ECM Bottomless Portafilter Olive Wood – bottomless portafilter for E61
Nothing stays hidden underneath: first dark drops, then a thread that draws together and keeps flowing, the colour of honey.
A bottomless portafilter takes away the spouts and lets you look straight at the bottom of the basket. What you see there is the extraction in a nutshell: if the water runs evenly through the puck, the individual drops quickly join into a calm stream. If it runs unevenly, you see it immediately as a bright jet shooting off to the side.
Particle size and the evenness of the grounds decide how the water finds its way. The open bottom makes this connection visible instead of hiding it behind chrome – and that's exactly why, after a few weeks, many people would rather reach for this portafilter than the one with spouts.
Chrome-plated body, olive wood handle
The body is finely chrome-plated and built at an angle, so your hand sits naturally when you lock it in. The handle is made of olive wood, light and with a lively grain. Because wood grows, no two pieces are alike. A subtle ECM embossing sits in the material; no more marking is needed.
A 21-gram basket is included. That sets a direction without locking you into it: the choice of basket changes the flavour profile fundamentally, because hole pattern and hole distribution control how evenly the water runs through the puck. Think in weight ratios rather than seconds – 1:2 is a good starting point, and everything else follows from what arrives in the cup.
And if a jet does shoot off to the side now and then, that's information, not a verdict. No shot can be replicated, because beans, humidity and people change every day. There are no espresso laws and no espresso police – the coffee has to taste good, nothing else counts. Our opinion is one of many.
At a glance
| Version |
Bottomless, open view of the extraction |
| Body |
High-quality chrome plating |
| Handle |
Olive wood, every piece unique |
| In the box |
With 21 g basket |
| Suitable for |
ECM machines with E61 group head |
| Marking |
Subtle ECM embossing |
| Care |
Hand cleaning recommended, not dishwasher-safe |
| Item number |
AC100037-00 |
Who it's for
For everyone with an E61 machine from ECM who wants to see what happens under the basket. The open bottom is the most honest feedback an espresso machine can give, and it costs nothing but the willingness to look.
It suits someone who has pulled the same shot every morning for years just as well as someone who's only just starting to set the grinder finer. No budget is just a beginning here, and nobody has to prove anything. If you like, simply put a cup underneath and watch.
What goes well with it
Because the open bottom shows every unevenness, distribution in the basket is the first thing worth looking at. For everyone who wants WDT tools that are affordable and precise: Normcore. If you want to invest more in material and mechanics, go for the Moonraker from Weber Workshops.
Next comes tamping – affordable and good with the Spring-Loaded Tamper from Normcore, with more investment from Weber Workshops. And because weight ratios guide you better than seconds, a coffee scale belongs with it: compact and reliable from Normcore, with app, flow rate display and Bluetooth from Acaia.
Frequently asked questions
What does a bottomless portafilter do?
It takes away the spouts and opens up the view of the bottom of the basket. That way you see directly how evenly the water runs through the puck, and you can adjust grind size and distribution accordingly.
Is a basket included?
Yes, a 21-gram basket is included. Other baskets fit too, and because the choice of basket noticeably changes the flavour profile, it's worth experimenting with it later on.
Will it fit my machine?
It's a precise fit for ECM machines with an E61 group head. On E61 machines from other brands, the mounts are usually similar but not always identical – send us your machine's article number and we'll give you a definite answer.
Can it go in the dishwasher?
No. ECM recommends cleaning it by hand, partly because of the wooden handle.
Can I see the product before buying?
Our showrooms in Bern (Gerberngasse 44) and Zurich (Hagenholzstrasse 50b) show a wide selection, but not our entire range – the display changes. Drop us a quick line at [email protected] before your visit, and we will check whether the product you have in mind is currently there. If you order online: delivery takes 2 to 4 working days throughout Switzerland and to Liechtenstein.
From the roastery
An open bottom also shows you how differently beans behave. Dense, sweet roasts like Cozy Chocolate and Nutty Delight run calmly and give plenty of body with chocolate and nut. If you're looking for maximum body without any acidity, go for Very Nutty; if you'd like to discover something fruity, Wild Peach. That's our recommendation, and it doesn't rule out any other bean.
