Best Bottomless Portafilters of 2023: Tested by Barista

There is nothing worth savoring more than great-tasting espresso in a latte, affogato, or simply by itself.

However, good espresso can be challenging to come by and even more difficult to make!

You could use a traditional coffee machine, but they tend to lose the richness of espresso or more intense coffees.

If you’re looking for a solution to improve your espresso experience, have you considered going bottomless?

In this article, we’ll delve into:

• The benefits of using a bottomless portafilter to enjoy your espresso
• What to consider when choosing portafilter
• Barista top picks.

We aim to fully immerse you in the world of bottomless portafilters and their many benefits in creating a perfect shot of espresso. Let’s begin!

Our Top Recommendation

1. MATOW 54mm – Best Quality (Compatible Breville Machines)
2. Crema 54mm Naked Portafilter – Best 54mm for Breville Barista Series
3. Rancilio Silvia Bottomless Portafilter – Best for Rancilio Silvia
4. Gaggia Bottomless Portafilter – 58mm
5. TAPBULL Bottomless Portafilter – Best Budget

Understanding Bottomless Portafilters 

Bottomless portafilters (a.k.a naked portafilters) are used in coffee machines to produce espresso. 

These products are different from regular/standard portafilters because they do not include a bottom spout. Bottomless portafilters are used in many espresso-centric drinks, especially those of high quality.  

Bottomless portafilters allow for a more direct view of the extraction process, which can enable you to identify any potential problems with your espresso product. 

Additionally, bottomless portafilters are easier to clean than their traditional counterparts. Overall, you’ll get a cleaner and more consistent shot of espresso when using them!

Barista’s Picks: Top Bottomless Portafilters of 2023

This list of barista favorites has been crafted to ensure the highest quality of opinion (and espresso). Barista’s pick portafilters based on machine compatibility, handleability, price, and company reputation. 

In this list, you will find bottomless portafilters of varying sizes and uses. Here are our top bottomless portafilters of 2023:

1. TAPBULL Bottomless Portafilter for Breville Barista Express

Key Features

• Type: 54 mm Bottomless Portafilter with Wooden Handle
• Material: 304 Stainless Steel + Wood
• Weight: 0.73lb
• Package includes: 1 x 54mm Bottomless Portafilter (BASKET NOT INCLUDED)
• Compatibility: Not suitable for 58mm Breville Dual Boiler, Oracle, or Oracle Touch machines

An unusual extraction ruins the perfection of Espresso. This issue can occur due to several reasons. But, how do you know the exact cause?

A bottomless portafilter is a solution that will reveal the culprit.

The TAPBULL is a superior bottomless portafilter that fits many Breville and Sage Barista models. If you are a beginner often experiencing extraction issues, this naked portafilter will help you monitor them in real-time.

Thus, this best bottomless portafilter for Breville lets you understand what the actual problem is.

For providing you with the highest quality Espresso, it is made of food-grade stainless steel. So, you will have no metallic toxins ever. Its Rosewood handle feels comfortable in your fist. Besides, Rosewood is very strong that lasts for years.

You can separate the head and the handle by unscrewing. Its head is dishwasher safe. But, keep the handle away from any cleaning liquid.

You have to buy a ground filter basket separately since it doesn’t include one. So, measure both the portafilter and basket for a perfect fit.

Pros

• Durable wooden handle
• Food grade materials
• Dishwasher safe head

Cons

• Only usable on specific models.

2. FIRJOY 54mm Bottomless Portafilter for Breville Pro

Key Features

• Type: 54mm Stainless Steel Bottomless Portafilter with ABS Handle
• Channeling Detection: Identifies water channeling for better extraction
• Benefits: Helps improve barista skills by visualizing extraction process
• Compatibility: Fits models such as Breville BES870XL, BES870BSXL, BES878BSS, BES880BSS, BES840XL, BES500BSS, BES810BSS
• Material: 304 Stainless Steel + ABS
• Weight: 0.73lb

Portafilters with spouts don’t allow users to monitor extraction. So, you cannot inspect if bad extraction is occurring from something.

But, a bottomless portafilter like Firjoy lets you identify extraction issues accurately. So, you can easily detect if there is any grinding and tamping difficulty.

This 54mm Breville bottomless portafilter fits some Breville Barista Express and Sage Barista Series.

The manufacturer has used high-quality food-grade stainless steel to make the ring. So, there is no risk of growing rust and mixing them with the coffee puck. Besides, they have used ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic to build the handle.

ABS features against impact, heat, friction, and chemical reaction. Moreover, they are extremely durable. Unlike wooden handles, ABS arms are dishwasher safe. So, you can clean both the head and handle with cleaning liquids.

You can detach both parts by unscrewing. This item comes with no filter basket. So, measure the dimension of the ring and basket carefully while buying one separately.

Pros

• Durable and harmless material
• Easy to use
• Entirely dishwasher safe

Cons

• Leaking is a common issue if you buy it for non-compatible models.

3. MATOW Bottomless Naked Portafilter with 54mm Breville Barista Series

Key Features:

Type: Bottomless Coffee Handle
Material: Stainless Steel+ Natural Sandalwood
Weight: 12.8 ounces
Compatibility: Designed for Breville
Visual Extraction Insight: Allows observing extraction process for troubleshooting.
Detection of Issues: Provides accurate feedback on shot quality.
Natural Wood Variation: Color and grain vary on each item.

Matow is a popular brand that sells coffee machine accessories. Most of the customers are happy with Matow’s products due to their world-class quality and smooth finishing. Because of several reasons, this item is an exceptional product on our best bottomless portafilter list.

It fits with the group head of many Barista Espresso machines. But, you need to check its compatible models while buying. Otherwise, you will experience a loose portafilter.

Since it is a bottomless portafilter, you can see every extraction detail. It is a very practical and easy way to find out extraction faults. So, this outstanding bottomless portafilter for Breville is helpful for both beginners and experts.

Besides, it provides a better output of Crema due to no contact with any metal surface during extraction.

Matow has used food-grade stainless steel to build the head. Its highly polished group head never grows rust and metallic toxins. This product also includes a filter basket made of the same metal.

The head, filter basket, and connection ring of the portafilter are dishwasher safe. So, you can clean them thoroughly after each use.

Its ergonomic handle is made of sandalwood, which is strong and long-lasting. Besides, the handle’s shape is comfortable to hold. It is available in five different colors. You can pick a favorite one from among them.

All parts of the portafilter are detachable. So, you can wash every metal part with a dishwasher except the wooden handle.

Pros

• Included filter basket
• High-quality material
• Dishwasher-safe metal parts

Cons

• It is expensive.

Read More: Espresso Weiss Distribution Tools

4. Gaggia Bottomless Naked Portafilter

Italy is the birthplace of Espresso. So, you cannot avoid this place when talking about Espresso. Along with Espresso’s origin, the home of many famous coffee machine manufacturers is in Italy.

Gaggia is one of them, founded in 1947 in Milan, Italy. They manufacture high-quality coffee machines and their accessories.

Let’s get introduced to the Gaggia bottomless portafilter. This naked portafilter comes with a 3 cup filter basket. So, there is no hassle of finding and buying a separate basket that fits its diameter.

The larger size of the basket lets you tamp and brew up to 21 grams of ground coffee at a time.

Gaggia has used high-quality food-grade stainless steel to make the portafilter’s head. It is rust-resistant. So, there is no chance of rust mixing with the coffee puck later. Besides, they have used thermosetting resins to build the heat-resistant handle.

The shape of its grip is rectangular instead of oval.

Before buying this item, check carefully if this portafilter is compatible with your Gaggia machine. It also supports some Kitchen Aid machine’s group heads.

So, you need to confirm if this best bottomless portafilter for Gaggia Classic goes with your Espresso machine. Otherwise, it will be totally unusable.

A notable thing about the portafilter is its low price instead of the Gaggia’s brand value.

Pros

• Included filter basket
• 3 cup ground capacity
• High-quality material

Cons

• The rectangular handle can be uncomfortable

5. Gaggia 58mm Bottomless Portafilter

Bottomless portafilters are often considered as a training and troubleshooting tool. But, it can also be an effortless taste enhancer for Espresso.

Naked portafilters have no base and spouts. So, there is no chance of flowing Espresso through a dirty portafilter. Besides, Espresso can directly drop into the cup without any obstruction in the case of bottomless portafilters. A straight extraction creates more Crema on Espresso.

With many benefits like this, Gaggia 58mm is a convenient bottomless portafilter. If you ever experience an extraction problem, it will immediately reveal the issue.

This item includes a 2 cup filter basket. Hence, it reduces the cost and hassle of buying a separate one. Both the filter basket and the ring of this portafilter are made of 304 stainless steel.

It is high-quality food-grade steel that prevents rust and never ruins the quality of Espresso. This bottomless portafilter for Gaggia classic has a solid wooden handle. But it is covered with thick black paint.

So, we are not sure what kind of wood Gaggia has used to make it. However, it feels very comfortable in your hand.

You can separate every part of the portafilter. Therefore, it is easier to clean those parts with a dishwasher except the wooden handle.

This 58mm naked portafilter only fits certain Gaggia Espresso machines. So, be careful and confirm during buying if you have the same machine.

Pros

• Included filter basket
• first-class material
• Dishwasher safe

Cons

• Compatible with very limited models

6. Rancilio Silvia Bottomless Portafilter

Rancilio is another Italian coffee machine manufacturer. It is an elite brand in the coffee machine industry due to its high-quality production. The company has nearly a hundred years of manufacturing experience.

Depending on their brand value and product quality, we think this is the best bottomless portafilter on our list.

Rancilio Silvia bottomless portafilter comes with a triple shot basket. It lets you extract up to 21 grams of coffee at once. So, enjoy more coffee with a single tamp.

This best bottomless portafilter for Rancilio Silvia is convenient for beginners. Besides, baristas who want to master their Espresso skill will also prefer it. This portafilter is a gem if you want to observe extraction issues or need better Crema on Espresso.

The head and basket of the portafilter are made of the finest stainless steel. They will never grow rust and interrupt extraction. You can clean them with any dishwasher liquid.

Moreover, Rancilio has used high-quality material to make its ergonomic handle. It looks excellent and feels great in hand.

The diameter of its head is 58 millimeters. So, this bottomless portafilter will be compatible with Rancilio Silvia Espresso machines with the same size group head.

Let us share a significant fact about Rancilio in the end. The company hires no third-party manufacturer to make its products. So, undoubtedly this portafilter is made in Italy by Rancilio, maintaining the highest standard.

This policy of Rancilio has made it a trustworthy brand among consumers.

Pros

• Triple shot basket
• OEM parts
• Dishwasher safe

Cons

• Compatible with a few models of Rancilio.

7. 51 mm Bottomless Portafilter for Delonghi

Delonghi is a popular Espresso machine manufacturer. They have a huge customer community. Sometimes, a few of them can also face extraction issues for many reasons. So, we have enlisted this item for Delonghi users.

This 51mm bottomless portafilter for Delonghi is usable with several Espresso machines. You need to find compatible models before buying. So, customers need to cross-check if it fits with their machines.

Using this bottomless portafilter, you can inspect the extraction abnormality of your Delonghi Espresso machine within a short time. Thus, you can effortlessly reduce channeling and spurting to improve your extraction skill.

Moreover, it helps to increase Crema by avoiding excess contact with spouts.
It comes with a 1 cup filter basket. So, there is no need to buy a separate basket if the quantity is sufficient for you.

Pros

• Included filter basket
• Dishwasher safe
• High-quality material

Cons

• Small size filter basket

Read More: Coffee Thermometer – Digital or Analog?

Comparison At A Glance

Brand	Ring diameter	Included Basket	Head material	Handle material	Dishwasher-safe
Matow	54mm	Yes	Stainless steel	Sandalwood	Head and basket only
Tabbull	54mm	No	Stainless steel	Rosewood	Head only
Firjoy	54mm	No	Stainless steel	ABS	Yes
Gaggia	58mm	Yes	Stainless steel	Thermosetting resins	Yes
Gaggia	58mm	Yes	Food-grade steel	Wood	Head and basket only
Rancilio	58mm	Yes	Stainless steel	Thermosetting resins	Yes
Delonghi	54mm	Yes	Stainless steel	ABS	Yes
Seattle	58mm	Yes	Rustless steel	ABS	Yes

Choosing a Bottomless Portafilter: Factors to Consider 

There are several factors to consider when choosing a bottomless portafilter, such as material quality, compatibility, size, and cost. Here is a list of items that you’ll want to think about to inform your choice:

Material quality and durability

It is very important that a bottomless portafilter is made of a durable material that can handle regular use. 

Two common materials that bottomless portafilters can be made from are stainless steel and brass. 

If you’re using one in your home coffee machine, you will want to use one that can handle daily espressos, such as brass. If you own a coffee shop, however, you may opt to use a bottomless portafilter made of stainless steel. 

Compatibility with various machines

There are many coffee machines on the market, so it is essential that you are aware of your coffee maker type and type of portafilter it supports! 

Bottomless portafilters come in all shapes and sizes, so you will want to ensure that it fits into your machine with ease, 

Size variations (e.g., 54mm vs. 58mm)

Bottomless portafilters typically come in different sizes, such as 54 mm and 58 mm. The 58 mm offers a richer flavor and darkness to the espresso. This size is also more likely to be compatible with most machines. 

In contrast, the 54 mm size is more commonly sold with household machines such as Breville. This portafilter offers a quicker extraction time and does not require as much preciseness as the 58 mm. 

Price and value for money

Espresso machines and their accessories are known to be pricey! As such, you might want to begin by identifying your price range. Bottomless portafilters can range from $25 to $100. 

Consider the quality you’re after and then look for portafilters that match your material requirements. Next, make a list of all possible portafilters and see which ones fit into your price range. 

Conclusion

Bottomless portafilters are a very convenient tool to improve your Espresso quality. It lets you know of any extraction faults to rectify them later. So, it is conceivable how important it is to pick the best bottomless portafilter for your espresso machine.

We have reviewed some popular models in detail and discussed what to check before buying one. So, you can pick one from our list or get assistance from this article to buy another one.

Frequently Asked Questions