Portafilter Size Chart: Which Size Your Espresso Machine Uses

Portafilter size chart by machine

51mm: De'Longhi Dedica (EC680, EC685 and the Dedica Arte), De'Longhi Stilosa, De'Longhi La Specialista, and La Pavoni lever machines built from about 2000 onward (older La Pavoni models use 49mm). Many budget machines sold under small brands also use 51mm, but check the listing or measure, because this group is the least standardized.

54mm: Breville Bambino and Bambino Plus, Barista Express and Barista Express Impress, Barista Pro, Barista Touch and Barista Touch Impress, Infuser and Duo Temp Pro. Sage is the name Breville uses in the UK and Europe, so a Sage Barista Express is also 54mm.

58mm: Breville Dual Boiler, Oracle and Oracle Touch; Gaggia Classic, Classic Pro and Classic Evo Pro; Rancilio Silvia; Lelit, Profitec, ECM, Rocket, Bezzera and other E61 group machines; La Marzocco Linea Micra and Linea Mini; and manual levers such as the Cafelat Robot and Flair 58. 58mm is the commercial standard, which is why it has the widest choice of baskets and tools.

How to measure your portafilter

If your machine is not listed or you bought it used, measure the basket, not the portafilter handle. Take the basket out, or leave it in and measure across the inside of the top rim with digital calipers. A reading of roughly 50.5 to 51mm means a 51mm system, 53 to 54mm means 54mm, and 58 to 58.5mm means 58mm. A ruler held across the rim gets you close enough to tell the three apart, but buy calipers before ordering a precision tamper.

Measure at the rim because basket walls taper. A basket that reads 58.5mm at the top can be 1mm or more narrower near the floor, which is why one tamper can feel snug in one brand of basket and loose in another of the same nominal size.

Also note how many ears or lugs the portafilter has and their shape. Diameter tells you what goes inside the basket, while the lugs decide which portafilter locks into the group head. That matters only if you buy a whole portafilter, such as a bottomless one.

Tampers: the size that needs the tightest match

A tamper should leave a very small gap to the basket wall. If it is too small, coffee at the edge stays loose and water runs down the side of the puck, one of the classic causes of channeling. If it is too large, it binds on the taper before it reaches the coffee. For 58mm machines, most precision tampers are 58.3 to 58.5mm, and they suit straight-walled precision baskets. For Breville 54mm baskets, aftermarket tampers are usually 53.3 to 53.5mm. For 51mm De'Longhi baskets, buy a tamper sold specifically as 51mm.

If your basket has a pronounced taper (common in stock baskets), a 58.5mm tamper may stop short of the coffee at low doses. In that case either use a 58.3mm tamper or fill the basket to its rated dose so the coffee bed sits higher, where the walls are wider.

Compare calibrated espresso tampers →

Dosing funnels, blind shakers and WDT tools

A dosing funnel sits on top of the portafilter rim, so it has to match the portafilter, not just the basket. Funnels sold as 58mm fit most 58mm portafilters, but magnetic funnels can sit loosely on portafilters with thick or unusual rims. Funnels sold for Breville are usually 54mm and shaped to clear the three ears of the Breville portafilter. Check that the listing names your machine family rather than relying on the number alone.

Blind shakers are sold by size because the shaker cup clips or presses onto the portafilter or basket, and you shake the grounds in the closed cup before dropping them in. A 58mm shaker will not seal on a 54mm basket. Some shakers combine a dosing cup and a funnel and are listed as 51 to 54mm or 58mm.

Needle WDT tools mostly work in any basket size, since you stir by hand. The exceptions are WDT tools with a fixed stand, a guide ring or a built-in funnel, which are made for one diameter and labeled 51, 54 or 58mm.

See blind shaker cups by size →

Puck screens and replacement baskets

Puck screens are sized to sit flat on top of the coffee and cover it edge to edge. They are typically labeled at or slightly above the nominal size, for example 58.5mm for 58mm baskets and 53.5mm for 54mm Breville baskets. A screen that is too small leaves an uncovered ring at the edge, while one that is too large will not sit flat. Thickness matters too: a 1.7mm screen takes up headspace, so you may need to drop your dose by about half a gram to keep the puck from touching the shower screen.

Replacement baskets must match both diameter and the portafilter's basket seat. A 58mm precision basket fits most 58mm portafilters, and 54mm precision baskets are made for Breville. 51mm baskets vary more between brands, so read the listing for named compatibility. If your machine came with only pressurized (dual-wall) baskets, as many 51mm machines do, a non-pressurized basket of the same size is the upgrade that lets grind size, dose and puck prep actually change the shot.

Compare 54mm and 58mm filter baskets →

Typical dose by basket size

Stock double baskets hold roughly 14 to 16g in 51mm systems, 18 to 19g in Breville 54mm, and 14 to 18g in most 58mm machines, with 18g, 20g and 22g precision baskets available for 58mm. These are starting points: the right dose is the one that leaves a small gap between the tamped puck and the shower screen. A quick test is to lock in the portafilter after tamping, remove it, and check the top of the puck. A clear screen imprint means the dose is too high for that basket.

Larger diameter does not mean better espresso on its own. A 58mm puck is wider and shallower for the same dose, so water passes through less coffee depth. That is why 58mm baskets are often run with 18 to 20g, while 54mm Breville baskets run well at 18g with a deeper bed.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Breville Barista Express 54mm or 58mm? The Barista Express, Barista Express Impress, Barista Pro and Barista Touch all use 54mm. Only the Dual Boiler and Oracle family among Breville's current machines use 58mm.

Will a 58mm tamper fit a 54mm basket? No. Tamper diameter must match basket diameter within a fraction of a millimeter. A 58mm tamper will not enter a 54mm basket, and a 54mm tamper in a 58mm basket leaves a wide loose ring of coffee at the edge.

Can I use a bottomless portafilter from another brand of 58mm machine? Only if the lugs match. E61 portafilters fit E61 groups across most brands, but the Breville Dual Boiler and Gaggia Classic use their own lug design, so buy a portafilter sold for your exact machine.

Do I need calipers? Not to tell 51, 54 and 58mm apart. You do want them before buying a precision tamper or puck screen, since a 0.2mm difference changes how snugly they fit.