The negatives of this one are that the handle fairly easily unscrews, I’ve noticed this myself, but it’s a relatively small issue, you can just tighten it up, and if it gets to be a pain, you can always glue it.
Also, the one I have seems very well finished, but some people have mentioned that they’re not overly happy with the finish of the one they have received.
There are some instances where the tabs don’t appear to be 100% in the right place, which leads to not a perfect seal being formed, and espresso dripping from the edge.
What I’d say about that, however, is that this would be a defective product, so you’d be well within your right to request a replacement or refund if this is the case.
Features and Benefits:
• Nice looking
• Fits all the Sage 54mm machines
• Inexpensive
• Fits the stock Sage baskets
• Works well when you’re properly dialed in
This is a wooden handled 54mm naked portafilter compatible with Sage 54mm coffee machines, including the Bambino, Bambino Plus, Barista Pro, Barista Express & Barista Express Impress.
There are some reviews about this and other bottomless portafilters complaining that they’re messy, so just keep in mind that this is a comment about bottomless portafilters as a concept, and not a comment about this unit specifically.
Bottomless portafilters are a great tool, in that they give you visual clues as to what’s happening with the extraction. The biggest clue they give that you’re suffering from channeling in the basket, often simply caused by not being properly dialled in, is “spurters”.
These are what they sound like, spurts of espresso doing their best to re-decorate your kitchen.
Once you’re fairly well dialled in, however, you should find that spurters are quite small and localised, they tend to land in the cup, and they won’t lead to a mess or a divorce.
Overall, if you’re looking for an inexpensive bottomless portafilter for the Sage 54mm portafilter machines, this is one of the best lower cost options.
If you’re willing to spend up to double the cost, then there are some out there such as the Normcore 54mm naked portafilter that may be a better investment.