You can usually work out your basket in a few minutes. Check the manual first, then the holes, then any wording on the basket. Each clue backs up the others.
Step 1: the manual
Your manual is the safest answer. Look for a section on filter baskets, filters or accessories. Some maker text names the types outright. One product text names two sets: two "Pressurized" dual-wall filters and two "Non-Pressurized" single-wall filters, each a single-shot and a double-shot1.
Manuals may also label the sizes. One shows "1 CUP" and "2 CUP" baskets and gives each a dose, approx. 8–10 g and approx. 15–18 g2. If your manual shows a similar pair, you can match your baskets to it.
Step 2: the holes
Hold the basket up and look at the base, ideally empty and clean.
| What you see | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Holes covering the entire base | A single-wall, unpressurised basket3 |
| An inner cup with many holes, sitting in an outer wall with one small hole | A double-wall, pressurised basket3 |
In a pressurised basket, the inner wall has many holes and the outer wall has a single, small hole3. From above you'll often see only the inner holes, so turn it over and look at the outside too.
Step 3: markings on the basket
Some baskets carry wording or a number on them. Compare whatever you find with the wording in your manual. A mark like "1 CUP" or "2 CUP" fits the labels one manual uses for its baskets2.
Not every basket is marked, and a mark from one maker may mean something different from another's. If a marking doesn't match anything in your manual, don't read too much into it.
Step 4: what the machine is meant to take
Makers sometimes design a machine for one type only3. Bought a spare basket, or inherited a machine without its manual? Find the maker's support page and look up the model. Don't fit a basket that the maker doesn't list for your model.
When it still isn't clear
- Take a clear photo of the base and the outside of the basket.
- Note the machine's model name from its label.
- Ask the maker's support team what basket type that model uses, and send the photo and the model name together with your question.
Some machines take only one basket type, so check your manual or ask the maker before fitting a different basket3.
For what each type does once you know it, see pressurised vs unpressurised baskets. A single-wall basket, one maker notes, gives "no additional slowing of the water"1, so it behaves differently from a double-wall one.
Where the facts come from
- Breville BES830XL product resources, Seattle Coffee Gear (reproducing the maker's product text)
- Breville BES870XL manual, selecting a filter basket, Breville (via ManualsOnline)
- Pressurized vs. non-pressurized baskets, Breville
More on baskets
What a Portafilter Basket DoesWhat the basket inside an espresso portafilter is for, and how its design shapes the way water moves through the coffee.
Pressurised vs Unpressurised BasketsHow pressurised and unpressurised espresso baskets differ, who each type suits, and how to tell which one your machine uses.
Single-Wall and Double-Wall BasketsWhat single-wall and double-wall mean for an espresso basket, how the two are built, and which coffee each is meant for.