# What baskets and tampers are L1 owners using?



## drude (Apr 22, 2013)

Although I still don't have my L1 (sob), I'm interested to hear what baskets and tampers people are using with theirs. When I tried the L1 at Londinium, I used one of their flat tampers in a stock basket and naked pf. With my Silvia I use an 18g VST with a Made By Knock Heft 58.35 (which has a flat base) but when my L1 comes I plan to start by using the 15g VST instead, and try dosing 15.8 or thereabouts as suggested by Reiss. I will be using a naked pf. I have a curved Reg Barber as well, but it's 58mm so not ideal for VSTs.

So, what baskets are you all using, and what tampers? Flat or curved? What reasons led you to your current choice?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Using the 15g vst dosed to 16.g max, with a torr 58.3 ? unsure ? convex I believe. Have occasionally under dosed the 18g vst with 16.5 for experiment sake.

Started with the standard portafiler, moved onto naked ( supplied by londinium ) .


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

I'm using the stock baskets, and a Torr 58.3 convex tamp.

At some point I'll move to the VST's purely so I can up the dose - I've found I can't go past the 14.5g mark without impacting the puck and leaving water behind after a shot.

When I was using the 58mm convex Espro, my shots were really quick. I don't know whether to put this down to the .3mm or the 30lbs of pressure. With the Torr I do a quick nutate without any pressure and a polish. I'm getting much more consistent pours this way...


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

I used the stock baskets initially. I then moved to an LM 15 gm copy, but recently bought the VST offer. I started off dosing around 16 gms in the 15 gm basket but I have now moved to the 18 gm basket as I think it makes more sense to have as much headroom as possible. i adjust the grind and hardly tamp at all.

Tamper wise, I use a Torr 58.4 plan to convex. I think the size is more important that the base style, but each to his own.

You might as well have a chat with coffee chap and get a discounted Torr whilst he has them


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

To follow on from marky , I am not nutating, but my tamp pressure is pretty minimal. Basically using the weight of the tamp only , no real downward force .


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

I'm only using convex to help to centre the pour on the naked portafilter.

DFK41: I know how you feel about naked's but it's a lot more convenient for me - I never look these days!


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Grind fine - tamp light is the canon for levers. Use a 15grm VST and dose 16grm using Londinium beans. Have dosed at 18grm but found the flavour profile clogged so have gone back to 16grm for non-milk and 17grm for 6oz flat whites. Use a Torr over-size convex with a very gentle nutate.


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## vikingboy (Mar 11, 2013)

im still using my trust 18g VST, a londinium tamper, little pressure and londinium beans.


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

I use a 15g vst with 58.4 base, I normally dose at 14g.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

naked pf, stock double basket, Has Bean flat 58mm tamper, 16.0g dose.


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## vikingboy (Mar 11, 2013)

still cant pull decent shots with my 15g VST <spits></spits>


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

vikingboy said:


> im still using my trust 18g VST, a londinium tamper, little pressure and londinium beans.


May i enquire are you down dosing with that then ?


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## vikingboy (Mar 11, 2013)

yes, I stick 16g in it. I just havent got to grips with the 15g basket at all - never had coffee I like from it.

16g in the 18g basket, 3-5sec infusion phase and 23ish seconds later......swallow.

I havent messed around with my refractometer to see where shots are coming out at on the chart but they taste good so what do I care?


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

The thing that I have found with the LI is that the VST baskets are better with a s slight underdose, so have you tried 14g in the 15, also find it needs a slightly tighter grind


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## vikingboy (Mar 11, 2013)

Thx for that, I'll give it a shot this weekend.


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## Miami_AJ (Apr 6, 2013)

I usually use the 15gr and 18gr VST.

15gr, loaded with 13 to 13.5gr otherwise the coffee touches the shower screen

18gr, loaded with ~15.5 to 16gr otherwise the coffee touches the shower screen

I'm surprised at the high doses reported. Can everyone comment on whether the coffee touches the shower screen when locking the porta filter?


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Guess it just depends how fine you are grinding I don't get any touch with one gram less than the basket parameters


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## Miami_AJ (Apr 6, 2013)

coffeechap said:


> Guess it just depends how fine you are grinding I don't get any touch with one gram less than the basket parameters


Thanks..I will try this. Can you also comment on the tamp pressure you are using on the VST baskets? Are you using slight pressure with polish?


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

I am grinding fairly fine using the weight of a torr gold finger, nutating, gently press no more than 10 lbs, polish then load into l1


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Do a nutating clip dave. Id like to see your technique


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Will do when I get back, can demo it at the forum day if people are interested.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

coffeechap said:


> Will do when I get back, can demo it at the forum day if people are interested.


Yes please to both I think , be interested to see the technique . In Rome again ?


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

I've just tried a 15.8g dose in an 18g VST and got a decent pour! A little quick perhaps but a decent pour... Still a decent shot though!

The key - no tamp pressure at all!

After a video session with Reiss last week we thought it was only headroom in the basket. but over the last week I've been a lot more successful with my shots but still getting far too many gushers.

So after re-evaluating my technique, I'm getting great, and the key for me, repeatable results. I've had four cracking shots with the standard baskets today with the modified technique and felt so confident that I tried the VST - result!

if I can report the same results tomorrow, I'll be very happy!


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

I'm still happy!


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## vikingboy (Mar 11, 2013)

Im also using the 18g basket with 15.8g coffee pulling shots in 27seconds as prescribed by Reiss. Tastes awesome.....and geekily measures as....


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## ziobeege_72 (May 6, 2013)

For those who have successfully transitioned/using the vst's - what are you getting with these that you are not with the stock doubles?

I got my LI a couple of days ago and be buggered if I can get anything going with the vst's - either 15g or 18g. Am finally getting much better results but only with the stock double. Mind you I do wish the stock baskets were ridgeless....


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

ziobeege_72 said:


> For those who have successfully transitioned/using the vst's - what are you getting with these that you are not with the stock doubles?
> 
> I got my LI a couple of days ago and be buggered if I can get anything going with the vst's - either 15g or 18g. Am finally getting much better results but only with the stock double. Mind you I do wish the stock baskets were ridgeless....


Take the spring out your portafilter to use them?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Right, this morning the third shot I measured a bit. Ground on number 85, weighed 16.52 gms. The machine was set on timed for 3.2 seconds and with a very light tamp, the 30 ml pour was 20.14 seconds. I will tighted that up ever so slightly, but I suspect you need to grind finer and tamp lighter. It is odd I know but I have played around a lot with the L1 and that is roughly my ballpark. I always drink a short shot whether it be as espresso or with milk. I NEVER take more than 30 mls from a shot.


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## drude (Apr 22, 2013)

I went straight for the VSTs when my L1 arrived but after reading a bit here and on the Londinium forum tried the stock basket. I have to say I think the results are better with the stock, so I'm sticking with them for now. I will definitely try the VSTs again, though. I'd had my grinder calibrated to a 16.5g dose into the 18 VST and had stopped weighing, but when I checked it was grinding just 15.4, which probably isn't enough for an 18.

15.something into the stock tastes great, for sure.


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## vikingboy (Mar 11, 2013)

drude said:


> I went straight for the VSTs when my L1 arrived but after reading a bit here and on the Londinium forum tried the stock basket. I have to say I think the results are better with the stock, so I'm sticking with them for now. I will definitely try the VSTs again, though. I'd had my grinder calibrated to a 16.5g dose into the 18 VST and had stopped weighing, but when I checked it was grinding just 15.4, which probably isn't enough for an 18.
> 
> 15.something into the stock tastes great, for sure.


The VSTs require very precise dosing +/-0.1g and a uniform grind to perform well. The stock baskets are certainly more forgiving of variance. I'm beginning to suspect the extra hassle of weighing and trimming every shot is worth the hassle over the stocker.


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## drude (Apr 22, 2013)

The extra headroom in the 18g VST is lovely - even just 16g seems too much for the stock. I look forward to trying out both VSTs properly, but right now I'm just enjoying getting really consistent shots.


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## ziobeege_72 (May 6, 2013)

After an initial whinge at the vst's they have become my standard basket now. The 18g in particular with an underdose of 1-2g. They are lethal on crap technique which ultimately is a good thing. My struggles with them previously was down to my poor dosing (I was not aiming at a centre mound in the basket) and wonky tamping (not level). And ended up having more success with an underdose as opposed to the full dose. This a bit I don't understand but it seems to be the general opinion of most others with the LI.


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