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Newbie questions on naked portafilter, baskets & tamper

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  • snoffee
    replied
    Originally posted by artman View Post
    Nice gear there!

    Whoah thats a fair few questions, dont over complicate it all!

    My thoughts.....
    Thanks everyone for all your replies! (especially @artman for all answering all my specific questions)

    It was all very helpful!

    I ended up going with a Pesado naked portafilter (wooden handle), a VSG ridgeless basket 18g, and I know there's been a lot of recommendations going for the Barista Hustle tamper (which I did heavily consider, but decided against it because I didn't like the look), but I ended splurging a little more and getting a Pesado full natural steel tamper with the depth adjuster for fun.

    I'll report back when I get them all!

    Thanks once again!!

    Leave a comment:


  • woodhouse
    replied
    as roosterben said, if you end up going with VST baskets, pick up the barista hustle tamper. super cheap and is designed to fit VSTs perfectly. even new they run about $70, if you can find them in store. sensory lab have them last i saw.

    edit: site sponser coffee parts have them for $79; they also sell VSTs.

    Leave a comment:


  • CafeLotta
    replied
    Originally posted by artman View Post
    - However VST baskets seem to say they work better for 58.3mm or 58.4mm (I've seen different reports)

    odd. my tamper is 58.75mm and fits the vst 22g very well.

    - If I bought a Pesado tamper (to match the PF) which is 58.5mm, could that be too big for the VST basket (because they talk about 58.4mm)
    see above. seems odd.
    58.5mm won't be a problem with VST baskets. The Pullman Big Step is 58.55mm and was designed with VST baskets in mind. I have 4 different sizes of 58mm (nom size) VST ridgeless baskets and the Big Step fits them perfectly. Occasionally you'll see the Big Step on sale at around $160 (Recently Cyber Monday 30% off). If you can stretch your budget to one of these, you'll never need another tamper. They're a brilliant piece of kit.

    I've never had an issue with popping out Ridgeless baskets from the VBM portafilter when knocking out the spent puck. I even use a lighter spring to hold the basket which makes removal for cleaning effortless.
    Last edited by Javaphile; 6 December 2019, 01:20 PM. Reason: Commercial links removed

    Leave a comment:


  • roosterben
    replied
    Good questions and answers, nice starting setup!

    Main advantage of a naked portafilter is being able to see the extraction and when the flow merges into a single stream. You can also see things like channeling, uneven distribution or non level tamping by watching the shot run. But as with other comments above it won't change your shot quality but does make it easier to work on your technique / variables and is a good learning tool. My coffee quality in cup has definitely improved using a naked and using scales which reminds me of another essential.

    Add to your list a set of scales that can weigh to 0.1 grams, anything from a $20 eBay job to the hellishly expensive Acai Lunar will do the job. But to be consistent with dosing (weigh coffee in) and weighing your shots (coffee out) will help you dial in your workflow and setup faster.

    Also I have never had a ridgeless basket fly out they seem to fit pretty tight (mine is a 20 gram VST).

    PS: Forgot to mention the Barista Hustle tamper is a very good value tamper which fits pretty snug on a VST basket and can be found for around $60 sometimes if you are lucky on EvilBay.

    Leave a comment:


  • robusto
    replied
    "Ridgeless basket easier to get the puck our, better extractions?"

    All my baskets have ridges, and the pucks come out easily with one tap on the knock box.

    Without a ridge you may find that not only will the puck come out easily...but the basket along with it.

    Leave a comment:


  • level3ninja
    replied
    A Pullman Big Step base will fit VST baskets extremely well. I think they're 58.7mm

    Leave a comment:


  • artman
    replied
    Newbie questions on naked portafilter, baskets & tamper

    Nice gear there!

    Whoah thats a fair few questions, dont over complicate it all!

    My thoughts:

    - Naked portafilter
    - I was really interested in a wooden type naked PF (like this) - are there any issues with wooden PFs? (cracking, not as durable, heat issues, water issues?)

    I wouldnt think so, as long as its semi decent, if you wipe/clean it, keep it dry it should last many years.

    - Is Pesano a good brand for a PF? Or is it a bit hyped/overpriced? (I don't mind just buying a VBM naked PF but thought by spending another $50-100, I could get a nicer looking one)

    They seem like a quality product.

    - Is there a popular brand of naked PF I should consider?

    I bought a Cafelat on beanbay, great quality and has a removable base so can be naked/normal

    - Should I look for an angled handle? (how important is this?)

    probably more of a concern for baristas using the PF all day.

    - Should I look for a PF that can disconnect the handle so I can change this in the future?

    Most shoudl be able to be unscrewed and you can get another handle or custom wood or whatever mateiral you fancy.

    - How important is a PF in the context of pulling a good shot (out of 10?) trying to get a sense of how much money I should spend

    About 1.2? Its job is to hold the basket and evenly seal it against the group seal via the 2 lugs. You could use almost any with the same result, assuming lugs arent worn from years of use.

    - 18g basket
    - Does the basket have to match on brand? (e.g. could a VST basket fit in a Pesado PF? Do I need to match 58mm, 58.3mm, 58.4mm, 58.5mm, etc.)
    no. industry standard nominal 58mm baskets will fit any 58mm PF (unless you are trying to fit a deep basket into a shallow PF - witha naked this is not an issue.

    - Any thoughts on VST vs. Pesado (IMS) vs any others? (I was going for a VST just because I read so much)

    years ago i bought a synesso duoble basket and matched pullman tamper, i still have these after several machine upgrades. at the time the synesso double was "the" basket to get, VST only just came out and were not yet available in ridgeless. I now also have a 22g VST, I dont seem to have the issue of a some of the VST basket being tricky, almost always get great shots (as i do with the synesso).

    - I'm guessing I should go for ridgeless (easier to get puck out, better extraction?)

    Correct. I think more so that the tamper is easier to get to fit properly. Puck fly out regardless with a good whack.

    - Does the basket size (exact size) dictate what tamper I should get?

    sort of. as long as you get a 58mm tamper (or preferably 58.5) it should be a nice snug fit. Unless you go the pullman route where they machine the tamper to the basket. Not sure if others do it, or if the quality baskets are more uniform now to negate this need?

    How important is a basket in the context of pulling a good shot (out of 10?) trying to get a sense of how much money I should spend
    probably up there closer to 10, as well as good technique and ingredients. Having said that any decent basket will give you a great shot if you are doing it right. I have used sunbeam, breville, synesso and the VST. they have all given great results.

    - Tamper
    - What size tamper should I get?
    - The Pesado baskets say they go perfectly with a Pesado 58.5mm tamper

    I would go with 58.5 as it should fit snugly the majority of the good quality baskets.

    - However VST baskets seem to say they work better for 58.3mm or 58.4mm (I've seen different reports)

    odd. my tamper is 58.75mm and fits the vst 22g very well.

    - If I bought a Pesado tamper (to match the PF) which is 58.5mm, could that be too big for the VST basket (because they talk about 58.4mm)
    see above. seems odd.

    - How important is a tamper in the context of pulling a good shot (out of 10?) trying to get a sense of how much money I should spend
    again, you could use a jar lid with the right diamater and it will work well to pull a good shot. a nice tamper looks nice, feels nice, it great to use and will probably aid in consistency if its a nice fit to the basket. A snug fit makes it easier but its not essential.

    Dont forget, if you are planning on sticking to 58mm groups, you can keep using the basket(s) and tamper as you upgrade. I have been doing this for 10 years(including the cafelat PF)! this might make it easier to decide for you to get something a bit more to your liking and not worry about the extra $ as much as they will be spread over many years.

    Cheers

    Edit : corrected my tamper size.
    Last edited by artman; 6 December 2019, 02:16 AM.

    Leave a comment:


  • snoffee
    started a topic Newbie questions on naked portafilter, baskets & tamper

    Newbie questions on naked portafilter, baskets & tamper

    Hi all, I've just managed to step up my hardware by picking up a 2nd hand VBM Domobar Junior. Also just bought a Sette 270 grinder, coming in the next few days!

    Anyways so with this setup, I plan to buy:
    • Naked portafilter
    • 18g basket
    • Tamper (to fit)


    I've been doing a lot of research and there is surprisingly not as much research as I thought. Hoping some people can point me in the right direction?

    Naked portafilter
    1. I was really interested in a wooden type naked PF (like this) - are there any issues with wooden PFs? (cracking, not as durable, heat issues, water issues?)
    2. Is Pesano a good brand for a PF? Or is it a bit hyped/overpriced? (I don't mind just buying a VBM naked PF but thought by spending another $50-100, I could get a nicer looking one)
    3. Is there a popular brand of naked PF I should consider?
    4. Should I look for an angled handle? (how important is this?)
    5. Should I look for a PF that can disconnect the handle so I can change this in the future?
    6. How important is a PF in the context of pulling a good shot (out of 10?) trying to get a sense of how much money I should spend


    18g basket
    1. Does the basket have to match on brand? (e.g. could a VST basket fit in a Pesado PF? Do I need to match 58mm, 58.3mm, 58.4mm, 58.5mm, etc.)
    2. Any thoughts on VST vs. Pesado (IMS) vs any others? (I was going for a VST just because I read so much)
    3. I'm guessing I should go for ridgeless (easier to get puck out, better extraction?)
    4. Does the basket size (exact size) dictate what tamper I should get?
    5. How important is a basket in the context of pulling a good shot (out of 10?) trying to get a sense of how much money I should spend


    Tamper
    1. What size tamper should I get?
    2. The Pesado baskets say they go perfectly with a Pesado 58.5mm tamper
    3. However VST baskets seem to say they work better for 58.3mm or 58.4mm (I've seen different reports)
    4. If I bought a Pesado tamper (to match the PF) which is 58.5mm, could that be too big for the VST basket (because they talk about 58.4mm)
    5. How important is a tamper in the context of pulling a good shot (out of 10?) trying to get a sense of how much money I should spend


    Thanks in advance!
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