If we were to put together a list of the questions our customers most frequently ask, there’s a good chance portafilter-related ones would top the list. What size should I buy? Will this fit my machine? While so many of these answers harken back to personal taste and desire, there are some tricks and tips we can expunge to make the whole shopping process a bit simpler, or at least smarter.
Does Size Matter?
Yes and no, since there’s not much of a range with portafilter diameters. 58mm is the most commonly used size for commercial style portafilters. However, many manufacturers who opt to use pressurized portafilters for their machines will use smaller diameters.
Another measurement to look out for is the size of the portafilter basket. The depth refers to whether it’s a single, double, or triple shot — with the option of a back-flushing one as well. The basket size doesn’t determine whether the portafilter will fit into your machine or not, but simply the size of shot you will get from an extraction.
Will this Portafilter Fit Your Machine
Most companies make their own portafilters that you can still buy separately, and those will be guaranteed to fit your machine. You can also try finding a match by looking at the diameter and make of the basket itself.
Some portafilters will have side arms to grip into the machine, but that will depend on whether yours is built for that — plus how high, wide, or thin those side indents are. You can also measure the diameter of your brew group by using a measuring tape. Simply measure where the portafilter will fit and convert that number into millimeters.
Or, if you can’t find your machine’s name or measure for diameter, you can just, you know, refer to this chart below. Below we will list various brands that make portafilters and outline the other machines they will fit.
ECM Portafilters
ECM portafilters will fit all ECM machines, machines with a BZ E61 group head, Rocket machines, Expobar machines, and Rancilio machines.
Profitec Portafilters
(all but the Pro 800 portafilter)
Profitec portafilters will fit machines with a BZ E61 group head, Rocket machines, ECM machines, and Expobar machines.
Rocket Portafilters
Rocket portafilters will fit on BZ E61 group heads, Profitec machines, and Expobar machines.
Gaggia Portafilters
Gaggia portafilters will only work with Gaggia machines.
Expobar Portafilters
Expobar Portafilters will fit BZ E61 group heads, ECM machines, Profitec machines, and Rocket machines.
Bezzera Portafilters
Bezzera portafilters come in various sizes. The E61 version will fit on Profitec machines, Rocket machines, Expobar machines, and ECM machines. The Bezzera BZ Group portafilter is interchangeable with the Profitec Pro 800 portafilter. The Strega portafilter from Bezzera works only with strega machines, but the Hobby portafilter will work with BZ group heads from Bezzera as well.
Summary
Yes, we could have just posted the compatibility chart at the start, but then you wouldn’t have had the fun of trying to figure out diameter for yourself! But it’s also because this list isn’t exhaustive, but a great place to start.
Ultimately, we hope this can be a helpful guide to those of you buying a separate portafilter. We’ve seen a trend in questions regarding this very process, and can only try to offer an easy, more transparent shopping experience for our customers. If you have any more questions, you are always welcome to ask. Now get brewing!
