Weber Workshops - Unifilter (58mm)

World's First Unibody Portafilter.

When designing their new portafilter, the team of Weber Workshops looked beyond what was already out there. They recreated the portafilter out of a single piece of stainless steel for an optimal extraction geometry. No more removable basket, unmatched extraction geometry, improved thermal stability; a giant leap for espresso. Use it, rinse it, wipe it, with no other routine maintenance for better tasting, higher extraction yield espresso.

Materials

The Unifilter is made from a solid piece of forged, machined, and hand-polished Stainless 304 material. All of the holes are individually laser-ablated and go right up to the vertical wall edge, giving a true 58.5mm puck from top to bottom. Made for 18g to 22g shots (and higher or lower with use or elimination of puck screen), but 20g at a medium roast is a good estimate of dose size.

All handles have a solid stainless steel core to give them heft and longevity. This version is covered by a cored-out piece of solid teak wood sanded and finished with a German non-VOC oil. 

Design and workflow

Due to how they are manufactured, typical 58mm baskets have angled side walls and only 48mm diameter of usable hole diameter. The Unifilter has straight internal walls, and a full array of holes to the side walls for even extraction throughout the puck.

Be aware of the fact that coffee extractions look different on the Unifilter than a standard portafilter, and this is good. Say goodbye to the "rat tail" and say hello to the "syrup rain". A stiffer bottom section means that the bottom surface doesn’t bulge out and converge all of the streams, giving you greater visibility into what’s actually happening in your puck.

Moreover, with a removable basket, espresso residue inevitably builds up in the crevices. Without frequent removal and cleaning or acid baths, this can become rancid. The Unifilter is a single piece with no hidden areas, so a simple water rinse after each use keeps it perpetually clean.