Filter Basket Finder: Which basket for your espresso?
A different basket, a different espresso
The basket is the cheapest part of your machine — and one with a big effect: hole pattern and height change how the water flows through the coffee. Here, in seven questions, you work out which precision baskets fit your portafilter, your dose and your taste.
The controls: Seven selection fields — portafilter diameter in mm, dose in grams, roast, taste goal, bottomless portafilter, budget in CHF, shower screen.
The results: An order based on a fit indicator from our model — not a test verdict, not a measurement result, not a ranking by quality.
The basis: Manufacturer figures on hole pattern, dose range and height, plus our experience from the showroom and courses. No guarantee — details right below the tool.
In more detail: selection, data set, prices and sources
The controls in detail: Portafilter diameter 51, 54 or 58 mm — that's the outer diameter of your portafilter basket, measured in millimetres (Sage/Breville: 54 mm, DeLonghi: mostly 51 mm, most others: 58 mm). Dose in grams of coffee (7–9 g single, 14–16, 17–18, 20–22 or 24–28 g) — by weight, not by eye. Roast light, medium, dark. Taste goal sweetness, balance, clarity or body. Bottomless portafilter yes or no. Budget under CHF 35, CHF 35–60 or over CHF 60. Shower screen standard or precision.
The data set: In the results field, the tool shows you how many baskets and brands are stored — the number is counted from the data set, not typed in (as of 16.10.2026: 36 baskets from six brands, all checked via shop query; some baskets are variants of the same item). The order is a fit indicator from your answers and the properties of each basket: points for the taste goal, for the matching dose range, for the budget; a deduction if we don't recommend the hole pattern for your roast. A basket further down can still be the right one for you.
About the prices: The CHF amounts are stored in the tool as of 16.10.2026 and are re-read from the shop when you open it; if that fails, you see the stored state. They serve to make the budget selection meaningful. The price on the product page in the shop is always what counts.
The figure: Two baskets in cross-section, schematic. The puck height follows your dose (not in millimetres). On the left, the holes end before the wall — the edge gets less water and is drawn lighter; on the right, they reach all the way to the wall. The edge effect comes from a measurement series by Stéphane Ribes (March 2020, Decent DE1, 12 g: around 13 % yield at the edge, around 25 % in the centre) — one setup, one measurement series, not re-measured by us.
The basis in detail: Manufacturer figures on hole pattern, dose range, height and diameter, plus our experience values from the showroom and courses. We have done no flow or extraction measurements of our own for this tool — it classifies, it doesn't measure. We have not re-measured the manufacturer figures, and our experience values are judged by tasting, not measured in a lab.
Correction note (16.10.2026): The earlier version mentioned “nine brands” and put the yield of the Weber Unibasket at “22 % in under 20 s”; neither could be substantiated and both were replaced (brands are now counted; for the Unibasket, the manufacturer figure on hole area is given). The prices of the La Marzocco baskets (now CHF 31.79) and the availability of the 51 mm set were out of date. Two links (sensory, showroom) led nowhere.
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This is a simulator. It works with a simplified model and shows you relationships — not measurements and not an assurance of any kind. What ends up in your cup depends on your machine, your water, your beans and the way you work.
Our recommendations are based on experience from consultations, courses and the showroom. They are non-binding and provided without guarantee. We accept no liability for damage arising from their use. When in doubt, what your manufacturer writes in the instruction manual applies.
EstimateStraight to the result above: The order comes from a fit indicator from our model — estimated, not measured. And “matching basket” means: this is how we classify it from the showroom and courses. It's a suggestion from our experience, not a test verdict and not a measurement result on your machine.
What matters in a basket
Size first: The basket has to fit your portafilter — 51, 54 or 58 mm. Then the dose: Every basket is built for a range in grams; a basket that's too small hits the shower screen, one that's too big leaves the puck too shallow. Finally the hole pattern: More hole area all the way to the edge lets the whole puck take part; hole patterns concentrated towards the centre (Big Bang) emphasise sweetness and body; very fine holes (low-flow) slow the flow for a slow, calm extraction — our way in the roastery, but not the only one. As always: dose in and yield out in grams, ratio as a starting point, taste decides.
ManufacturerDose ranges, hole counts and hole sizes in this tool are manufacturer figures (IMS, La Marzocco, Weber Workshops, Normcore, Flair, MHW-3BOMBER), not re-measured by us. Community measurementEdge effect: S. Ribes, “Radial uniformity of espresso extractions” (March 2020), documented at Decent Espresso, link, accessed 16.10.2026.
You'll find more interactive tools bundled in our Coffee Tools — or browse the precision baskets directly. Questions about your basket are answered by Jackson, our AI advisor.
