Yes, a 54mm bottomless portafilter fits the Sage Barista Pro (BES878, SES878) and the Barista Touch (BES880, SES880). Both use the 54mm portafilter of Sage's home range, and both have a grinder built in, which is what makes a bottomless portafilter worth having: you change the grind and see the result on the next shot. The one habit to add on these machines is preheating the portafilter, because they heat up in seconds and the portafilter does not.
Below: why these two machines suit a bottomless portafilter, the preheat step, what to expect from the first shots, and how a puck screen fits in.
Why the Pro and the Touch suit a bottomless portafilter
- The grinder is built in. A bottomless portafilter shows you what the grind is doing. On a machine where you can change the grind in a second, that feedback turns into a better shot straight away.
- Single wall baskets come in the box. Both machines ship with single wall and dual wall baskets. The single wall basket is the one to use with a bottomless portafilter.
- The fitting is the same. Same 54mm group head and three-ear fitting as the Barista Express, so any 54mm portafilter made for Sage locks in.
Preheat the portafilter first
The Pro and the Touch use Sage's ThermoJet heating, ready in about three seconds. That is great for the water, but the portafilter is a block of cold stainless steel, and it takes heat from the first shot that runs through it.
Sage's own Barista Pro manual recommends a short flush of water through the group head before the shot, to stabilise the temperature and preheat the portafilter. With a bottomless portafilter, run that flush through the empty portafilter:
- Lock the empty portafilter into the group head.
- Run a short flush of water through it, a few seconds is enough.
- Take it out, dry the basket, grind and tamp as usual.
It adds ten seconds and removes one of the reasons a first shot of the day tastes sour.
What to expect from the first shots
Most people see espresso spraying sideways or spurting from one spot on their first shots. That is channelling, and it was there before: the spouted portafilter was hiding it. The usual causes, in order:
- Clumps from the grinder. Stir the grounds in the basket with a thin needle tool before tamping.
- An uneven tamp. Keep the tamper level. The tamp should be firm and the same every time; the exact pressure matters less.
- The grind. If the shot runs fast and pale, grind finer. If it barely drips, grind coarser. Change one step at a time.
Weigh your dose and keep it the same while you change the grind, so you know which change did what. Our channelling guide explains each spray pattern, and our basket and tamper size guide covers doses for the 54mm baskets.
Adding a puck screen
A 53.3mm or 53.5mm puck screen fits the Pro and the Touch, like every 54mm Sage. Lay it on top of the tamped coffee. It spreads the water arriving from the shower screen and keeps the shower screen cleaner. Because it takes some of the space above the coffee, start with about half a gram less. Our puck screen guide walks through it.
Questions we get asked
Does it sit in the grinder cradle?
Sage lists its own bottomless portafilter as compatible with the Barista Touch and the Barista Pro, so the cradle works without spouts. Ours locks into the group head like any 54mm Sage portafilter. If it does not sit properly in your machine, the return is free and we pay the postage.
Do the Barista Touch drink programmes still work?
Yes. The programmes control the grind, the water and the milk. The portafilter only holds the basket, so every drink works the same.
I have a Barista Touch Impress. Does this apply?
Mostly, but the Impress models tamp for you and read the dose, which changes a few things. See our Impress guide.
Is it worth it if I use the dual wall basket?
No. With a dual wall basket the coffee leaves through one small hole, so there is nothing to see. Switch to the single wall basket first: our basket guide explains why.
The parts, if you want them
- 54mm bottomless portafilter, stainless steel with a solid hardwood handle and a filter basket
- 53.5mm puck screen, 1.7mm thick
- Both together, cheaper than buying them separately
Free delivery in the United Kingdom. If a part does not fit the machine listed on its page, the return is free and we pay the postage. How returns work. Not sure? Email contact@cremalab.co.uk with your model code and we will answer within one working day.