Do you prefer bottomless or spouted portafilters?
I’m looking to replace the one on my machine, and I can’t decide if I should go with a spouted like I have now, or try a bottomless. I don’t really make two espressos at once, so the double spout is not a necessity for me.
I think it depends… If you’re happy with your shots, a bottomless might just expose you to info that might drive you crazy.
Bottomless lets you see how well or how poorly things are going. You’ll experience spraying, see obvious channeling, see uneven shots, etc.
A spout keeps all that stuff secret so you can focus on how it tastes.
I use a bottomless from Joe Frex, with one of those fancy “competition” baskets. I like it.