# Bambino filter basket



## 08390754 (Dec 6, 2020)

I bought the Bambino plus during the summer. Unfortunately it didn't come with a unpressurized filter basket, and sage were out of stock for months, so I bought one from China from eBay -https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303584812295

It's been a fun learning experience and I've got to the point of pulling pretty consistent tasty shots (about 2-3 second variation with same recipe).

I recently saw that Sage had some unpressurized double baskets so I got one, based on the assumption that it would be better than the knock off from eBay... but the problem is, I'm really struggling to get an even extraction now. I have a bottomless portafilter, and I can see that coffee isn't coming out through the whole puck - there are a few little sections with no coffee being drawn from, although this changes each time. I've used the same technique as before but now I'm getting quite significant variation (+10 seconds with same recipe) and the taste is very hit and miss.

My question is A) whether filter baskets need to be 'broken in' or whether they should be perfect from the offset, B) whether anyone else has had inconsistency with sage 54mm double filter baskets.

Any help would be warmly appreciated.

Thanks!


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

The shot through a naked portafilter doesn't run through every hole in the basket like a shower head. The shot should start out across the whole basket moving into collect in the middle into a thin stream.


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## Callum_Pg (Oct 28, 2020)

08390754 said:


> I bought the Bambino plus during the summer. Unfortunately it didn't come with a unpressurized filter basket, and sage were out of stock for months, so I bought one from China from eBay -https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303584812295
> It's been a fun learning experience and I've got to the point of pulling pretty consistent tasty shots (about 2-3 second variation with same recipe).
> I recently saw that Sage had some unpressurized double baskets so I got one, based on the assumption that it would be better than the knock off from eBay... but the problem is, I'm really struggling to get an even extraction now. I have a bottomless portafilter, and I can see that coffee isn't coming out through the whole puck - there are a few little sections with no coffee being drawn from, although this changes each time. I've used the same technique as before but now I'm getting quite significant variation (+10 seconds with same recipe) and the taste is very hit and miss.
> My question is A) whether filter baskets need to be 'broken in' or whether they should be perfect from the offset, B) whether anyone else has had inconsistency with sage 54mm double filter baskets.
> ...


Do you mean the non-pressurize basket from eBay is pretty consistent whereas the non-pressurize basket from Sage is inconsistent?

There are many variables that resulted such problem, it can be related to your distribution technique and tamping.


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

A video of grinds prep and the pour would help. Sounds like prep to me.

Actually the baskets from China may well be from the company that makes them for Sage. They make other sizes as well for 58mm machines.


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## 08390754 (Dec 6, 2020)

Thanks for your helpful replies. I will take a video tomorrow. My experience in coffee so far has been that I normally think my equipment is defective only to realise it's my technique, so that may well be the source of error - or perhaps the new basket needs a slightly different technique. I pulled two identically prepared shots today with careful attention to detail and the first one ran in 28 seconds and second in 42 (dose 16, yield 32), so I'm at a loss.

Both baskets are double non-pressurised 54mm filter baskets, although they look slightly different (the sage one has more flat sides, whereas the ebay basket is slightly more cone shaped (I'll show in the video).


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