Portafilter filters with one little hole

[crema123]

Does anyone have any idea why the home espresso makers portafilter filter sometimes only has one hole right in the middle? The commercial filters, of course, have a filter with a lot of holes, but these one's at the stores have only one hole, but a grating that makes it appear that there are more.

Is this a sign of a piece of junk?

 

[cloudsipper]

It may be designed for PODS !

 

[CCafe]

Please be more specific as to what you mean by one hole in the middle. Are you talking about the hole leading to the spout on the portafilter or the basket in the portafilter?

 

[crema123]

Hello CCafe,

Thanks for the response ... it is a single very small hole in the middle of the filter that goes into the portafilter. (not the spouts on the bottom of the portafilter). I suppose it's not really a filter, having only 1 little hole.

Thanks!

 

[Davec]

Hello CCafe,

Thanks for the response ... it is a single very small hole in the middle of the filter that goes into the portafilter. (not the spouts on the bottom of the portafilter). I suppose it's not really a filter, having only 1 little hole.

Thanks!

It's called a pressurised portafilter and allows you to produce "crema" from fairly coarsly ground coffee (such as sold in the supermarket). It's not a proper crema, but makes the cheap store machines appear to give a decent result. The actual espresso they produce is quite poor quality unfortunately.

 

[ericwuchina]

[quote:8ad8a043c5=\"Davec\"][quote:8ad8a043c5=\"crema123\"]Hello CCafe,

Thanks for the response ... it is a single very small hole in the middle of the filter that goes into the portafilter. (not the spouts on the bottom of the portafilter). I suppose it''s not really a filter, having only 1 little hole.

Thanks![/quote:8ad8a043c5]

It''s called a pressurised portafilter and allows you to produce \"crema\" from fairly coarsly ground coffee (such as sold in the supermarket). It''s not a proper crema, but makes the cheap store machines appear to give a decent result. The actual espresso they produce is quite poor quality unfortunately.[/quote:8ad8a043c5]

Two questions,

1. If there is no portafilter (just a small hole, I think the hole''s diameter is around 0.5mm), how to prevent the coffee powder going through this hole then into cup?

2. I sam some espresso brewers have this kind small hole also, of course with a portafilter, the coffee go through filter then bypass this hole, into cup. what''s the function of this hole? just for generating fate crema?