A bottomless portafilter removes the spouts that normally hide the bottom of your filter basket, giving you a clear view of your espresso as it extracts.
Instead of guessing why a shot tastes off, you can watch the extraction and spot issues like channeling, uneven flow, and poor puck preparation in real time.
The bottomless portafilter doesn't cause channeling. It reveals it.
Before You Start
What You'll Need
- Crema Bottomless Portafilter
- Compatible filter basket
- Fresh coffee beans
- Espresso grinder
- Tamper
- Espresso machine
Recommended:
- WDT Tool
- Dosing Funnel
- Precision Tamper/Distributor
- Dosing Cup
The Crema Bottomless Portafilter includes a single-wall, double-shot 16–18g basket.
Check Your Machine
Make sure you've selected the correct portafilter size for your machine.
54mm
- Breville Barista Express
- Barista Express Impress
- Barista Pro
- Barista Touch
- Barista Touch Impress
- Bambino
- Bambino Plus
- Infuser
- Duo-Temp Pro
- Solis
58mm Breville
- Dual Boiler
- Oracle
- Oracle Touch
58mm E61
- ECM
- Flair 58
- La Marzocco
- Rocket
- Ascaso
- Rancilio
- Slayer
- Diletta
- Lelit
- Profitec
- Bezzera
- Lucca
- Quick Mill
This E61 list isn't exhaustive, so customers should confirm their machine's specifications if it isn't listed.
View Full Product Compatibility Guide →
How to Use Your Bottomless Portafilter
Step 1: Insert Your Filter Basket
Place your compatible filter basket into the portafilter.
Make sure the basket is fully seated before adding coffee.
Step 2: Dose Your Coffee
Grind your coffee directly into the basket or into a dosing cup before transferring it.
Use the dose appropriate for your basket.
For the included Crema 54mm double basket: 16–18g.
Step 3: Prepare Your Puck
Distribute your coffee evenly before tamping.
For the best visual feedback from a bottomless portafilter, your puck preparation needs to be reasonably consistent.
A typical workflow is:
Grind → WDT → Distribute → Tamp
The bottomless portafilter isn't a replacement for good puck preparation. It's the tool that lets you see the results of it.
Step 4: Tamp
Tamp the coffee evenly and make sure the surface of the puck is level.
Lock the portafilter into your espresso machine.
Step 5: Start Your Shot
Place your cup underneath the basket.
Start your extraction and watch the bottom of the basket.
This is the part that makes a bottomless portafilter different.
Rather than espresso immediately flowing through hidden spouts, you can see exactly how the coffee is extracting.
What Should a Good Extraction Look Like?
You aren't looking for one specific shape or visual pattern.
Instead, look for even, controlled flow.
As the shot develops, espresso should generally begin emerging from the basket and gradually form a more cohesive stream.
A good-looking extraction typically has:
- Flow developing relatively evenly across the basket
- No sudden high-pressure jets shooting sideways
- No isolated areas that begin flowing dramatically earlier than others
- A progressively more cohesive stream
Don't obsess over making the extraction look perfect.
Taste still matters more than what the shot looks like.
What You're Looking For
Channeling
Channeling happens when water finds a path of lower resistance through the coffee puck rather than flowing evenly through the grounds.
With a bottomless portafilter, you may see:
- A sudden jet of espresso
- Espresso shooting sideways
- One small area flowing much faster than the rest
- Multiple separated streams
- Uneven flow across the basket
These are signs that something in your puck preparation or dialing-in process may need attention.
Please note that channeling and spurting are common and are generally related to variables such as grind size, distribution, and tamping, rather than being defects in the portafilter.
If Your Shot Is Spurting Everywhere
Don't panic.
This is probably the first thing a new bottomless portafilter owner needs to know.
Spurting is messy, but it's also useful information.
Your bottomless portafilter isn't making your espresso worse. Your old portafilter may simply have been hiding what was happening.
Try checking:
1. Distribution
Are there clumps or obvious gaps in your coffee bed?
→ Try using a WDT tool.
2. Tamping
Is the puck level after tamping?
→ Make sure you're tamping evenly.
3. Grind
Is your grind appropriate for the shot?
→ Adjust your grind based on your extraction and taste.
4. Dose
Is the amount of coffee appropriate for the basket?
→ Keep your dose consistent while dialing in.
The goal is to change one variable at a time so you can actually understand what's affecting the shot.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1: Blaming the Portafilter
"My new bottomless portafilter is causing channeling."
It isn't.
The bottomless portafilter simply exposes problems that were previously hidden by the spouts.
Mistake #2: Changing Everything at Once
If your shot spurts, don't immediately change:
- Grind size
- Dose
- Tamping
- Distribution
- Temperature
- Yield
Change one variable, pull another shot, and see what happens.
Mistake #3: Chasing a Pretty Extraction
A beautiful-looking shot isn't automatically a delicious shot.
Use the bottomless portafilter as diagnostic feedback, then taste the espresso to determine whether your changes actually improved it.
Mistake #4: Standing Too Close
Bottomless portafilters can spray espresso when there's significant channeling.
Keep your face and clothing away from the extraction area, especially while you're learning how to dial in your puck preparation.
Troubleshooting
"My espresso is spraying everywhere."
Check your puck preparation first.
Look at:
- Distribution
- Clumping
- Tamp
- Grind size
- Dose
"The espresso only comes out of one side."
This can indicate uneven flow through the puck.
Try improving your distribution and making sure you're tamping level.
"My shot looks good, but it tastes bad."
That's possible.
Visual appearance is only one source of information. Use taste, shot time, dose, yield, and grind size together when dialing in.
"My shot looks messy. Is my portafilter defective?"
Probably not.
Channeling and spurting are common when using a bottomless portafilter and are generally signs that the coffee puck needs attention.
"Can I use this like a normal portafilter?"
Yes. It works like a standard portafilter, except the bottom and spouts are removed so you can observe the extraction.
If you want to split one shot between two cups, Crema also makes Bottomless Spouts, which press-fit onto compatible Crema Bottomless Portafilters.
Cleaning & Maintenance
One advantage of the bottomless design is that there are fewer places for coffee residue and espresso to hide compared with a traditional spouted portafilter.
After Each Shot
- Remove the used coffee puck.
- Rinse the basket and portafilter.
- Wipe away any remaining coffee residue.
- Allow it to dry or dry it before storing.
Regularly
Deep-clean the basket and portafilter as part of your normal espresso-machine cleaning routine.
Avoid: abrasive cleaning methods that could damage the finish or handle.
The Bottomless Portafilter Workflow
Use it to learn, not just to look good.
1. Grind
Dose your coffee.
2. Distribute
Break up clumps and distribute the grounds evenly.
3. Tamp
Create a level puck.
4. Brew
Lock in your bottomless portafilter and start the shot.
5. Watch
Look for uneven flow, channeling, or spurting.
6. Taste
Evaluate the espresso.
7. Adjust
Change one variable and pull another shot.
That's the real purpose of the bottomless portafilter:
See → Diagnose → Adjust → Taste → Repeat
