# Single Filter Basket



## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

I sometimes feel I am the only person left who uses the single filter basket. A nice single espresso made with 7-8 grams of coffee can't be beaten IMO. I was just wondering why people don't use the single basket. I also use the single with the bottomless portafilter and people advise against this. Why? It'd be good to know if anyone else makes single espressos these days or if you are all double espresso drinkers.


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

I would dearly like to use one, just to cut down on my caffeine intake, but I just find a double gives a better pour and is less prone to channelling. If there was a straight sided one I'd have a go.

I have got into a terrible habit, a bit like an alcoholic ordering a round at the bar and having a short while he waits. I do a double pour, one into a Capp cup and the other into an espresso cup. Milk gets frothed, cap made and then the leftover blob goes into the espresso which is downed in one.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Doesn't a single basket give you a really tiny espresso?

7g coffee = 14g liquid espresso?

That is just not enough liquid heaven for me.

Or do you extract it at a different ratio?


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## a-j (Nov 6, 2011)

If you are able to pull consistent shots with the Silvia standard single basket, many people would be very interested to know the precise details of how you're doing it, since the general belief out there is that it's almost impossible. I prefer a single but find myself tossing at least half of them, so it's simpler just to pull a double.


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

a-j said:


> If you are able to pull consistent shots with the Silvia standard single basket, many people would be very interested to know the precise details of how you're doing it, since the general belief out there is that it's almost impossible. I prefer a single but find myself tossing at least half of them, so it's simpler just to pull a double.


Maybe it's just practice, but with a good grind (it has to be consistant), no clumping, and a good even tamp, I produce a 23-25 second single espresso. As for reducing caffeine intake, I drink a kilo of coffee every 2-3 weeks, so it's not for that. When I first started looking for a good pour, I did it by adjusting the grind to a 23 second pour with a timer. I get no splutter on the naked filter so I always wondered what problems people had.

In fact, I was so worried when I got the naked filter that I bought a La Marzocco basket as ity has straight sides but it needs a tiny tamper so I threw it out.


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

I cannot think of any problems with using a naked portafilter with a single basket - I would imagine that double baskets are simply recommended because they work better with the visual effect of the naked portafilter. They are deeper (so are more easily visible from under the portafilter) and they have wider bottoms (so the pour is more visible over a wider surface area).


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## a-j (Nov 6, 2011)

xiuxiuejar said:


> Maybe it's just practice, but with a good grind (it has to be consistant), no clumping, and a good even tamp, I produce a 23-25 second single espresso. As for reducing caffeine intake, I drink a kilo of coffee every 2-3 weeks, so it's not for that. When I first started looking for a good pour, I did it by adjusting the grind to a 23 second pour with a timer. I get no splutter on the naked filter so I always wondered what problems people had.
> 
> In fact, I was so worried when I got the naked filter that I bought a La Marzocco basket as it has straight sides but it needs a tiny tamper so I threw it out.


Interesting! I was having a lot of trouble with the stock Silvia single basket, and also got an LM as people recommended, but found it hard to tamp. I'll try the Silvia basket again. What beans do you use for singles?


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

I use different beans each time. I would say make sure your grind is even and that you tamp with even pressure, And don't give up. Use 7 or 8 grams of coffee, tamp fairly hard and make small adjustments to your grind until you're consistantly getting 23-25 second pours. It's like anything, just habit. Now I can easily switch between doubles and singles (doubles usually need a grind which is a tiny bit coarser.


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## Wando64 (Feb 28, 2011)

I only drink singles, pulled with a LM basket and bottomless portafilter. You are not the only one.

Tamping on the LM is a pain, however I found it gives me better results than the standard Gaggia single basket.

Spluttering is absolutely minimum or absent once I've dialled the grinder properly.

Is the Silvia single basket different from the Gaggia?


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

Wando64 said:


> I only drink singles, pulled with a LM basket and bottomless portafilter. You are not the only one.
> 
> Tamping on the LM is a pain, however I found it gives me better results than the standard Gaggia single basket.
> 
> ...


In Spain I use my Classic and I have found the same as you except I have gone back to using the gaggia basket. As you say grind/tamp is all important. The Silvia basket is a little different but my Silvia is at home in London and I have never had the baskets side by side. I've never really had any problems with either machine apart from a few glasses slipping off Silvia because she likes going for a walk across the table when you put her on!!!

Glad to hear someone does the same as me as I was starting to get paranoid.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Singles are just not big enough to justify the time for me . I usually aim for 1.55 ratio so 7g would produce me circa 11g output.

Id end up making two!


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

I had a go with the single in my Ponte Vecchio the other day with left over beans in the hopper, just to see if it poured at a good rate, which it did, and instead of chucking the shot I drank it. A bit bitter, but not as bad as I expected. I just stick double ristrettos in everything normally.


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## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

I'm very interested in making singles but I've had terrible luck trying to make singles in my Gaggia Classic with Gaggia's single basket. I'm going to get one of the VST 7g baskets, which looks to have steeper sides which I imagine will help me at least get a more consistent tamp.


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## Wando64 (Feb 28, 2011)

I hope I am not breaking any protocol rule here.

There has been so much talk about Single baskets recently that I thought I make a video of my standard process with the LM single.

This might be useful for anyone that has not used this basked before, but I also hope I might learn something from your comments.

As you can see I have done my best to make the tamping process easier, however there is still much room for improvement.

For starters, the "guide tube" and the tamper should be a couple of mm wider so that I don't have to go around it to finish it.

Here it is:


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Wando64 said:


> I hope I am not breaking any protocol rule here.
> 
> There has been so much talk about Single baskets recently that I thought I make a video of my standard process with the LM single.
> 
> ...


Excellent vid, I maybe saw a tiny bit of blonding and I kept wanting to stop the pump but realised it was a video.

Great technique preparing the puck though


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## Wando64 (Feb 28, 2011)

fatboyslim said:


> Excellent vid, I maybe saw a tiny bit of blonding and I kept wanting to stop the pump but realised it was a video.
> 
> Great technique preparing the puck though


Oh yeah, definitely blonding by the end. It doesn't seem to affect the taste in any negative way. I remember seeing a video by the Seattle girls where they also concluded that some blonding can be good for the taste.


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