Before diagnosing extraction issues, confirm the portafilter is the right fit for your machine:

• Check our compatibility list to make sure your machine model is supported.
• Confirm the item received matches your order.
• Lock the portafilter into your group head and check for water leaking from the top seal when brewing.

If there's no leaking from the top and spurting is only coming from the bottom — the portafilter is working exactly as it should. It's not defective, it's simply highlighting areas where your espresso prep may need some improvement.

Spurting or "channeling" happens when water flows unevenly through the coffee puck. This can lead to a messy shot, uneven crema, or sour/bitter taste. Common causes include:

• Improper dosing — too little coffee leaves gaps in the puck; too much causes resistance and blowouts.
• Incorrect grind size — too coarse and water rushes through; too fine and pressure builds excessively causing spurting.
• Uneven distribution — grounds not evenly spread allow water to punch through weak spots, creating channeling.
• Inconsistent tamping — a tilted or uneven tamp creates uneven resistance and disrupts flow.
• Stale beans — beans that have lost their CO₂ extract unevenly and can contribute to channeling and poor flow.

1. 1
   Weigh Your Dose

   Use a scale and match your dose to your basket size — for example, 18g in an 18g basket. Consistency is everything.

2. 2
   Use Fresh, Freshly Roasted Beans

   Aim for beans roasted within the last 2–4 weeks. Stale beans lose CO₂ and extract unevenly.

3. 3
   Dial In Your Grind

   We don't recommend pre-ground coffee — it limits your ability to fine-tune. Start with your usual setting, then:

   • Go finer if the shot flows too fast or spurts.
   • Go coarser if it chokes or runs too slowly.
4. 4
   Use a WDT Tool

   A WDT (Weiss Distribution Technique) tool breaks up clumps and ensures grounds are evenly spread in the basket.

5. 5
   Try a Distribution Tool

   This levels the puck surface for consistent density across the entire bed.

6. 6
   Tamp Evenly

   Apply firm, level pressure with a flat tamper. Avoid tilting — uneven tamping causes uneven flow.

7. 7
   Check the Results & Adjust

   • Still runs fast? Pull another shot — tamping inconsistencies can cause variations.
   • Multiple shots running fast? Go finer and try again.
   • Shot too slow or won't flow? Go a touch coarser.

Keep adjusting until you hit balanced flow and great taste. Once dialled in, your portafilter will consistently deliver café-quality espresso.

A very common concern — and a great question. Here's what's really going on:

• First, check if your previous portafilter used a pressurised basket. Pressurised baskets are designed to be forgiving — they build artificial pressure and hide inconsistencies in grind size, tamping, and distribution. Even pre-ground coffee can work reasonably well with one.
• In contrast, non-pressurised baskets (like those used in your new bottomless or upgraded double-spout portafilter) require more precision and rely on a well-prepared puck to extract properly. They reveal issues — they don't hide them. That's actually a good thing — it means you're on your way to brewing like a pro.
• Also check the size of your old basket. Your new portafilter likely comes with a larger basket (typically 18g) than your previous one — which means your old grind setting, dose, and prep technique may no longer apply. You'll likely need to grind finer, increase your dose, or adjust your prep. Dial in fresh from scratch.

Some portafilters are designed in a way that artificially creates extra pressure, producing a thick, bubbly foam that looks like crema — but isn't. It can be "fake".

A bottomless portafilter only tells the truth. Real crema is smooth, rich, and golden — thinner and silkier than the bubbly foam you may be used to, but it's the genuine article. 🏆

If your old crema looked like the left in the photo below, it could be "fake". The right is what real crema looks like.

Left: "fake" bubbly crema  ·  Right: real golden crema

Fresh, well-roasted beans + good technique = smooth, golden crema you can be proud of. ☕