Precision filter baskets for the shot you can repeat tomorrow
Vst, IMS, Pesado, Pullman, Muvna and MHW-3Bomber baskets, chosen for hole accuracy, dose range and fit.
TL;DR: Precision filter baskets are espresso baskets made to tight hole tolerances for more even extraction. Models here include Vst Ridgeless, IMS B70 Competition and Pesado HE[%] baskets.
Precision filter baskets are the quiet upgrade: same machine, same grinder, same beans, but holes cut to a consistent size so water passes through the puck more evenly. This page is for the home barista or café whose machine already works and who now wants every shot to taste like the last one. We've been supplying, servicing and repairing espresso machines since 1999. Start with your basket diameter, then your dose, then the brand.
What Precision holes actually change
Water takes the easiest path through a coffee puck. In a basket where some holes are wider or rougher than others, flow concentrates where resistance is lowest, which is one way channelling starts and why one group can pour differently from the next. A Precision basket narrows that variation, so the bed of coffee, not the steel under it, sets the pace of the shot.
Each maker gets there differently. IMS uses a patented perforation process that cuts a precisely circular hole with a cone-shaped, non-pyramidal cross section and a polished inner surface, leaving no edges or burrs for coffee oils to catch on. Pullman hand-measures its ridgeless baskets to an internal diameter of 58.70mm and holds hole diameters to 0.3mm, plus or minus 0.02mm. Each Vst Precision filter is designed to brew properly as a Normale, Ristretto or Lungo within a narrow gram capacity range, and Vst warrants them for zero defects.
Stephen Muir Mackenzie, in Engineering Better Espresso: A Data-Driven Approach, rates Vst and IMS Precision baskets as the best available and notes that the Pesado basket he examined is manufactured by IMS. We know the honest version of this pitch too: a Precision basket won't rescue stale beans or a struggling grinder, but once those are sorted it removes one more variable from every shot.
Start with diameter
Precision baskets are sized two ways: by diameter and by dose. Diameter decides whether it fits at all, so check your portafilter first. The IMS B70 Competition, Pullman and MHW-3Bomber baskets here are 58mm-format, as are most of the Muvna baskets, with the Muvna Units 8 listed at 58.5mm and a Muvna Morbius made in 53mm at 16g. If you're shopping for a 54mm basket or a 51mm Precision basket, confirm the diameter on each product page before you order; a basket that doesn't seat properly undoes everything else in this guide.
Then match the dose
A Precision basket is built for a dose window and performs best inside it. Vst puts the gram capacity in the name, so a Vst 18g ridgeless suits an 18g dose, with 15g, 20g and 22g sizes either side. Pesado's HE[%] range runs Small 15-17g, Medium 17-19g, Large 19-21g and X-Large 21-22g. Pullman covers 19-22g, 22-25g and 25-28g for bigger doses, and IMS offers 16/20g and 18/22g doubles plus a 7/9g single. Looking for an 18g portafilter basket specifically? Vst, Pesado EP and the MHW-3Bomber JusBean all come in 18g.
Ridged or ridgeless
Vst makes its 18g, 20g and 22g baskets in both ridged and ridgeless versions. Stay ridged if your portafilter relies on the ridge to hold the basket when you knock out. Go ridgeless if you want a fitted tamper to travel cleanly down the wall: Pullman sizes its ridgeless baskets to suit the Big Step tamper base at 58.55mm, and our calibrated tampers help you match the rest.
Choose by the coffee you drink
The Pesado EP is optimised for medium to dark roasts. The Pesado HE[%] is designed to extract more dissolved material from the coffee. The MHW-3Bomber JusBean spreads about 1800 holes in concentric rings and is designed for medium-pressure extractions, while the BEP Butterfly 15g pairs a straight-sided, flat-bottom profile with a dual-layer filter that retains ultra-fine particles. Muvna's Morbius and Matrix-Precision baskets are laser-cut from food-grade stainless steel, with titanium black and gold finishes on selected sizes. If you simply want the benchmark, start with Vst or IMS.
Upgrading, not replacing
This page is about upgrading a basket that already works. If you're looking to replace a basket that doesn't fit your machine, our replacement filter baskets cover compatible sizes by machine, and the traditional baskets range holds standard everyday options. Every portafilter basket we carry sits in the main filter baskets section.
Coffee Parts is the exclusive distributor of MHW-3Bomber in Australia, the brand that was Gold Sponsor of the 2025 World Barista Championship in Milan. Its JusBean 18g baskets, with roughly 1800 holes in concentric rings, and the dual-layer BEP Butterfly 15g sit on this page alongside the established Precision names. The sponsorship speaks to the brand's standing in competition coffee; it isn't a claim about which basket any competitor used.
A Precision basket shows its value when the rest of your puck preparation is just as consistent. Pair it with a tamper that matches the basket wall from our calibrated tampers, break up clumps with one of our WDT tools, and consider a puck screen on top of the coffee bed. A bottomless portafilter lets you watch the shot leave the basket, which makes uneven flow easy to spot. Keep a blind filter on hand for backflushing, and weigh every dose on one of our coffee scales.
If you've already got a decent grinder, the basket is the variable I'd look at next. Start with a Vst 18g ridgeless if you dose around 18g, get the shot dialled in, then change nothing else for a week so you can actually taste what the basket did. If you drink darker roasts, the Pesado EP has earned its place on my list. Our team uses and tests the products we sell, and this is the upgrade I'd make before spending on a new machine.
— Pedro Lara
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between IMS and Vst?
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Both make Precision baskets with tightly controlled holes; they describe the job differently. Vst sizes each basket to a narrow gram capacity, designs it to brew properly as a Normale, Ristretto or Lungo, and warrants it for zero defects. IMS uses a patented perforation that cuts a circular, cone-shaped hole with a polished inner surface and no burrs, so coffee oils flow freely. Stephen Muir Mackenzie's Engineering Better Espresso rates Vst and IMS Precision baskets as the best available.
Do Precision filter baskets actually improve espresso?
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They improve consistency more than they change flavour on their own. When every hole is the same size, water moves through the puck more evenly and has fewer easy paths to rush through, which is how channelling starts. Vst describes its baskets as delivering consistent extraction with reduced sediment. The gain shows most once your grinder, dose and distribution are already solid; a Precision basket can't rescue stale beans.
Ridged or ridgeless: which should I choose?
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Vst makes most sizes in both, so the choice comes down to your portafilter and tamper. If your portafilter relies on the ridge to keep the basket seated when you knock out, stay ridged. Ridgeless baskets suit a fitted Precision tamper: Pullman hand-measures its ridgeless baskets to a 58.70mm internal diameter to suit the Big Step tamper base at 58.55mm. The IMS B70 Competition 18/22g is ridgeless too.
What dose should I put in an 18g Vst?
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Dose close to the number on the basket. Vst designs each filter to brew properly within a narrow gram capacity range, so an 18g basket is built for a dose around 18g, whether you pull it as a Normale, Ristretto or Lungo. If you regularly dose more or less, move up or down a size rather than overfilling or underfilling: Vst makes 15g, 18g, 20g and 22g baskets.
Will a 58mm Precision basket fit my machine?
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Check your portafilter diameter first, then the brand. The IMS B70 Competition baskets fit 58mm groups on machines by Astoria CMA, Bezzera, ECM, Elektra, Faema, La Marzocco, Nuova Simonelli, Rancilio, Sanremo, Slayer, Synesso and Vibiemme, among others. If your machine uses a smaller format, look for a basket listed at that diameter, such as the Muvna Morbius 53mm 16g, and confirm the size on the product page before you order.
Do I need a matching tamper?
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It's worth checking, because a tamper that sits close to the basket wall gives a more even tamp. Pullman sizes its ridgeless baskets for tampers between 58mm and 58.4mm, and for the 58.55mm Big Step base. If your current tamper leaves a visible gap at the edge, look at our calibrated tampers and match the base diameter to the basket you choose.
Which Pesado suits medium and dark roasts?
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The Pesado EP is optimised for medium to dark roast beans, bringing forward full-bodied tasting notes for classic black espresso, and it comes in 18g and 22g. The Pesado HE[%] High Extraction basket is designed to extract more dissolved material from your coffee and comes in four sizes: Small 15-17g, Medium 17-19g, Large 19-21g and X-Large 21-22g. Choose EP for body and HE when you want a higher extraction.
![Pesado HE[%] High Extraction Basket: Medium](https://www.coffeeparts.com.au/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/400x280/62defc7f46f3fbfc8afcd112227d1181/a/-/a-pesado-he-basket.jpg)
