How espresso portafilter baskets work
Know the basket in your portafilter
This site explains the metal basket that holds your coffee in an espresso machine's portafilter. It looks at pressurised and unpressurised types, single and double walls, sizes and dose. Each page compares the options and points you back to your own manual.
It's for home owners and hobbyists who have an espresso machine, or are thinking about one, and want to understand the basket.
All basket guides
What a Portafilter Basket DoesWhat the basket inside an espresso portafilter is for, and how its design shapes the way water moves through the coffee.
Pressurised vs Unpressurised BasketsHow pressurised and unpressurised espresso baskets differ, who each type suits, and how to tell which one your machine uses.
Single-Wall and Double-Wall BasketsWhat single-wall and double-wall mean for an espresso basket, how the two are built, and which coffee each is meant for.
Basket Sizes and Dose RangeHow an espresso basket's size, its stated dose range and the coffee you put in relate, using a maker's own manual as the guide.
Single and Double Baskets ExplainedWhat single-cup and double-cup espresso baskets are, how one maker says to use each, and how to match them to your machine.
How to Check Which Basket You HaveHow to identify an espresso basket from its holes, any markings and your manual, so you know whether it's pressurised or not.