DavecUK Hi Dave, You may be right but my problem is not the puck sticking to the screen but the rim of the basket sticking very strongly to the filter head. It is very firmly stuck and needs a lot of force to shift it. Wiggling the portafilter doesn’t come close to working. I have to grasp the hot basket with a cloth and force it off. Hasn’t happened since I used a bit more grease on the gasket.

PS Noting your comment about Elizabeth could it be the type of gasket used in the filter head? Maybe changing this for a different type (?PTFE might be best) would help.

Lelit Elizabeth (2) , Eureka Oro Mignon Single Dose, Mignon Mk2 (converted to single dose), Aerolatte Mini grinders(2), cafetières, Bodum K1218 Vacuum

    MediumRoastSteam Good point about the gasket being wet. Might be the case with me but hard to check. It mainly happens after the machine has been switched on for a while with the basket in place since it was last used. I would have thought thank water would have evaporated by then but maybe that is the cause. I will try removing the basket when cold and checking and drying it before I switch on.

    Lelit Elizabeth (2) , Eureka Oro Mignon Single Dose, Mignon Mk2 (converted to single dose), Aerolatte Mini grinders(2), cafetières, Bodum K1218 Vacuum

      It didn’t work!

      On further reflection and after checking the clearances again it seems as if the basket is sticking firmly - very - to the gasket in the base of the brew boiler. A little silicone grease applied with a Qtip stops it and since I have been doing this it hasn’t stuck again. I am applying a tiny bit of grease about twice a week.

      I will see if I can find a source for a better quality gasket (maybe PTFE) which might solve the problem permanently. I didn’t get this with either of my Ascaso machines (Dream and Duo Steel) both of which had a slightly softer gasket.

      Anyway an annoying problem solved.

      Lelit Elizabeth (2) , Eureka Oro Mignon Single Dose, Mignon Mk2 (converted to single dose), Aerolatte Mini grinders(2), cafetières, Bodum K1218 Vacuum

        I bought a silicone gasket for my sage dual boiler and all of the la marzoccos I work with have silicone gaskets instead of the standard rubber ones. They are softer and last longer, even in a very busy cafe our engineer said they don’t actually need replaced for at least a couple of years (although they do get replaced yearly during the service).

        I have seen this problem come up on HB with VST baskets in the elizabeth being very hard to lock in.

        The cafelat e61 8mm is supposed to fit the elizabeth and is a little slimmer than stock so it might help: https://www.cafelat.co.uk/collections/silicone-group-gaskets/products/e61-red

        Coffee Roaster. Home: Sage Dual Boiler, Niche Zero, Ode v2 (SSP), 1zpresso ZP6 Work: Eagle One Prima EXP, mahlkonig e80s, Mazzer Philos and lots more

          InfamousTuba Thank you very much for this link. I will order a couple.

          Lelit Elizabeth (2) , Eureka Oro Mignon Single Dose, Mignon Mk2 (converted to single dose), Aerolatte Mini grinders(2), cafetières, Bodum K1218 Vacuum

              MBdoc if the basket is sticking firmly - very - to the gasket in the base of the brew boiler.

              Do you mean the group gasket?

              InfamousTuba I have seen this problem come up on HB with VST baskets in the elizabeth being very hard to lock in

              Been using VSTs since for ever. And you are correct, the VST sits a little proud on my PF - the IMS E&B is a better fit, and, for me at least, after testing it over a few weeks, they are very similar to the VST - even the grind is pretty much the same.

                    MediumRoastSteam Yes it’s the group gasket. The VMP lack one that the portafilter seats against.

                    Lelit Elizabeth (2) , Eureka Oro Mignon Single Dose, Mignon Mk2 (converted to single dose), Aerolatte Mini grinders(2), cafetières, Bodum K1218 Vacuum

                      9 days later

                      MBdoc The new Cafelat gaskets arrived yesterday and I fitted one to my Elizabeth in UK. Surprisingly, although it certainly doesn’t stick, it seemed quite a bit harder to unlock the basket after making a coffee. I had applied a thin film of silicone grease before I fitted the new gasket and also on the lugs on the portafilter. Maybe it will improve after a few uses.

                      Lelit Elizabeth (2) , Eureka Oro Mignon Single Dose, Mignon Mk2 (converted to single dose), Aerolatte Mini grinders(2), cafetières, Bodum K1218 Vacuum

                          MBdoc I had applied a thin film of silicone grease before I fitted the new gasket

                          You don’t need to do this, at all. Silicone, unlike rubber, will not bake on the group when hot and won’t stick. Just make sure your group is immaculately clean before fitting it. It will simply come off like brand new. I had mine on for 3 years now, so speaking from experience. 👍

                              MediumRoastSteam It doesn’t stick, just rather stif to get the portafilter on and off. Maybe I need to be a bit gentler locking it on.

                              Lelit Elizabeth (2) , Eureka Oro Mignon Single Dose, Mignon Mk2 (converted to single dose), Aerolatte Mini grinders(2), cafetières, Bodum K1218 Vacuum

                                  MBdoc - I’m purely pointing out that you do not need to apply silicone grease on a silicone gasket, that’s all. 👍

                                    Understood and thank you.

                                    Lelit Elizabeth (2) , Eureka Oro Mignon Single Dose, Mignon Mk2 (converted to single dose), Aerolatte Mini grinders(2), cafetières, Bodum K1218 Vacuum