Cosmostar Espresso Puck Screen Metal Coffee Reusable Filter for Espresso Portafilter Filter Basket Professional Barista -150μm Mesh Silver - 316 Stainless Steel (CG-PS58-T17-150)

I have both the 100 micron and 150 micron versions of this Cosmostar 58.5 mm puck screen. I have been trying both with lighter and darker roasted beans to see how the mesh tightness affects the shot. I am using a Gaggia Classic Pro with an 18 gram, 715 holes E&M Lab precision basket. I also have a naked portafilter so I can monitor the extraction as the shot is pulled.Both puck screens fit very nicely into the basket, and fit right to the sides.Here are some anecdotal observations when using each filter:- I think the 100 micron screen seems to help with darker roasts, which are already a bit more porous. I found that the espresso shot steams came together a bit better with this screen when using darker roast coffee (about a Full City + roast level). Maybe the tighter mesh helps create a little more back pressure. I also think the shot was a bit sweeter with this screen with the darker roasts.- I think the 150 micron screen seems to help a bit with lighter roasted coffee, which are a bit less porous. I think the water flowed through the screen puck a bit nicer with this screen. I also liked how the shots tasted.I tested how long it took to pull the same size shots (about 34-35 grams) while keeping all the other variables as similar as possible. Same coffee, same grind size, and same 17 gram dose. I didn't see any difference in time when pulling shots with each screen.I like both the 100 micron and 150 micron screens. I think each brings different flavors to an espresso shot and it is fun to play with them to see how they can affect the flavors extracted.

I've seen these more-and-more lately, and as I pull my own espresso, I thought I'd see what the fuss was about. I did some research prior to using it the first time, and after trying it, I'm in agreement with the video I watched. Basically, if you don't adjust your grind, the dose and the length of the pull, you will get about 1/4 less espresso than if you don't use the screen. I have a Breville Oracle Touch, and it does the grinding, tamping, etc. on its own. It is adjustable, but I decided to try it "as is." Since the espresso was already tamped correctly, and I didn't adjust the brew head, when I added the screen, it compacted the espresso even more than it already was, which (of course) caused more time for it to become saturated. As the machine uses a preset pull time, it caused less espresso to be generated. Quality was great, so that is not an issue, but again, quantity was reduced. Were I to use this daily, I'd want to (1) set a slightly coarser grind to allow for a little better extraction, (2) change the position of the brew head to allow for more space, and (3) extend the pull time a couple seconds to make up for the added resistance in the screen.Overall, it did a great job as to what it's designed to do - which is help with a more consistent pull, and it does make cleanup a snap. The brew head was basically clean and only required a minimal wipe. All of that being said, I decided to try paper filters pre-cut for my portafilter, and they basically do the same thing as this screen, but they are disposable, don't require any adjustments, and are just generally easier to use. For those reasons, I'm glad to have his, and I may use it more eventually, but I'm going to continue using the paper filters for now.

This doesn't fit in any portafilter I own. It's too large by quite a margin.

The media could not be loaded.  I really didn’t notice a big enough difference to use this 🤷‍♀️ My coffee tasted the same and it was more of an extra step than I would be doing daily.As you can see from my video.When you go to knock out your puck.It just goes into the used puck space and it’s too hot to touch right away. I do a quad shot. So I’m doing 2- back to back double shots of espresso, which kinda just slows me down in my routine-wait for it to cool down then dig it out so you can wash it and redo it again, my head might stay a bit cleaner , if I use this.But to be honestI have a steam cleanerand it does a great job.I would rather just do that once a weekthan deal with the hassle of this screen. It’s nicely constructed , but kinda extra.

I bought a Gaggia Classic Pro a few months ago and have slowly been upgrading parts. A puck screen was on my list of wishes, but not necessities. When I saw this I thought, why not give it a try? Well...I've made 4 attempts so far and have not been able to make it work. I've tried it in my stock portafilter as well as a bottomless one, both using an 18g BoB IMS basket. The problem I'm having is even when reducing to 16g (I started with 18), the puck screen does not allow me to lock the portafilter in place...and that's after all the prep, wdt/leveler/tamping. At this point, I'm not willing to reduce the grind weight any further because I need my double shot in the morning. Lol. The puck screen is well made and washes easily, I just wish it worked for me!Edit 2/23/23I was determined to make this work and was able to get my portafilter locked in by greatly reducing the grind weight. Upon brewing, water started spurting out the top of the portafilter. I also tried a disposable filter today and was successful with my normal weight and prep, so I'm changing my review to 3 stars.