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Bplus puck screen v other cheaper options

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  • Bplus puck screen v other cheaper options

    Just wondering if anyone has compared the Bplus or Flair 58 puck screen to other cheaper AliE or Etsy options. I have a 1.7 mm 150 micron from Etsy and a 1 mm 50 micron from AliE and have stopped using both because I couldn't detect any improvement in channelling or taste, and counter-intuitively I often saw the shots speed up, so am wondering if the Bplus really is better and is worth the premium price. Cheers.

  • #2
    Wondering the same as I have the same version 1.7 150 micron from Etsy. Wondering if I’ll see any noticeable differences from a more branded version

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    • #3
      My shots are slower with bplus and less channeling. I use almost exclusively light roasts though. I’d say the results would
      be negligible for medium / dark roasts.

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      • #4
        Yes I've used both the AlE and the BPlus and I couldn't see or taste any difference. They both did a good job of providing an even extraction and keeping the group head clean. There are many in the Decent Espresso community that use the cheaper ones as well.

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        • #5
          I gave in to temptation to donate more money to this hobby and bought the Bplus. Although the quality is definitely a step up on the others, and its is more robust/seems thicker, I am still getting obviously worse channelling when using it with the exact same extensive puck routine compared to without. I am also getting faster rather the slower times with the same grind setting. Am wondering if I am, therefore, doing something stupid? and if others have seen the same??? Thanks.

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          • Blues1143
            Blues1143 commented
            Editing a comment
            Ignore this I think I fixed my own problem - I wasn't down dosing enough so I think water was just being blasted around the edges of my bigger 22 gram VST

        • #6
          Originally posted by Blues1143 View Post
          Just wondering if anyone has compared the Bplus or Flair 58 puck screen to other cheaper AliE or Etsy options. I have a 1.7 mm 150 micron from Etsy and a 1 mm 50 micron from AliE and have stopped using both because I couldn't detect any improvement in channelling or taste, and counter-intuitively I often saw the shots speed up, so am wondering if the Bplus really is better and is worth the premium price. Cheers.
          My problem with them is the gunk they retain which eventually effects what's in cup. Think "rancid". If you want to confirm just boil any puck mesh you have used for a few weeks or months and see what comes out.

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          • barri
            barri commented
            Editing a comment
            No the Bplus is not worth the extra cost over Flair, Normcore or AlE. I've tried most of them. As for cleaning, a soak with Cafiza or a blast from the steam wand or used when backflushing at least once a week preferably twice a week then they stay clean. I've been doing that for months without a problem

          • justacuppa
            justacuppa commented
            Editing a comment
            Put it in the dishwasher !
            I use a cheap one with my La Pavoni, and also find it gets quite dirty after a few uses. Blast it with steam and you will see a lot of build up come out, but bit difficult to get it clean with the steaming power of the small lever. On a whim I just put it in with the dishes, and it came out as clean as the day it arrived.

          • barri
            barri commented
            Editing a comment
            Interesting idea. Never thought of doing that. I'll give it a go and report back

        • #7
          Just thought I would update that if anyone else was having problems with the specific combination of a Breville 920, bigger basket (VST 22 or similar dosed at 18-19 grams) and a puck screen, I am having much better success with a smaller VST 18 (dosed at 18 grams) so I presume the combination is very sensitive to headroom and may take lots of trial and error to find the best combination.

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          • #8
            Is there any difference between the mid-range 150 micron puck screens (ie Normcore) vs the 100 micron puck screens (ie Pesado)?

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            • #9
              How do you clean your puck screens? I have tried using the steam wand (but it makes a real mess) and leaving it overnight in espresso cleaning solution (but I don't know how effective this is. I have seen ultrasonic solutions but that seems to be an overkill.

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              • Lyrebird
                Lyrebird commented
                Editing a comment
                The CIP device I built seems to do a very good job of cleaning the puck screen.

                There's a thread here: https://coffeesnobs.com.au/forum/equ...rtafilter-loop
                but all the pics are down due to a change in policy by Flickr. The page is for my bikes so I had coffee stuff in a separate folder that didn't show on the front page but Flickr won't allow that any more.
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