Espresso portafilter: 2 cup filter for one cup of espresso?

[holger]

Hi there,

why are there 2 cup and 1 cup filters for a portafilter espresso machine?
If I use the same say 7g of ground espresso, will I get a different result if I use the 1 cup vs the 2 cup filter? Why would that be?

Cheers,
Holger

 

[shadow745]

Good question as most people don't bother using single (1 cup) baskets. Most singles are designed to hold 7-9 grams and double baskets average 16-18 grams. Single baskets have much more of a taper and can be difficult to distribute the grounds and tamp level to achieve even puck thickness. Typically single baskets also require a finer grind as the puck is thinner/less dense and the water will push through quicker if you use the same grind fineness as you normally would with a double basket.

Don't bother trying to use 7 grams in a double basket as you will end up with a soupy mess. You would need to use the proper dose for each basket to maintain the same head space, which is the space between the shower screen/top of tamped puck.

 

[holger]

Good question as most people don't bother using single (1 cup) baskets. Most singles are designed to hold 7-9 grams and double baskets average 16-18 grams. Single baskets have much more of a taper and can be difficult to distribute the grounds and tamp level to achieve even puck thickness. Typically single baskets also require a finer grind as the puck is thinner/less dense and the water will push through quicker if you use the same grind fineness as you normally would with a double basket.

Don't bother trying to use 7 grams in a double basket as you will end up with a soupy mess. You would need to use the proper dose for each basket to maintain the same head space, which is the space between the shower screen/top of tamped puck.

Thanks for your explanation!
Does that mean that single cups are much more difficult/impossible to make? I just want to make a single espresso / cappuccino for myself without either getting a caffeine shock or throwing away half of it. If I go to a good Italian restaurant, will they always make double shots?

 

[shadow745]

Definitely not impossible, but not rich/dense enough for me to bother with. I like ristretto type extractions and push maybe 1.5 oz of water through 19.5-20 grams of fairly finely ground coffee.

Dunno about the Italian restaurants as I never order coffee anywhere as it's 99.99999% likely to end in an overpriced disappointment.

I would recommend you extract a double and just cut it short on extraction time. Some think that can lead to an under balanced extraction, but to each his own. There is no right or wrong, just what you like.