Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Berkness on February 21, 2009 at 3:25pm

the quality of the shots is not exactly poorer. It can take a little time to get used to. when I use the single, i dose less, filling the portafilter a snitch under the top, and tamp slightly less. the shots come out perfect every time.

Permalink Reply by Thomas Ervin-Ward on July 13, 2009 at 9:57pm

We have a vintage lever machine which has 20g baskets with a double spout. One pull for 25ml and two pulls for 50ml. The taste is far superior than single dose shots from our newer volumetric machine (that sits in our garage at home). Our coffees tend to be a bit lighter than other coffees in the Melbourne market, so this extra dosing helps. Yes it costs more. But the customers retained & gained in our competitive market is worth it. You give them a 'good' coffee they are just as likely to go somewhere else. Give them a 'brilliant' coffee and they will keep coming back... with friends, family & clients. I get very disappointed when I go elsewhere -- places that have 'brilliant' coffee -- but barely cut through the milk. I suspect this is partly responsible for the rise in piccolo lattes in Melbourne as it showcases the multitude of 'single origins' the more intense taste for the latte drinker, without them having to pay for an extra shot.

But I'm drifting a bit. Don't be tipping out those 'extra' shots when you use a double portafilter. Press the single shot (30ml) button instead of the double shot (60ml) button and get the sweetness in the cup, not splitting half of it down the drain.

Permalink Reply by Kate Stylee on July 27, 2009 at 9:57am

In every cafe I have worked for, (award winning, and well known in the Ontario barista community) we have used single portafilters. In fact, I was trained to pull a perfect single shot before I was even allowed to try the double. I can't imagine having my single shot any other way! I'm really not sure why any really good barista would insist that a single shot from a single portafilter would be poor. To me, pulling a double just to waste half of it is seems a little silly. I must agree that if you know your grinder, and can adjust your tamp and dose to meet the needs, you should have a simply wonderful, full flavoured single shot out of a single portafilter.
Mike, I have in fact done the taste test you mentioned and found that I MUCH prefer the single shot from the single portafilter as opposed to tossing half of the flavour.