# What Basket For My Gaggia Classic????



## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Hi guys,

I have had my set-up for a while now, but I have been thinking about upgrading the baskets for my standard Gaggia portafilter.

I also have an Espro 58mm calibrated tamper and I was hopefully wanting the baskets to fit the tamper. Now I don't know if it is possible, but I was hoping that the baskets would fit snugly, but without causing a suction between the two as It is a bit of a pain as currently I have to chase the coffee around the basket with the tamper (the instructions that came with the tamper said that you should press the tamper in a NESW fashion in order to get right to the edges of the basket. With my current baskets I have one that I put 16g of ground coffee in (this is the one that I use most often and I also have a larger basket (don't know what capacity it is)

Also I bought a bottomless portafilter a while ago and used it a couple of times and got coffee everywhere, so It has put me off a little. I think it is time to persevere with it though, so I will be getting it out again and having another go. So any new baskets will need to fit that as well. I'm sure they will be universal.

Thanks


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## mremanxx (Dec 30, 2014)

http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/vst-filter-basket

These seem to be the next logical step up, thinking about getting a double myself.

If you want to offload the bottomless job give me a shout, I was thinking abot these too, don't know why really, just curious.


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## mremanxx (Dec 30, 2014)

Meant to ask, has the tamper change your shots much? I was just asking about tamper weights as I noticed those work at 30lb which I thought was a huge load on the puck, the consensus seems to be that it's not too important as long as it's consistant, thought you might be having to grind courser to get the water through at 30lb.


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## wilse (Nov 14, 2013)

I'm curious about baskets...

I'm using ones that came with the classic, think it's unpressurised, as there is no plastic widget in the portafilter.

What benefits has a £22 VST basket over the one that comes with the machine?

w


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## mremanxx (Dec 30, 2014)

wilse said:


> I'm curious about baskets...
> 
> I'm using ones that came with the classic, think it's unpressurised, as there is no plastic widget in the portafilter.
> 
> What benefits has a £22 VST basket over the one that comes with the machine?


You can tell if you are using an unpressurised one, it will have lots of holes in the bottom instead of one.

The vst are better made with a much more uniformed hole size for even flow.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

All my baskets are the unpressurised variety (I have done the opv mod to my classic). The calibrated tamper is brilliant. Wind your grinder to the correct setting and away you go. Granted it does mean tinkering with the grinder setting occasionally. but having a consistent 30lb of pressure means I have an accurate starting point. Pricey, but worth it. My issue is with the Gaggia baskets being 58.5 mm, whereas the tamper is 58. Is it always that way???? If there is a basket that is snug, but not too much so as to cause a suction.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

How many and what size holes are in the basket are whats important , then get a tamper to fit said basket.....

Its not the end of the world , but your 58 mm tamper will be small for most baskets , as most baskets vst and is etc need tampers 50.35-5 depending on your train on thought....


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## mremanxx (Dec 30, 2014)

Like Boots says which is why I think the VST is well quoted, I use a 58mm tamper so have about .5 space but has not been an issue so far, I believe that if you get one too tight suction can be a problem and you can disturb the tamped grinds.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Hello Malc, that's weird I was only wondering this morning where you'd got to!

I had a classic for a while and ran it with a naked and VST 18g. Tamper-wise I had a bog standard "58" which when I got the callipers on it, it turned out to be more like 57.5! I know only too well how irritating chasing grounds round a basket is, and am much happier now I have my knock 58.35 (which my vernier confirms is accurate). Malc, I reckon by now you've probably got a good feel for consistent pressure, so unless you've just got used to letting the tamper tell you when enough is enough you can probably do better with a VST and a Knock or Torr that fits well.

The downside of naked PFs is the occasional spritz if your prep isn't quite right, but the benefit is you can see what's happening, so you can refine your prep based on visual feedback.

As for the basket, I initially found that the standard basket was easier to get right, but the VST seems to bring a bit more consistency, and sweetness/complexity in the cup now I've been using it almost exclusively for quite some time. I'm pretty sure it give better results and now I've got the R58 I think it's spot on. Although I admit some of it might be in my head as I'm just so conditioned to using it. I can't remember exactly what the differences were when I tried back to back with the classic, but my thoughts at the time were that it was worth persevering with. I'd say that if you won't miss the twenty quid it's worth it but if you have to eat pasta and tinned tomato for a week to save for it then maybe not!


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Good to hear from you again, Malc - like hotmetal I'd been wondering how you were getting on. I used a 17g LM Strada basket with my Classic but like all the other posts above with that won't be a snug fit for your calibrated tamper. I'd go with hotmetal's suggestion of getting another tamper and going back to your calibrated one as a training aid from time to time. I'm sorry that you didn't get on with your bottomless PF - I think it is well worth persevering with because you will get direct feedback about your distribution. You might be getting the right kind of pressure and it sounds like you have begun to suspect that your distribution isn't all it might be.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

To cross contaminate from another thread today, regarding prep I'm finding that with my zenith I just grind straight in, tap lightly to settle the mound and tamp straight down, feeling with my fingertips for straightness (tamper edges to basket lip). The less 'prep' (read WDT, Stockfleth, poking about with paperclip etc) the better. Although that's because I have the luxury of knowing that once set, my grinder delivers +/-0.5g which seems to be good enough for me. Obviously with a doser there may be a need to weigh, which might make extra steps unavoidable.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Thanks for your comments fellas. As you say maybe I have gotten a little comfortable with the calibrated tamper doing all the work. Perhaps I need to get back to basics again and start feeling it. I should enjoy testing it out and playing around again. I really want to get the naked portafilter nailed as well. Might be worth adding an 18g VST to the armoury as well????? That would certainly be one of the cheaper upgrades I have made.

With regards to dosing, Is this much cop or a gimmic??? http://www.costasofsweden.com/#the-idr

I distribute around the basket with my finger and ensure that I have coffee spread evenly around and to the edges. Strikes me that all this contraption does is exactly the same as your finger?


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

m4lcs67 said:


> Thanks for your comments fellas. As you say maybe I have gotten a little comfortable with the calibrated tamper doing all the work. Perhaps I need to get back to basics again and start feeling it. I should enjoy testing it out and playing around again. I really want to get the naked portafilter nailed as well. Might be worth adding an 18g VST to the armoury as well????? That would certainly be one of the cheaper upgrades I have made.
> 
> With regards to dosing, Is this much cop or a gimmic??? http://www.costasofsweden.com/#the-idr
> 
> I distribute around the basket with my finger and ensure that I have coffee spread evenly around and to the edges. Strikes me that all this contraption does is exactly the same as your finger?


If you want specific info about the idr it might be worth doing a separate thread. I think you're right - the same as a 58mm lens hood, a finger and a tamp but I might be missing something.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

I take it that the VST's fit Gaggia standard and naked portafilters? Just been on the Hasbean website and it doesn't show the VST's as being compatible. Surely they must be?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

VSTs certainly fit Classic portafilters.


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## wilse (Nov 14, 2013)

Can someone tell me, please, what is the recommended weight I should be putting into the standard single and double basket that comes with a gaggia?

It is the unpressurised one I'm talking about.

I've been using 18g in the double... it almost seems I could get more in it. Is there a triple?

w


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Forget the single.

The double is 14-18g -ish. You should be able to lock your pf in the group and remove it without there being an imprint of the screw on the puck - if there is that's a sign you've overloaded your basket.

You can get triples but they're deep buggers and hold 21g


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

I am also told that for the triple you need a naked portafilter as it won't fit otherwise.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Not sure if its the same for all PF handles, but my spouted one allowed the triple, but my naked will not.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

I must have had read it wrong, Froggy. I have just tried my triple in my spouted P/F and it does fit. I bought my naked a while ago along with the triple basket and everything is sweet. Still waiting for my VST 15g to arrive though.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Two sizes of naked pf holder for the classic, i purchased mine off here so didn't get to choose, but to be honest i can squeeze 20g in the double of most beans if i needed to, but generally stick around the 18g area.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

My new VST 15 has arrived. What a well crafted well made thing. Even comes with it's own calibration certificate. Is there a running in period for these baskets or are they pretty much good to go straight out of the box???? Had a gusher with the first coffee as the grind is/was set up for my previous Gaggia basket. Will have to alter the grind so I can get it set-up right. The portafilter doesn't lock in straight now, but that certainly doesn't matter. At least it is in securely. I loaded it with 15g exactly and after I had brewed there was quite a prominent marking in the puck. Slightly more so than before. I did have the indent of the shower screen screw with my Gaggia basket, but not so much or the actual screen holes. Maybe I should put 14.5g in and see what I get. It is basically a case of experimenting as it is a new piece of kit that I need to get used to with all it's little quirks.


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