Down the rabbit hole I go…. I want to use my single spout portafilter. I use an 18g VST basket on my double spout when making milk drinks. I want to use 7/9g of coffee for a single / solo / small whatever you want to call it espresso that I drink in the middle of the day. I’ve heard single baskets can be unforgiving. The IMS The Single seems to be the way to go but any experience or guidance would be appreciated.

@"JesmondJester"#p59399 Make a double and throw half away! It will take a long time before you have saved the price on an IMS single basket so why worry

Well... Depends how much you pay for the coffee. Considering a kg of coffee costs more than £30 these days, it will take no time at all. The IMS single basket can be had for £15 or thereabouts, maybe cheaper. That's 500g of coffee :-) Coffee is expensive, not the basket.

@"JesmondJester"#p59399 - I've used them all: IMS E&B single, IMS the single, VST single. https://www.bluestarcoffee.eu/en/IMS-Competition-Single-Filter-Basket-79G--H265/m-3426.aspx They all kinda work, but they are not as straight forward to use as a double basket. The spent puck is often messy and soggy. For the VST 7g, you'll need a 42mm tamper. The grinder will have to be adjusted/dialled in for that dose and that basket. Also, the texture of a single shot is not quite the same as the texture of a "split double". But for £13 or so... you can always give it a go.

I am a single basket user and tried many. IMs the single works ok but you need a curved tamper base or overload the basket. For the last 2 years I’ve been using VST single and it’s the best of the bunch but as mentioned above you need a 42mm tamper and a dosing ring. I use a 15g and 18g VST baskets as well as don’t need to adjust the grind setting for 15g at all

Hi, perfect thread as I have been considering singles. So I make a normal shot say 18/36 out in 30 (for example) - a couple of times I have split it for 2 drinks and had a lovely smooth milky coffee. So i have a 14g basket which came with the micra. As a logical starting point would i look to do 14/28 out in 30… I guess I am asking how best to decide how long an extraction I should need (or at least to start with). Also smaller basket with less coffee will be quicker - but then if I grind finer I assume I could easily over extract and get a mess out…… How do you dial in your singles (ok 14 is not a single but its a smaller starting amount) cheers Matt

ive always stuck to a 17g dose in appropriate basket, unless ive been doing bonkers turbo extractions, never really messed with a single, but just approach as per normal,

I use an 18 gm VST, my wife prefers a single, I use a Gaggia Classic single basket with the same grind setting and have no complaints.

Single dose basket

MattH

Elcarajillo for the single if you dont change the grind do you just extract to X grams and ignore the time ?

Elcarajillo

MattH By weight and time is close enough. If you obtain a Classic single you may find a 58.5_6 a little tight lower down

prezes

follow the same as you do with other baskets and this coffee. 1:2.5 in 35 seconds for example

dfk41

I do not get all this single basket stuff. Using a 2:1 ratio for example, 18 gms extracts 36…..2 mouth fulls….are folks really saying they want to drink less than that? And before you start, I am well aware it is a free world and if you want to poke things in your eyes as part of your process then who am I to tell you that you cannot

JesmondJester

dfk41

I don’t want to drink less but if I had four or five doubles between 8am and 2pm, I’d be shaking like a leaf, angry and not able to concentrate!

For me, the reason to drink singles is:

chance to get up from my desk, use the new machine (not sure if I mentioned I have a new machine 😀), forget about work
learn something new
drink a delicious espresso, even if small, not consume too much caffeine

I could just save the shot from a double and make it into a longer drink but that’s less fun and not really what I want.

Each to their own and all that.

JesmondJester

MediumRoastSteam

Definitely not buying another tamper. Well, not yet anyway! That probably means the IMS is for me.

The different texture is fine. The mess - less so but I guess refining technique will help. Using the Niche so dialling in and out for different baskets should be relatively simple.

Albeit (and I know this is another much longer discussion for somewhere else), no matter how carefully I go back and forth between grind size on the Niche, it always needs a very slight adjustment to get it perfect again.

dfk41

JesmondJester During the height of the power debacle, @DavecUK used to make half a dozen espressos in one go and switch the machine off, then add a touch of hot water to them when needed……I am presuming if that is ok for a super taster, then for us mere mortals it would be fine!

LMSC

JesmondJester drink a delicious espresso, even if small, not consume too much caffeine

may be decaf or half-caf! 😊

JesmondJester

dfk41

This only satisfies one of my requirements. 😉

JesmondJester

LMSC

I’ll not knock decaf through an espresso machine but I am an all-or-nothing type of person. Unless it is double or single espresso apparently!

I’d rather have the full fat version of something in a smaller quantity than a half or fake version. That’s why I don’t drink non-alcoholic beer, eat vegetarian sausages or use low fat spreads.

It’s La Chouffe, Cumberland and butter all the way!

dfk41

JesmondJester That is exactly what I used to think. I drink quite a bit of decaf, not because I have to, but because I have found beans that I actually like and prefer. Now, as much as I want to be I am not an SO person. I much prefer a good blend! Additionally, I am convinced that many roasters see decaf as the poor relation and all they do is still an extra 90 seconds on to whatever they were roasting previously. Unless you are drinking coffee for the caffeine hit, then you are drinking it for the taste?

JesmondJester

dfk41

Full on addicted to caffeine - only in the amounts I like.

I will give decaf the chance it deserves in the future. More opportunity to use my new machine (yes, again!!) which can be no bad thing.

I’ll be sure to utilise your extensive knowledge at that time. :-)

LMSC

JesmondJester my new machine

Not sure you shared it with us before. Could you please share your set up. Perhaps, some photos would be nice too. 😊

JesmondJester

LMSC Be careful what you wish for but yes. Probably at the weekend though. There is another thread where I was considering whether to go for the Pro 400 or the Mechanika VI Slim. Obviously I plumped for the Mechanika Max because I was gently persuaded it ws the best choice by @DavecUK .

Shock of all shocks - he was right.

JesmondJester

Please excuse the masking tape and general state of the kitchen. Were about to get it ripped back to the walls and can’t decide how much counter space we need or in what configuration and the masking tape is an aide memoir for our thoughts.

Anyway, there is the Max. Need to think about work flow but it’s been a joy for the first four days of ownership.