# How many grams in your classic double basket?



## Wuyang

Hi all....again.,,

I never used the pressurised basket supplied, instead I paid about £5 off amazon and got what was said to be a genuine gaggia (but who knows) double non pressurised basket, fits well, but just wondering how many grams it generally takes everyone roughly level off their basket say once a knife has skimmed the top. I suppose how fine the grind is could affect this? As rough guess I would say at the grind I have it's taking say 19-20g to achieve a level top, but I'm sure I read for the classic around 16g.

Any comments welcome, also are all gaggia classic baskets the same volume etc?

cheers


----------



## froggystyle

I dont think you want to go straight to the top of the basket, try 15g and go from there..


----------



## oracleoftruth

I find any more that 16g just won't Work.


----------



## Wuyang

Cheers......do you sort of level it off before you tamper.........thanks


----------



## froggystyle

oracleoftruth said:


> I find any more that 16g just won't Work.


In what way doesnt it work ?


----------



## oracleoftruth

Too full, touches the shower plate tends to not extract well, tastes worse.


----------



## froggystyle

Interesting, this is in a double basket?

I get about 4-5mm of space when i load 17g in a double... Maybe i am tamping to hard?


----------



## ajh101

I grind 17g, add it to the pf, level it off with a thumb and then tamp. Works for me.

The trick to success seems (to me) to be constant and change one variable at a time.

In this way you can tell what effect changes have on the resulting coffee.


----------



## ajh101

There may not be space before I tamp but always is after!


----------



## craftygeek

I've found it depends on the coffee.

As a general rule I try 16g first, but I have a coffee at the moment that i'm using 17g & another that i'm using 14g.

Some coffees have more volume than others & won't fit at larger doses....others maybe to strong or too weak & need the dose compensating as a result.


----------



## froggystyle

Good point, have only run two types through mine to date....


----------



## Thecatlinux

I started with 18g in my double baskets and have at least enough room to bury the tamper . I know when I am up too the max because the when i eject the puck you can see the imprint of the shower screen screw .Think thats at about 20g , will try in abit and report back, (have to say I have been running 16g today weighing into the basket and using a cocktail to stir it up before tamping.


----------



## NeilR

My unscientific approach is to fill to the top of the double basket, distribute with a cocktail stick and then tamp (or not as I forgot the other day). I'm not sure of the weight but it was around 17g when I last checked.


----------



## Wuyang

All very interesting.....


----------



## froggystyle

I usually wipe with finger to even it out, then tamp, nice and firm.

Im going to check my pucks to see if they show signs of touching the head!


----------



## Thecatlinux

froggystyle said:


> I usually wipe with finger to even it out, then tamp, nice and firm.
> 
> Im going to check my pucks to see if they show signs of touching the head!


normally when you can see the imprint of the screw in the puck the classic chokes .


----------



## RagingMammoth

17g for me in a 58mm, distribute tap then tamp.


----------



## EWCC

Tried it last night. 17g is too much for mine and the PF wouldn't lock in place. 16g was fine, so probably somewhere in between the two, depending on how you prepare your puck.


----------



## Wuyang

Just another question..... How much force does it take to get your pfilter 90 degrees to the machine. With out the basket in place mine glides into place lovely, but once the basket is added (with or without coffee) it takes quite a lot of force, certainly have to hold the machine tightly with my left hand while pulling the handle over to the right.


----------



## oracleoftruth

Depends on the gasket. Tight is usually not a bad thing. Around 90 is fine. Don't overtighten!


----------



## Glenn

Each bean type, density, grind size and roast type will vary the actual weight you can get into a basket.

Once you settle on a good taste then weigh and repeat.

Over time the gasket will shrink and you will probably go past 90 degrees (or in some cases reach 90 degrees)

Every machine and even gasket is slightly different.


----------



## Wuyang

Cheers all....good advice.


----------



## m4lcs67

I know I am coming into this thread a little late, but there are some very interesting points that people have commented on. From my own perspective as well. I am using the pressurised baskets with mine at the mo. I am expecting a couple of the non pressurised ones to be delivered soon. I also have invested in the opv kit and once the new baskets have been delivered, I am going to do the conversion to my classic. For the time being though I am getting by. Although I have measured out 15g into my large pressurised basket this morning, gently spread it around with my finger then tamped it down firmly then put it in my machine and brewed a shot. As a side issue however, people have said that if you can see the shower screw in the puck then it is over filled. Well once the coffee was tamped into the basket (15g) and the portafilter locked into the machine at 90 degrees I brewed 24g of coffee. It took only seconds (certainly a lot less than the recommended 25 seconds) to reach the magical 24g. But another thing I was wondering was, is 15g classed as one shot? (15g in 24g out). I must say it confuses the hell out of me. So a double basket means you will effectively get two shots out of one double basket? If that is the case then shouldn't a double basket be able to take twice the amount of ground coffee 30g and brew 48g of liquid coffee? Quite clearly that is impossible. If my large basket is classed as a double then I haven't got a prayer of putting twice the amount of ground coffee into it???? Certainly if I am only getting away with putting 15g in currently and even then the shower screw is showing in the puck. Obviously I am weighing everything and putting the cup on some scales under both spouts while brewing. If making two cups i'll have one cup on the scales under one spout while the other cup is sat on the drainer under the other spout.

In summary however I think I will need to have the non pressurised baskets to hand and do the opv mod as well. Then I will be able to get a clearer picture.


----------



## Charliej

m4lcs67 said:


> I know I am coming into this thread a little late, but there are some very interesting points that people have commented on. From my own perspective as well. I am using the pressurised baskets with mine at the mo. I am expecting a couple of the non pressurised ones to be delivered soon. I also have invested in the opv kit and once the new baskets have been delivered, I am going to do the conversion to my classic. For the time being though I am getting by. Although I have measured out 15g into my large pressurised basket this morning, gently spread it around with my finger then tamped it down firmly then put it in my machine and brewed a shot. As a side issue however, people have said that if you can see the shower screw in the puck then it is over filled. Well once the coffee was tamped into the basket (15g) and the portafilter locked into the machine at 90 degrees I brewed 24g of coffee. It took only seconds (certainly a lot less than the recommended 25 seconds) to reach the magical 24g. But another thing I was wondering was, is 15g classed as one shot? (15g in 24g out). I must say it confuses the hell out of me. So a double basket means you will effectively get two shots out of one double basket? If that is the case then shouldn't a double basket be able to take twice the amount of ground coffee 30g and brew 48g of liquid coffee? Quite clearly that is impossible. If my large basket is classed as a double then I haven't got a prayer of putting twice the amount of ground coffee into it???? Certainly if I am only getting away with putting 15g in currently and even then the shower screw is showing in the puck. Obviously I am weighing everything and putting the cup on some scales under both spouts while brewing. If making two cups i'll have one cup on the scales under one spout while the other cup is sat on the drainer under the other spout.
> 
> In summary however I think I will need to have the non pressurised baskets to hand and do the opv mod as well. Then I will be able to get a clearer picture.


The 15g in the basket, even though only making one drink with it is classed as a "double" by it's weight, the INEI (Italy's national espresso standards agency) class 7g of dry weight to be a single shot and 14 g of dry weight to be a double shot, so that is where the weight distinction has come from. Modern (i.e. non traditional Italian style) coffee shops may use anything from 14 to 22 g of dry weight to pull a "double" shot, most of the more modern places don't actually offer single shots prepared in a single basket. Also the traditional standards for espresso call for the 7 g single dose to produce 30 ml of espresso and for a double top produce 60 ml as a lot of people now use a lower brew ratio and weigh the output rather than go by volume the lines have become pretty blurred hence using the dry weight in the basket to classify the shot.


----------



## m4lcs67

Thanks loads for clarifying that, Charlie. I get it now.


----------



## Chillypillow

Interesting tips and one to remember, thanks.


----------

