Paper filter at the bottom of your portafilter?

I have been using one filter paper disc at the bottom and one at the top and then a stainless steel mesh disc on top of the filter at the top. I have not been finding any negative tangible difference in taste. On the other hand the shot usually runs faster than if I don’t use filter paper so I assume that it’s helping the flow through the puck.

My main reason for doing it is because some studies apparently showed that it cuts down significantly on the fats that are transferred into the espresso. I have started using two filter paper discs at the bottom for this health benefit to enhance the filtering out of fats even more and I am not really finding any tangible diminution in the taste.

Here is a study that seems to suggest that two fats found in espresso can cause a significant rise in blood cholesterol.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070614162223.htm

When I was on 58mm baskets I preferred the clean taste from my SSP and ims e&b super fine basket.

Adding paper is a bit of a faff for me and just adds another variable to the equation.

I’ve tried it in the past with a cut v60 paper, but didn’t like the results.

So who’s using a paper filter these days at the bottom of their espresso puck and what type of roast of coffee?

I still use them on some shots, in the Pullman basket

Generally light to medium

Cuprajake ok. So not really useful for medium to dark ?

It will clean the cup up a little as it will trap solids from the cup

So loss of texture

Depends what you want from the bean and it’s notes 😁

I use a paper filter not only for below the puck but above the puck as well for almost all the shots I make. I don’t really taste any difference but I do notice it makes the shot faster so I assume its helping with the extraction rate. I am doing it more to keep the group screen cleaner and to trap more fats from entering the cup for health reasons.

I still use them, made some from chemex filters which can be rinsed and reused. Not sure I’d bother with them if they were single use though, seems rather wasteful compared to the pretty marginal differences in cup I’ve noticed.

drdre89 I use the aeropress filter paper. take a bit more work as it’s 63.5mm but it works, cheap as hell (I bought 350 pieces for like, 3.5 GBP ? made in USA, good quality. compared to 400 pieces/10 GBP/made in china 58mm, yeah, aeropress every day.

I don’t intend to improve extraction or taste, but it reduces channeling and make the pf bottom much cleaner, so, why not

Where can I buy espresso filter papers that fit 58mm VST basket. Most of those Chinese papers are too big for the bottom of a VST basket.