .. interesting question ! :

[DavidW1960]

Re: Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

Out of interest, has anyone tried to get the BDB to make a more standard extraction, eg dosing a double with 14-16g coffee for a 55ml/30g extraction?

The double basket is way underdosed at 14-16g a single holds 14g when correctly dosed. Theres been more than enough discussion about this in the last few pages.