# Maximum basket size for BES920 portafilter.



## CoffeeTim (Nov 23, 2020)

I am looking into buying thr IMS nano basket for my BES920.

the original basket seems to be 18g basket at 24mm height.

Anyone knows the biggest basket that can be fitted into the portafilter?

Thanks.


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## _HH_ (Oct 10, 2018)

Hmm. Tricky one! I'm not sure as I only use the naked portafilter, which will take any depth of basket. I've just measured the double-spouted one I use for back flushing though and it has an internal depth of 28mm, so I would expect any basket with a height not exceeding this should be fine.


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## TobyAnscombe (Sep 28, 2014)

slightly off-topic but how do you find the auto tamp with the bottomless? is it messy with lots of channeling or has it helped nail the grind?


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

TobyAnscombe said:


> slightly off-topic but how do you find the auto tamp with the bottomless? is it messy with lots of channeling or has it helped nail the grind?


 The bottomless allows the flow out of the bottom of the filter basket to be studied also the stream it forms. Some people have a small mirror on the drip tray to make that easier usually at say 45 degrees. It wont do anything in relationship to channelling but can indicate difference when preparation is changed in some way.


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

TobyAnscombe said:


> is it messy with lots of channeling


 If you want some help with that an exaggerated example might help. Lets say after grinding the heap of grinds are very lopsided. When you tamp the compression in the grinds will vary across the puck so water will flow through more in one area than others. The edge of the puck is a weak point. When grinds are tamped they are forced out in that direction as well. Some go for specific diameters of tamper but that wont help with the problem I have just run through.


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## CoffeeTim (Nov 23, 2020)

TobyAnscombe said:


> slightly off-topic but how do you find the auto tamp with the bottomless? is it messy with lots of channeling or has it helped nail the grind?


The puck prep is important. If thr preparation is good, the chanelling can be minimized. To me, WDT helps alot in preparing an evenly distributed puck.

Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk


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## TobyAnscombe (Sep 28, 2014)

I was asking as I have a bottomless with my Oracle and most of the time its ok, but I do tend to get the odd stray "fine squirt" that causes a mess. Just wondered if it was just me or if others have found that the Oracle tamp is mostly(90%) reliable. For me, that's the joy of the Oracle Touch - if I want I can leave it in "auto" mode and get a more than passible coffee (and the kids and wife can both make me a coffee which is where the real value comes in!) but I can also grind stand-alone and dial in a great shot. For me the additional faff of manual is rarely worth it...


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

Some other people have bought Oracles for the same reason. Only thing I can think of is beans not falling evenly and cleanly out of the hopper throughout the grind.

I did have a problem like that due to an oily hopper.


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