# New toys and different roast levels



## Caffeinated_fiend (Apr 15, 2020)

Since beginning my coffee journey a few weeks ago I have bought some new toys to help me get the most from the Barista Pro, I have also ordered a niche grinder that I will hopefully be receiving at the start of June. Latest editions are as follows, 3D printed niche dosing cup to 54mm portafilter, AliExpress Chinese 54mm distributor and a push tamper 54mm.

Workflow, coffee ground into dosing cup and then using a 54mm dosing funnel on top of the 3D printed funnel I put the grounds into the portafilter, use a WDT tool to get the clumps out but there are always plenty of clumps using the barista pro grinder , then I distribute the grounds and tamp using the push which is set to 7mm, the same size as the razor distribution tool.

I have only just got the Chinese dosing tool today, I have it set to it's shallowest setting which is below 7mm as I want to tamp using the push and only want the distribution tool to tidy up the top grounds as I have already tapped the portafilter and levelled the grounds as best I can.

I primarily use darker roasts but have recently got some medium beans and have noticed that I have to put a larger dose in to get the same basket fill level. I have a dark roast that is above the basket at 18g and a medium roast that only just fills the basket at 20g, so much so that I might go up to 22g otherwise you can't level the grounds as they are below the basket rim. Anyone else have experience with this?

I'm not sure if I will end up using the Chinese distributor all the time but it seems decent enough and is easy to adjust, I tested it on a dark roast and it seemed to work well, I think it's shallowest setting is about 6mm, then I used the push after to tamp to 7mm. Coffee came out nice and at a very close time to just distributing it myself.


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## Caffeinated_fiend (Apr 15, 2020)

Can anyone with more experience tell me how when dialling in a new bean, how are you choosing the dose? I have a decaf from Square Mile and my usual 18g does not fill the basket, I tried 20g and it was a little higher than the basket but the resulting 40g output tasted powdery and not great.

I have a few beans at the minute where 18g does not fill the basket and so it's hard to level the basket.


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## MattLeB (May 18, 2020)

Please could you post a link for the distribution tool? Always a bit wary of the Chinese eBay and AliExpress postings.. how long did it take to arrive?


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## Caffeinated_fiend (Apr 15, 2020)

MattLeB said:


> Please could you post a link for the distribution tool? Always a bit wary of the Chinese eBay and AliExpress postings.. how long did it take to arrive?


 Sure here you go;

￡15.93 40％ Off | 53mm Coffee Distributor,Coffee Distributor, Espresso Distributor, Coffee Leveler Fits for 54mm Breville Portafilter
https://a.aliexpress.com/_d73aJJz

Took 14 days to arrive.


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## MattLeB (May 18, 2020)

Thanks, good to know.. now just to hear if anyone has had any luck with one of the Chinese 54mm naked PFs...!


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## Caffeinated_fiend (Apr 15, 2020)

Does this look like channeling? Rather than trying to disperse the grounds myself using my finger I'm using the funnel to tap the portafilter and then tamping from there.

If I can see the shower screen imprints on the puck doe the coffee need to be tamped harder? It's at the same distance as the razor dose tool that comes with the machine?


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