Non-Pressurized Portafilter Upgrade for Saeco and Starbucks Espresso Machines

I had started noticing an odd taste/smell to my coffee, especially if I made iced coffee. (?) Can't quite describe it. "Rancid" is closest I can come up with. From fresh bought, fresh ground coffee. I suppose I was becoming sensitive to the difference between pressurized and non-pressurized. I bought the non-pressurized just to see and it's a world of difference once you actually pull a good shot.

I'm struggling with consistency because I'm trying to find a reasonably priced substitute for my local roaster's delicious but expensive beans. Cycling through different coffees. When I do get a nice 25-30 second shot, it's heaven in a cup. My "Americanos" are especially amazing. Never had coffee like that in my life. Now to find the coffee of my dreams that doesn't wipe out our retirement savings.

I thought I'd use the pressurized filter now and then just to save time and bought an extra basket. Got up one morning and made an Americano with the old pressurized. Bleah! A few months ago you could not have convinced me that there was that much difference and I'd have told you that coffee fanatics were exaggerating.

If you like what you've got, and the pressurized is good for you, stick with it. It's faster and it uses less coffee. But if you find it isn't quite right like I did...

(Posted on 4/21/13)

After several years of debating whether to hack my pressurized PF, I caved in and bought this, along with the Vario Preciso grinder (after my decades-old Braun grinder croaked). The two make a terrific enhancement to our humble Craigslist Starbucks Barista. We are buying good fresh roasted beans again as they make a huge difference with the better grinder and PF. It was fairly easy to learn the proper grind and tamp. Friends are amazed!

I unscrewed the double spout from the upgraded PF making it easier to hit the shot glass. (But I just ordered a Rattleware 3 oz pitcher anyway).

(Posted on 3/27/13)

As everyone else seems to be testifying to: this is a great portafilter, and I'm pretty much thrilled to have it--in what appears at the inner workings of it, one solid cast piece that won't break as my original Starbuck's Barista one did in my hand upon snugging it up to the machine.

However, I have to report that the original basket that we're told will fit / work with this is "mostly" correct. It fits in nicely--fairly snug. This issue is, is that it's too darn snug of a fit. Once I got it in, seated properly and made a cappuccino, I could not get the little basket filter out of the portafilter for cleaning. It was even very tough to pry it out with a delicate screwdriver tip--bending the edge of that inner (original) basket. So my answer was to leave it intact and only deal with prying it apart every now and then for a more thorough cleaning.

Happy with the portafilter. Not happy with that situation. So that's why I could only give it 4 stars for "Value" instead of 5. Otherwise it's great.

(Posted on 3/7/13)

When I needed to replace my original portafilter, because the plastic handle eventually broke, I began looking for a replacement. I was pleased to find this portafilter. I had modified my original to be unpressurized, and this looked like a good replacement. The metal build, especially at the handle joint is of great quality and the most sturdy replacement I could find. The price of this was also lower than other replacements I had researched! Thanks!!!

(Posted on 10/9/12)

This portafilter handle is great. Looks much nicer than the stock pressurized portafilter and also performs well. Looks like a smaller version of the typical 58mm double spout commercial portafilter.

Despite what one of the pictures show there is a double spout on this unit. There are other non pressurized portafilters for this machine around the net and I assure you they are not nearly as nice as this, they appear to be cheap aluminum. This one seems to be chrome plated brass.

A steal at $60. Thanks SCG!

(Posted on 8/31/12)

This is way better than the pressurized portafilter that came with my Saeco Aroma but it was 1/4 of the price of the entire espresso machine! Huh? Holy Smoke! Only the finest and made in Italy. I have to say, it works very well.

(Posted on 8/30/12)

Looking to get the most out of my barista, I'd tried hacking the pressurized portafilter, and while it got the job done, it was sloppy and sometimes leaked. This is a great replacement and is very well built. It is very well constructed and has a solid feel to it like that of a commercial portafilter. If you're not quite ready to make the jump to a silvia, matching this with a saeco machine is a great starter set up for the in home barista

(Posted on 6/29/12)

This is a terrific upgrade. Worth every penny if you have a Saeco. Get a Baratza Encore and 53 mm Tamp and you're set for very little. Thanks!

(Posted on 6/28/12)

I purchased two of these. One I left original and the other I cut out the bottom for a naked portafilter. Both lock into the machine nicely. Both have a heavy commercial feel. The chrome finish was/is gorgeous and they hold the filter basket very well. Nice upgrade to a decent little machine.

Pros:
Easy To Use, Easy To Clean

Cons:
None

(Posted on 4/25/12)

A real portafilter, for your Aroma Saeco. Works just as described.

Pros:
Easy To Use, Easy To Clean

Cons:

(Posted on 4/5/12)

fantastic quality compared to the original Saeco pressurized portafilter, but getting the shot right is not easy

Pros:
Easy To Use, Commercial Grade, Great Taste, Easy To Clean

Cons:
Not for the lazy

(Posted on 4/2/12)

As long as the correct grind is used, this portafilter makes a great cup of espresso using my Via Venezia machine. Superior taste to pressurized portafilter, although the latter does well for beginners. Truly a great attachment to a good machine.

Pros:
Great Taste, Easy To Use, Easy To Clean, Makes a great cup of espr

Cons:

(Posted on 3/25/12)

Far better to replace with this than with the cheap aluminum junk
that is actually more expensive!

Pros:
Commercial Grade

Cons:

(Posted on 3/18/12)

"This is the portafilter you've been looking for..."

I've always been happy with my Saeco Aroma. I looks fantastic in stainless steel and I was able to pull a good shot but as I grew more experienced I grew the less satisfied I was with the stock, pressurized portafilter. Yes, it was easy to get a shot but it didn't look quite right.

Eventually I hacked the stock, pressurized portafilter to function as a non-pressurized one by taking out the springs, gaskets and plastic bits inside. It worked well but, man, was it ugly and virtually impossible to keep clean.

Once I saw the new non-pressurized portafilter from Saeco I knew I had to have it. It fits perfectly, unlike other aftermarket filters and looks great with a nice black handle and shiny chromed steel. It's super easy to clean, to boot!

Pros:
Professional Look, Easy To Clean

Cons:

(Posted on 2/8/12)

Sturdy, well-made device. Filter baskets fit too loosely in portafilter, and fall out during cleaning. Item should be shipped with its own filter baskets.

Pros:
Great Taste, Easy To Clean, Easy To Use

Cons:
Messy

(Posted on 1/29/12)

To use this product be prepared to grind and pack a lot of coffee before you get to a point were you are satisfied with the final product

Pros:
Commercial Grade, Easy To Clean

Cons:
Not easy to use, Learning curve required

(Posted on 1/25/12)

I own two espresso systems - Rancilio Silvia and Rocky at home, and a 15-year old Starbucks Barista with a Gaggia MDF at my weekend cottage. When the rubber ring in the Barista pressurized portafilter started to wear down, I was debating whether to get a new machine or replace it with a nonpressurized filter. Aside from the coffee not tasting as good as the Siliva, the pressurized filter would not fit in the MDF doser so I had to grind into a pinch bowl to transfer to the filter. The filter was also messy to clean.

I am glad I bought the nonpressurized filter. It fits under the MDF doser. My spent coffee knocks out as a puck instead of a sloshy mess. Best of all, my coffee from the Barista now tastes as good as the one from the Silvia. And I spent only a fraction of what it would have cost for a new espresso maker.

The construction quality is very good as well.

Pros:
Easy To Use, Great Taste, Easy To Clean

Cons:

(Posted on 1/13/12)

Combination of a good grinder and this portafilter, you'll be making espresso coffee houses dream of. After 30 minutes of fiddling with my grinder, tamp pressure and pulling shots, one can find the sweet spot. Don't be afraid of the big step to a non-pressureized portafilter, its worth every penny. Be pro!

Pros:
Easy To Clean, Great Taste

Cons:

(Posted on 1/2/12)

This portafilter is a big improvement over the pressurized one the machine comes with and the original non-pressurized one with the scalloped internal edges. This is how the SAECO should have been equipped with from the beginning. I had to wait a while for the new one to be stocked but it was worth the wait. As with all non-pressurized portafilters there ia a small learning curve in learning how fine to grind and tamping pressure. Suggest getting a good quality tamper to keep this baby company.

Pros:
Easy To Use, Commercial Grade, Easy To Clean

Cons:

(Posted on 12/30/11)

This portafilter is very easily converted to bottomless with a Dremel and about a half hour of work. Since brass is a relatively soft metal, you will not have a lot of trouble cutting the bottom out. I have removed the plastic handle, as it is very cheaply made, but I can get enough leverage onto the brew head from the metal extension the plastic handle connects to. With a little bit of experimenting with the boiler (I fully purge immediately before brewing), a very fine and uniform grind (I use the finest setting on a Capresso Infinity - saving for that Virtuoso Preciso...), about a 20g dose (a little heavy but if you can't grind any finer, this will slow your pull down a bit), and a proper tamp, you can pull some seriously tasty and beautiful shots out of your Saeco (photo: [@]). Spend $50 on a new portafilter before you even think about upgrading your machine. Your grind should be top notch before your machine anyways :)

Pros:
Great Taste, Easy To Clean, Easy To Use

Cons:
Handle is very "cheap"

(Posted on 4/14/11)

With practice, the non-pressurized portafilter upgrade performs as this website professes. It is entirely compatible with our 10 year old Starbucks Barista and our new Saeco Via Venezia Espresso Makers. The non-pressurized portafilter requires a finer grind (#7); whereas the pressurized does best with a coarser grind (#10) with our burr grinder. In all honestly, the Saeco machines do justice to our morning Caf

(Posted on 4/6/11)

I was thrilled to get the non-pressurized portafilter upgrade for my Starbucks Barista machine. A couple of things I want to note--1.The handle was black, though the one pictured online was grey. I was happy about this, because my machine is black. So, it matches better. 2. The handle doesn't feel very sturdy. I'm a little concerned that if I jarred it on a particularly hard tamp, it might snap the handle off. [...]By the way, it pulls fantastic shots! It's so worth it to use the non-pressurized filter.

Pros:
Pulls excellent shots

Cons:
Handle could be sturdier

(Posted on 2/22/11)

I purchased this excellent product upgrade, as soon as I found the Saeco Via Venezia available at an irresistible promotion at a nearby retailer. I used the machine the first week with the pressurized portafilter and found the product to be consistent and very acceptable. After the SCG np portafilter came, I've never looked back. It provides me with pull after pull of excellent espresso! The only (very minor, more for my partner's aesthetic demands) issue I have with it is that the handle shape and color (grey) don't match the Saeco unit's scheme (black, SS and brushed aluminum trim).

Pros:
Easy To Use, Easy To Clean, Commercial Grade, Good Upgrade

Cons:
Handle Color Doesn't Matc

(Posted on 1/12/11)

I get mixed results using this non-pressurized portafilter. Yes, I realize that it takes practice and I am working on it. Overall, I would recommend this but I would caution that it will take practice. I have the Virtuoso Grinder set all the way to the finest setting and I'm not certain if that is the issue but I get mediocre crema results that are inconsistent.

Pros:
Great Taste, Quick Brewing

Cons:
Unreliable

(Posted on 11/17/10)

You have to get the grind, amount of coffee, and the manually applied pressure right. When you do, the shot is very good. I have already had several compliments on how the coffee tastes better than before (using the pressurized portafilter).

Pros:
Easy To Use, Great Taste, Easy To Clean

Cons:

(Posted on 11/11/10)

I read some good things about the non-pressurized portafilter for my Barista (Saeco) machine but was still skeptical. I finally decided to buy one. The extraction on my first shot was too fast so I ground a little finer and tamped a tad harder. The second shot extraction was the best I have ever had from this machine in over 5 years of using the pressurized portafilter. I was happily surprised by the difference. This has breathed new life into this machine. Highly recommended.

Pros:
Easy To Use, Easy To Clean

Cons:

(Posted on 8/11/10)

Great Portafilter [...]

Pros:


Cons:

(Posted on 7/16/10)

I was a little skeptical about whether using a non-pressurized portafilter would make any difference in the end product. I am so happy that I decided to try the NPP. It's fun to use and it makes better espresso.

I used the pressurized portafilter that came with my Saeco Aroma for several weeks and I found the results to be very good. No tamping and no problems. So why change? Pursuit of the perfect cup of espresso, that's why. Plus I wanted to tamp with the big kids.

I got the NPP and a Rattleware stainless steel tamper (53mm). I love the espresso and I love the whole procedure. The espresso is stronger and more syrupy and the crema is finer. The experience is more fun for the tamping! It's not hard to do, so give it a try.

Pros:
Easy To Use, Easy To Clean, Great Taste

Cons:

(Posted on 6/18/10)