# Basket Sizing



## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Hey folks,

Am looking at getting a VST basket for my Gaggia portafilter, but I am not sure which size to get, 15 or 18g. I currently put 16g of coffee in my Gaggia basket and when I have brewed and finished with the coffee I release the portafilter from the brewhead and there is an indentation in the puck of the showerscreen screw (which incidentally is the way it should be, or so i'm told). Don't know if anyone can confirm this? Therefore I don't know the size of the basket I am currently using.

To my way of thinking the 18g basket would be the one to go for as If I put 16 grams in a 15 gram basket, well the numbers don't add up. Also why have a 15 gram basket as it is neither a single shot, nor a double shot??? The 18 is slightly more than a double, but you have a bit more headroom. Am I reading it wrong????


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Vsts can be used +/-1g of the stated dose (or so I've read)


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

That's correct.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Indentation after the pull is fine. However if you lock in a dry puck, and then remove it, there should be no indentation.

Here is a good article that talks about the 'coin test' from HB, not a rule but a good starting point: http://www.home-barista.com/vibiemme-domobar-super-review-espresso-performance-singles.html

VST baskets have a +/-1g tolerance. That is to say an 18g basket works best with 17-19g in it. Other makes, like IMS have a much wider tolerance but VST are regarded as the best generally.

Basically don't stick to 16g as a rule and never deviate, and you may well have trouble with 16g in an 18g VST basket. Different beans may favour different grinds and different weights. Its good to have a starting point but getting a great shot is a delicate balance of all of these factors.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

I managed very well with a 17g LMStrada basket with my Classic - and I understand that they are manufactured in the same way as VST baskets (at one point, according to a post somewhere on the forum, as a joint venture). You could easily dose a 17g basket with 16g or just dose up to 17g and either use the LMS or get the 18g VST.

http://www.machina-espresso.co.uk/products/la-marzocco-strada-basket-17g


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Thats great guys. So go for the 15 gram and reduce my actual amount of ground coffee that I put it. I really didn't know that the VST's operated so close to their specified tolerance. Not a problem and as you say the VST's are one of the best.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

How much are they, maybe buy both?


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Hey Froggy. Haven't spoken to you in a while. Hows it going???? £22 each. Just placed and order for the 15 gram. With the VST's working to such a tight tolerance I decided to go for the 15. I used to put 15 grams of coffee in before, but just upped it by a gram a while back, but i'm sure that won't make any real difference. I'll just have to alter the output a little. Also saving a gram each time will mean I gain several more cups of coffee over the long haul. Bonus!!!!!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

You can use 16g in a 15g VST....


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## Beanosaurus (Jun 4, 2014)

m4lcs67 said:


> Thats great guys. So go for the 15 gram and reduce my actual amount of ground coffee that I put it. I really didn't know that the VST's operated so close to their specified tolerance. Not a problem and as you say the VST's are one of the best.


Depending on how coarse or fine the grind is you may have to down dose (14g~) or updose (16g~),

you can sometimes run into issues with pucks sticking to the shower screen if your dose is too low in the basket.

When the water permeates or rather infuses the coffee puck it will naturally expand,

if the dose is too low the gap between the puck's surface and shower screen will be too great which can cause it to suck up when you stop brewing.

It pretty much creates a vacuum! (applies only to machines that have a 3 way solenoid valve)

There is no fixed dose for a basket and you may need to play about with the dose to find the sweet spot and keep your intended brew ratio the same.

You will get through less coffee with a 15g VST basket but if you're making milk-based drinks and you use a larger sized vessel it could result in the espresso being 'lost'/unbalanced in the milk.

Most people's preference seems to be an 18g VST.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Thanks for that Beanosaurus. I do drink milk based coffee and do still like it to have a kick even though it is combined with milk. For the price of them I may end up getting the 18g one. I'll see how the 15 does first. Got an email through from Has Bean. It has been dispatched, so it is now a case of waiting by the letterbox for it to drop through in the next few days. I did plump for the ridgeless one in the end. I have a Gaggia ridged for my naked portafilter and it is a mare to get out whereas the ridgeless Gaggia I currently use in my standard portafilter works ok and has never dropped out. When removing the puck I just tap the edge of the basket against our plastic food waste container that we have on the worktop and the puck drops out no problem and the basket still remains in place courtesy of the spring that sits inside the portafilter.


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## twotone (Jan 13, 2015)

Hi guys, I'm thinking of getting a VST basket for my Expobar portafilter, would an 18g VST be okay with that PF and should I buy ridged or ridgeless?

Thanks

Tony

PS, my tamper is a shade over 58mm so would this tamper be okay with the 18g VST too?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Any vst is ok, what size (dose ) depends on your use. Ridgeless are easier to get out but if you don't change very often it's not an issue. Ridgeless still lock in fairly well won't come out if you use a knock box. Vsts can take up to 58.55 so your tamper will be fine


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## twotone (Jan 13, 2015)

jeebsy said:


> Any vst is ok, what size (dose ) depends on your use. Ridgeless are easier to get out but if you don't change very often it's not an issue. Ridgeless still lock in fairly well won't come out if you use a knock box. Vsts can take up to 58.55 so your tamper will be fine


Thanks ridged 18g it is then:good:

Where is the best place to buy them?

Thanks

Tony


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Has bean, coffee hit etc. Whoever is cheapest! 17g LM can take 18g and is pretty much the same as a VST if you want to save a few quid


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

LaMarzocco make two ranges of portafilter baskets. The ones that are the same, i.e. made in the same factory as VST are labelled LM Strada.


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## twotone (Jan 13, 2015)

The Systemic Kid said:


> LaMarzocco make two ranges of portafilter baskets. The ones that are the same, i.e. made in the same factory as VST are labelled LM Strada.


Bought one here below, £15.60 inc delivery (I think).

http://www.machina-espresso.co.uk/products/la-marzocco-strada-basket-17g


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## twotone (Jan 13, 2015)

Just an update to this post of mine from yesterday guys, seems that the price I paid was for pick-up only from Edinburgh, postage appears to be extra despite the site asking you to input your postcode in order to 'calculate postage' which, in my case' was free or no charge.

Looks like postage is £4.50 or thereabouts.

Really confusing, I've called them and they promised that the 'owner' will call me back 'shortly', that was at 12pm and I'm still waiting on the call:bad:


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## twotone (Jan 13, 2015)

Another update guys, the cost to post is £4.50 via RM first class post, Machina Espresso have been very good I have to say, think the delay yesterday was down to them being really busy as they are a cafe in Edinburgh, I believe.

Probably me not reading the website properly, don't think that there was anything dodgy going on however I would have bought the VST basket from somewhere else if I had been fully aware of the postal charges as there really isn't that much in it between the two baskets prices wise, probably about £4 or a bag of beans:coffee:


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Update on my VST 15g. Have been experimenting with differing quantities of coffee and I have found that 14.5g is the amount that works best for me. As I have been told previously, the best way to gauge the correct amount of coffee is/was to put the desired amount into the basket, tamp it in, lock the portafilter into the brewhead then take it straight out. If you can see the showerscreen screw in the puck then it is overloaded. Obviously after brewing, take the portafilter out and you should be able to see the slight indentation of the showerscreen and screw in the puck as the process of brewing causes the coffee to expand out.

With my previous Gaggia basket I used to put 16g in. It is a shame that VST don't to a 16 grammer, although to be fair the results with the 15g basket with 14.5 g of coffee in seems to be ok. Hey, over the long haul I will be saving on coffee, so that is an added bonus.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I thought Gaggia standards are technically a 14g basket but can be dosed up to 16g


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## charris (Feb 17, 2014)

m4lcs67 said:


> With my previous Gaggia basket I used to put 16g in. It is a shame that VST don't to a 16 grammer, although to be fair the results with the 15g basket with 14.5 g of coffee in seems to be ok. Hey, over the long haul I will be saving on coffee, so that is an added bonus.


I do not think this applies generally. It maybe only applies to the specific beans you are using. Different beans produce much different ground volumes for a specific weight i.e 15g of bean A might overfill the basket and 15g of bean B might fill 3/4 of the basket.

Also your dosage will affect the taste so 14g will not be suitable for all beans.

I have found the 15g vst to work nice with various beans I have used and I only stay within the +/-1g but i do not really go for a specific accurate no.

The big thing for me is to test different beans with different vst baskets, the 15g and the 18g one and decide which one is better for each bean.


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