VST Double 58 mm Basket, Traveling Road Show

[ReddyK]

Did you just miss me or was I too late to play?
Thanks,
Steve

[BoldJava]

Did you just miss me or was I too late to play?
Thanks,
Steve

A-ooops!  I haven't been too shiny lately Steve.  You are in.

B|Java

[thejavaman]

...Let the good 'presso roll.  On its way, Kevin...

I'll keep an eye out for the mailman. Hopefully he can wade through my moving mess.  Looking forward to trying this sucker out.

[thejavaman]

Well, the VST basket showed up yesterday and I've been pulling several shots with it ever since.  It took me a little while to get my grind/tamp dialed in (I had to use a touch coarser grind & a touch harder tamp than I normally do), but about the fourth shot I pulled came out just about perfect.  I used ~17.5 grams of El Salvador "Molino de Santa Rita"[/url] roasted to Full City & rested ~5 days, which yielded a 2 oz. double shot in ~28 seconds.  Comparing my "regular" Gaggia filter basket to this VST basket, I can definitely tell the VST basket has a few more holes and they are more precisely placed (especially near the edges).  How did the shots taste?  Very, very good.  So far, after about a day and a half of testing, I'll be the first to admit that all things being equal and all other variables being strictly controlled, I'd be hard pressed to identify which shot was made using the VST basket versus a "regular" Gaggia filter basket in a blind taste test.  If anything, the shots pulled with the VST basket are a tad more "refined" and a tad "cleaner" due to a slight reduction in sediment (that could also be attributed to the "placebo effect" though too).  I'm going to continue using the VST basket through the remainder of the weekend and I'll report back if anything mind blowing happens, then it will be off to Chad early next week....

[BoldJava]

Dante has jumped in there and will be last on the last.  He bought the portafilter from me and he will be the poster child for the product in the Philippines.

2.  TheJavaMan
3.  CFSheridan, the Commodore
4.   JSpain
5.  StevieBoy9
6.  ReddyK
---
7.  BoldJava
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8.  Dante

B|Java

[Dante]

Thanks Dave! This way is certainly cheaper than me flying to Wisconsin to try the basket in your house. And at Peter's! 

[BoldJava]

Thanks Dave! This way is certainly cheaper than me flying to Wisconsin to try the basket in your house. And at Peter's!  

At Peter's you get better coffee but ugly waiter.  Toss up.

B|Java

[peter]

Thanks Dave! This way is certainly cheaper than me flying to Wisconsin to try the basket in your house. And at Peter's!  

At Peter's you get better coffee but ugly waiter.  Toss up.

B|Java

[mp]

Thanks Dave! This way is certainly cheaper than me flying to Wisconsin to try the basket in your house. And at Peter's!  

At Peter's you get better coffee but ugly waiter.  Toss up.

B|Java

 

[BoldJava]

...and that is Peter on a good day.

B|Java

[cfsheridan]

It has arrived.  I'll start pulling shots in the next few days...may have to grab some CC Apollo Blend to pull through here along with the Ardi and other SOs

[BoldJava]

H-B reading - seems by general consensus that a finer grind works better in the VST.

[thejavaman]

 

H-B reading - seems by general consensus that a finer grind works better in the VST.

Maybe I didn't have the time to test it out as thoroughly as I could have, but I found that I had to grind just a touch coarser than I normally do, but I did have to tamp a little harder too.  I'm curious to see how Chad makes out with it with his supreme set up.

[jspain]

I believe I'm next on the list after the commador has completed his test drive. I'll try several grind options with the super jolly with several of my best origins and blends. I'm interested to see if I can tell a difference in the shot quality? Ms. Silvia is not the best machine, but she has done me well over these last couple years.

From rain soaked east central OHIO

[BoldJava]

Jim,

Chad indicates that this is headed your way.

B|Java