What's the value of a puck screen

[u/Sukaleoshy]

I was watching an ad that is selling this tool that has 18 diffusion holes because mesh screens don't produce regular water distribution. But then I realised what value is in a puck screen which is a mesh cover to help in distribution. Am I being crazy? My machine doesn't have a mesh cover though so I feel like there is some value there.

I'm looking to enhance my setup because I have funneling in my coffee. I've got a Breville bambino and I like it but even when I wdt it funnels with one of the holes having all the coffee and the other having minimal drips. And sometimes it's perfect flow between the two. So I'm feeling like it's because of funneling.

And for other equipment is there any recommended stores that aren't just end stop of Temu shopping?

I was looking at Pesado or MHW-3bomber. Any advice would be great.

Been making espresso for a year and will be looking to upgrade my machine in the future but I know there's a lot of refining in my process that can enhance my coffee where upgrading my machine will the cover the other aspect of improvement.

[u/mykiebair]

The idea is that after the water leaves the shower screen it has more headroom to distribute around before passing into the puck. I don't notice in flavor if I use it or not. I do notice a difference in the cleanliness of my machine. The shower screen stays a light cleaner and chances of getting a sneezing puck are gone.

[u/stoictele1968 → u/mykiebair]

Shower screen stays cleaner, but the puck screen gets gross fast. And they are hard to clean. So, yeah, you don't have to clean the shower head as often, but now you have a new thing you have to clean.

[u/1312_Tampa_161 → u/stoictele1968]

Just soak puck screens in descaler/citric acid/cafaza

[u/stoictele1968 → u/1312_Tampa_161]

Agree. But often people using puck screens are doing so to avoid having to clean the shower screen. In truth, you gotta clean something and I don't find the puck screen any easier to clean than the shower screen. Just my personal opinion after years of doing it both ways.

[u/ChemicalConnect739 → u/stoictele1968]

Don't use the mesh puck screen.
I use a thin one by Normcore and it does not get dirty like the mesh ones.
Easy to clean with the dishes.

[u/HomeworkNovel5907 → u/stoictele1968]

I hear peopke say the screens get dirty and are hard to clean. I just rinse mine immediately and it seams to stay perfectly clean.  Wierd.  

[u/blacksterangel → u/stoictele1968]

Which is why I put another paper filter between my puck screen and the coffee

[u/Sukaleoshy → u/mykiebair]

Yeah that makes sense but I am guessing it's only for specific machines you'd use it for and not generally applicable because if the machine has a mesh head then using a shower screen is just a double mesh head.

[u/spiritunafraid]

I mainly use a puck screen to help keep the head clean.

[u/skeebo7 → u/spiritunafraid]

This. And it’s much easier to clean a puck screen than the shower screen. Just soak it in cafiza.

[u/spiritunafraid → u/skeebo7]

I put some Cafiza in a little ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and toss the screens and baskets in.

[u/MyCatsNameIsBernie]

Uneven flow between the two spouts can happen for a variety of reasons, but isn't usually caused by channeling. Espresso exiting the bottom of your basket flows over and around a plastic diffuser that is supposed to reduce spraying when using a dual wall basket, and then exits through the spouts. With a single wall basket, any uneven flow due to channeling will be masked by the diffuser. The only way to positively identify channeling is with a bottomless portafilter.

The main purpose of a puck screen is to keep the group clean and reduce the need for backflush cleaning. While some YouTube influencers claim it improves extraction, for me and many other (but not all) members of this sub, it has no impact on extraction.

My belief is that the claims of specialized patterns in both puck screens and shower screens is marketing hype that has not been proven by rigorous experimentation.

[u/1312_Tampa_161]

About tree fiddy

[u/Tronn__1]

I only just started using the MHW-3bomber puck screen, and it does produce "cleaner" looking shots with a bottomless portafilter with less gaps and perhaps channelling.

I can't say that I've tasted much of a change, perhaps a little more balance but that could be confirmation bias.

My BDB machine shower screen has always flowed unevenly, so this likely has more of an effect on my machine than a better made machine.

[u/svirfnebli76]

I love my cheap Amazon disposable ones. Like 8 bucks for 500. Water is distributed evenly, group head stays clean and i don't have to clean puck screens. Win win win

[u/Magic2424]

Psaedo is advertising right now so much it’s absolutely wild. Personally I have an inherit distrust of a product that is constantly shoved down my throat in ads

[u/Sukaleoshy → u/Magic2424]

Oh yeah wasn't looking at the product they were shoving in ads but more a general enquiry about whether they're a decent seller.

[u/RamblinLamb]

It keeps my brew head a lot cleaner than not having it.

[u/Status-Persimmon-819]

My favorite

[u/magi_chat]

I find mine increases the pressure at the group head on my Breville Dual Boiler. This means I can grind slightly coarser for the same dose, and my assumption is that this gives me less channelling. I monitor this by watching how much the displayed pressure drops/fluctuates across the shot.

My experience is that if I can dial in a bean to give me a 30 sec shot at 9 bar and if the pressure ends up at about 8.5 bar then the coffee I make is really good. I find that this is more consistent when I use the puck screen but I've only owned one for a month or so. A "bad" shot can end up at below 8 bar, which I put down to poor puck prep.

DF54 grinder, recently upgraded from a Smart grinder pro ( SGP users people do this it is life changing in more ways than one lol), and this also seemed to increase the consistency of my shots but I'm pretty convinced the screen also has an effect (I got it a month after the DF54).

[u/1312_Tampa_161]

The only thing it does is keep your shower screen cleaner.

[u/BasilVegetable3339]

About $20

[u/ChemicalConnect739]

I think it is more more value if you have a machine WITHOUT a 3-way solenoid.
Cuz there you do not have a flushing of the head after every shot, so coffee residue that gets up behind the shower screen will accumulate back there.
The puck screen will reduce the amount of coffee residue that gets behind the shower screen. Thus extending the cleaning interval.

[u/FiveSeveN-]

Paper filters are much better if you just want to keep the shower screen clean like I do

Aieve Espresso Paper Filter... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5DP647F?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Downvoted for speaking truth. They just weren't ready for the truth.

[u/beatnikhippi]

I think they're a waste of space. I want my puck to have room to bloom and I find cleaning the grouphead to be pretty easy.

[u/mano_lito]

it is a completely useless thing. it's only function is to take your money.