# VST Basket Dimensions and Silvia.



## cjbailey1 (Jan 17, 2011)

Ok so I've been reading the threads about the VST baskets and keep being asked what I want for Christmas so I've come to the conclusion that a VST basket (and some Square Mile Red Brick) would fit the bill nicely. I am currently using the standard silvia basket and dosing around 16g, my triple that came with the bottomless PF has never really been used. What I want to know is the following:

1) Is it worth going for the 18g over the 14g for the Silvia?

2) Does the 18g VST fit in the standard Silvia PF?

3) If it doesn't, what are the dimensions of the 18g VST so I can see if they will fit my (cheap) bottomless PF?


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## chimpsinties (Jun 13, 2011)

Isn't the idea of a bottomless that they can fit any basket in? Is your Silvia a 58mm basket as standard. I just got the 18g VST basket but I'm not allowed it until tomorrow as it's my Birthday present


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## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

I doubt it would fit in the standard PF very much. It's not the diameter it's the depth of it. It should fit in your bottomless PF fine though.


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## cjbailey1 (Jan 17, 2011)

chimpsinties said:


> Isn't the idea of a bottomless that they can fit any basket in? Is your Silvia a 58mm basket as standard. I just got the 18g VST basket but I'm not allowed it until tomorrow as it's my Birthday present


The silvia is a 58mm basket, yes.

That is kind of the idea with the bottomless PFs, unfortunately the one I have has a nice ridge all the way round the bottom so it's quite a bit narrower than the top!!

Happy birthday for tomorrow











MonkeyHarris said:


> I doubt it would fit in the standard PF very much. It's not the diameter it's the depth of it. It should fit in your bottomless PF fine though.


Thanks, I wasn't sure on the overall depth.

The bottomless PF seems to be specifically designed for the triple that came with it, I'll dig out the verniers and take some measurements off of it. It's all nicely chromed so I'm not really up for taking the mill to it, but I will if need be!!


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## mike 100 (Jul 15, 2010)

I know the VST basket is the proverbal dog's ******** but have a look at Coffee hit's site they do a triple ridgeless basket that should fit the later silvia according to the info


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

On the topic of VST baskets,

Is it worth getting one for a Gaggia Baby, will it fit the standard gaggia PF or will I need a naked PF, lastly where is the best place to get a gaggia naked PF.

Thanks


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

The 15g and 18g baskets will both fit inside the standard Gaggia portafilter. They are ridged (there is a small ridge running around the side of the basket wall designed to click into place below the spring and keep the basket in place) however so click into place and need to be prised/levered out unlike the standard Gaggia baskets which can just be pulled straight out.

There are a couple of retailers of Gaggia bottomless portafilters online. I got mine from Happy Donkey.

Concerning which basket to opt for, this is really down to personal taste. How much coffee do you usually dose in your current basket? If the answer is 14-16g then the 15g basket will be suited for that dose. If you usually dose higher (between 17g and 19g), or would like to but are put off by the lower extraction usually achievable, then the 18g basket will suit. The 18g basket offers much less resistance than a regular 14g basket (the holes on the bottom are much bigger) and so allows a much finer grind than is usually possible for that quantity of coffee in a standard 14g basket. The 15g basket will offer similar resistance to your current 14g basket and so requires a similar grind for the coffee.

Both baskets have larger surface areas on the bottom and have much straighter sides which seems to give less early blonding and better consistency between shots.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Thanks jimbow, a very informative response.

I've been persuaded into getting VST and naked PF but I have a question regarding VST.

Based on your response I've opted for the 15g VST and understand the usual dose is between 14-16g.

When you buy a new coffee will you dose 14g and then 16g and see which gives the best extraction?

Also, with my current beans there is some delay between starting the pump and getting anything out the spout but I'm still getting good extractions.

What can I expect from VST with these beans?

Thanks again


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

The 15g VST basket will give similar results to what you are used to but you should get more consistency between shots. I also notice there is more even extraction of the coffee and that there is much less pronounced blonding than with the stock Gaggia basket. I spent some time trying to work out why this is and think it is down to the straight sides of the basket.

I usually start with 14g of coffee and alter the grind until I can produce 23g of liquid espresso in around 30 seconds. Expect around 6 seconds delay before the espresso begins to appear from the portafilter spouts.

Once the timing is correct I taste the espresso. Does it taste bitter or sour/overly acidic? If bitter I make the grind coarser and if sour I grind the coffee finer. When I am happy with the bitter/sour balance I then consider whether the espresso tastes bland and the sugars and caramels are overpowering the other flavours or whether the coffee tastes too strong and harsh. I then alter the amount of coffee accordingly and adjust the grind fineness to maintain the same flow rate.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Excellent stuff jimbow, can't wait to get my VST and naked PF now!


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

With VST now equipped, I haven't been able to completely dial in the grind yet. As a general rule I'm guessing you need to grind a bit finer for VST than the standard baskets?


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## MonkeyHarris (Dec 3, 2010)

That seems to be the general consensus. I waited until I changed beans to start using mine so I didn't really notice any difference. I would say it is a little fussier than my Synesso though.


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## jimrobo (Aug 5, 2011)

I just can't get on with my 18g VST!!

The window of dialing it in seems to be absolutely tiny! I can even get it to the stage where the grind is right on the money but then even with very slight tamp pressure changes it either runs through too fast or too slow! I suspect it probably needs me to start messing around with the pressure to see if I can beef it up a bit. It was too frustrating so I have gone back to the standard basket!


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

I found that the VST baskets tend to require a specific tamping technique. Many tamping techniques developed to address traditional basket geometries do not work well with VST baskets (Nutating tamps, NESW tamps, etc.). Also, flat bottomed tampers tend to work best in the VST baskets opposed to a convex bottom. I found a single, straight and level tamp works best, with moderate pressure.

Did you try using the VST basket with a naked portafilter? That would help diagnose any issues in the tamp.


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## jimrobo (Aug 5, 2011)

Yep I used it with a naked portafilter. There was nothing wrong with the shot but I just couldn't get that sweet spot it was either too fast or too slow.


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## jimrobo (Aug 5, 2011)

Just thought I'd update this and say I got my VST out last week and had another play with it. At the suggestion of jimbow I went with a lot lighter tamp and boom out came constant great shots. Am a VST convert again!


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