Bottomless or "naked" portafilters are highly valuable devices to create espresso, and they are stunning to look at. However, like many espresso accessories, they have never been commonly available for the 54mm range of Breville espresso machines, such as the Barista Expresso and the Barista Pro.
That dilemma has been answered by anyone. This 54mm bottomless portafilter was originally designed for these 54mm Breville espresso machines.
The portafilter uses the stock filter basket that came with your Breville system and transforms it conveniently into a beautifully finished, wooden, bottomless portafilter. Bottomless portafilters are useful for two main reasons:
Shot Diagnosis
The bottomless portafilter helps you to see just what's going on with your shot as it progresses. With a conventional beveled portafilter, all this detail is covered! This can be a help when dialing in, or when attempting to fix problems with the accuracy of shots.
Temperature / Crema Retention
There is no physical interaction between the espresso and the metal beam of the bottomless portafilter. The espresso is going to drop right into your shot glass. This is an advantage because it doesn't smash any of the fine cream bubbles on their way into your cup, or it doesn't suck the heat out of your shot. The effect is a colder, better textured, cream-rich shot of espresso.
I'm happy someone took it upon themselves to make a bottomless portafilter for the Breville espresso machines. Just because 54mm coffee maker are usually branded as "entry-level" does not mean that users do not need to tweak and enhance shot-flow analysis. I strongly recommend this product to anybody looking to step up their espresso abilities, or simply add a classy wood accent to their home espresso system.