triple baskets

[michael]

when will the triple baskets be available

[Niko]

Nobody really knows the answer to this one.
It all depends on Lino, the guy who's going to make them. My guess is sometime in the Fall.
Yes, he's that busy.
I feel lucky that he's even considering taking on the project.

[michael]

and if i signed up on the poll, in principle, i should be able to purchase one or more of these?

[Niko]

Yes, in principle it is correct.
You should be able to acquire one, they won't disperse any second triples to anyone until they fill the orders for the first one.
I believe it's first come, first serve...and then seconds come later.

Since there's 50 baskets, in theory it's only going to make 25 triples (minus a few if any errors occur).

[michael]

i don"t follow on the 50 number or the 25; 25 doesn't seem like a lot to go around

[Niko]

No, there isn't a whole lot to go around.
Fred purchased 50 baskets at once to make sure they're the same size, from his initial report after measuring, they seem pretty consistent.
Now they're in Lino's hands for assessment.
50 doubles = 25 Triples because he cuts the baskets to weld them together.

[michael]

got it, but aren't there requests for more than 25 baskets; if so, is there a way to find out where one is on the list?

[Niko]

Yes, there's a high demand.
Some people might not get one but that remains to be seen, some might jump off the bandwagon at the last minute.

Here's a tentative list: http://homeroastespresso.googlepages.com/53mmtriples

[michael]

i know i responded to the poll and to a thread, but do not see my name on the list; how do i get on the list?

[Niko]

That poll came later.
Contact TomP10, Fred started the group buy for matching tampers and double baskets and then it turned into a triple basket group buy. Sorry, I know it seems confusing.
Send TomP10 a "PM" and he'll put you on that list also, Chas created that poll style list after to make things easier.

[michael]

did it

thanks for the tip

[EricC]

No need to apologise Tom.

It is us who must thank you for all of your efforts in bringing the triple baskets to fruition.

Many Thanks
Eric

[BillK]

I wish Lino would make a 13-14 gm basket. I really down-dosing and it would be easier and more accurate if I had a more shallow basket.

[Weska]

Something funny is going on here. I've lately gone the down-dosing route, and I want to try updosing into a triple basket. But my stock baskets (one direct from Bologna and one replacement from Chris) can't take any more than 15 grams without tending to choke. At that dose the puck compresses across the whole surface of the screen. At 13.5 to 14 grams, which is my present standard range, I get an impression of the bolt (and this is the replacement rounded hex bolt which is shallower than the stock bolt).

Dan Kehn's review talks about 17 grams as the happiest dose, and that leaves more than half of the ridge dimple exposed. I've never tried so much because it would cover the ridge and probably prevent me locking on.

What gives? Could my grind be that much more resistant to compression under a 30lb. tamp? My doses are always weighed on a 0.1gram little pocket-sized dope dealer's scale.

(Amazing how the market in small accurate scales is driven by druggies. Mine came with a calculator no charge--presumably for working out your volume discounts. And I remember seeing one built to fit in a CD case, presumably all the better to take to school and no one the wiser.)

[Niko]

I find my doses depend on the grinder, I can cram 18 grams into the basket with the Mazzer easily. The MACAP will drop and overflow the basket at 17 grams. I have that same pocket-style dope dealer scale that measures in the 0.1 gram increments also. I think the difference I'm seeing is that the Mazzer is holding back on the some of the grinds in its throat.
Then there's the weird double basket I have that you can cram (and you do have to cram) 21 grams in it. It's not a triple, just an oversized double that happens to fit that much coffee.

[BillK]

Something funny is going on here. I've lately gone the down-dosing route, and I want to try updosing into a triple basket. But my stock baskets (one direct from Bologna and one replacement from Chris) can't take any more than 15 grams without tending to choke. At that dose the puck compresses across the whole surface of the screen. At 13.5 to 14 grams, which is my present standard range, I get an impression of the bolt (and this is the replacement rounded hex bolt which is shallower than the stock bolt).

Dan Kehn's review talks about 17 grams as the happiest dose, and that leaves more than half of the ridge dimple exposed. I've never tried so much because it would cover the ridge and probably prevent me locking on.

What gives? Could my grind be that much more resistant to compression under a 30lb. tamp? My doses are always weighed on a 0.1gram little pocket-sized dope dealer's scale.

(Amazing how the market in small accurate scales is driven by druggies. Mine came with a calculator no charge--presumably for working out your volume discounts. And I remember seeing one built to fit in a CD case, presumably all the better to take to school and no one the wiser.)

Something doesn't seem quite right here. I can get 18 grams into an S1 double basket. I get to 13-14 grams by dragging a large tablespoon across the leveled coffee at a 90 degree angle.

Is your gram scale calibrated and known to be accurate?

[Weska]

Calibrated? Yes, BillK, but not very recently. I took out the 200gr calibration weight, and it came in at 200.1gr. Of course, in the range of interest that error could be larger.

"Known to be accurate" is a tough standard, but here is what I did to check that. I took a 15ml measuring spoon and filled it to a convex meniscus. That weighed 16.5gr, obviously too much. Then I shook it out until I got a convex meniscus that weighed 15.3gr. After that I recalibrated to my 200gr weight. Afterwards, that negative meniscus spoonful still weighed 15.3gr.

I think that rules out inaccuracies on the order of 1.5gr in 14gr.

[BillK]

I think that rules out inaccuracies on the order of 1.5gr in 14gr.

Yup.

I should add that I actually dose by volume (clack clack clack of the grindings into the portafilter as the grinder produces them, do this until grindings are mounded, scrape level with finger w/o any shaking, rapping, etc., then remove some by dragging the large tablespoon at 90 deg across the top of the basket - channeling is just a bad memory anymore), but I do check the weight quite regularly and I am almost always in the 13-14 gm range.

Are you getting this over a range of different bean types?

I just ran a test a couple of minutes ago, for your reference. I have some aged Sumatra, which is about the least dense bean I can think of. So it should give the light dose, using my preferred technique. I grind with a Mazzer. Using my technique, which does not involved any shaking or rapping of the basket or "working" the grindings down into the basket with fingers (Stockfleth, etc.), my leveled dose was 14 gm on Pelouse postal scale. I ran the tablespoon across the rim of the basket and it removed 2 gm. I measured what was removed, as well as the dose itself, and got 2 gm and 12 gm, respectively. With denser beans, I will typically see readings of 15-16 gm, leveled, and 13-14 gm after the tablespoon.

I then did a mounded dose and rapped the basket (not in the portafilter) twice, very lightly, then worked the grindings back and forth for a few seconds with my little pinky, all very gentle and in good practice, nothing aggressive, then leveled. 16 -17 gm. Same coffee.

I have four double baskets, all of them came from Chris. Earlier on I had one or two of them replaced, as there was that size inconsistency problem.

This is all I can tell you, Weska. This is a bit of a mystery. I'm gonna get some calibration weights and find out exactly what my scale is reading in this gram range. If I am off at all, I will let you know.

[Weska]

BillK, thanks for the extra input. I haven't tried updosing lately, but I have seen this with a good many beans. I rotate beans slowly because I buy at most three kinds of green every four months, as much as 20lbs of one kind. Lately it's been Sweetmaria's Classic Italian, roasted pretty dark. Nothing too extreme. In the past, similar doses with Moka Kadir and Liquid Amber from the same source. These are blends that should rule out any preponderance of really fluffy beans.

I'm thinking maybe another thing is at work. My dispersion disc is the circular pattern that measures 8mm in thickness. This is the way it came to me from Italy. Maybe this is the limiting factor rather than the basket. Are the rest of you using a slimmer disc?

There is some confusing talk on home-barista about this that never arrives at specific dimensions. The pictures that Chas posted on the website indicate that I do have the slimmer, newer choice.

I haven't used volume as the way to build a dose in a long time. Maybe I should try that too, measuring second as you just did.

[Niko]

The thicker, older dispersion disc (with a star-like pattern) didn't allow as much coffee to be used in the baskets, according to old reports. That's why they used the alternate screen configuration, so they can dose enough coffee in the triple baskets because of that old disc.
Perhaps you should get an old style disc for down-dosing.
I don't know if this old disc is still available, you may also want to consider using the Pod Kit for Spaziale that Chris sells on his website, not for Pods (bite my tongue) rather for that thicker dispersion disc for down-dosing.

[EricC]

I don't know if this old disc is still available,

Hi Niko,

The old disc was still available here in the UK a couple of weeks ago, because i bought one through Steve here :

http://www.hasbean.co.uk/

All the Best
Eric