I just received my Profitec Pro 600 espresso machine but have a question. I got a triple basket bottomless portafilter with it, but it seems to need way more than 20g of coffee. If I fill it with 20g of coffee, before tamping it is underneath the little rib (where the spring holds the basket in the portafilter). After tamping it is way under that line. Put it this way - I can easily fit 30g of coffee in that double basket and still clamp it into the group head.

What am I doing wrong? Is it supposed to be that empty when "filled"? Even my leveler I had to adjust

If it is a "free with portafilter" basket then it may be worth what you paid for it. I've got one stamped "DVG" that I got that way.

The ridge in a basket is just for retaining the basket, it isn't a "fill line". The amount to fill is usually no more than what would leave 2-3 mm of space above the tamped puck to the screen, when locked in. A US nickel is about 2 mm thick. If you place one one a tamped puck, lock it in (without pulling a shot), and it leaves an indentation, you're probably overfilling the basket for your machine.

These days, triple baskets may be best for making pretty photos and videos, not tasty espresso.

At least for my tastes, I usually find that 18 g or less results in a better balanced shot than pulling with a big basket. It's been many years since I've dosed 20 g or more.

If you do find you enjoy your coffee in larger doses and want to try a better-quality large basket, you might consider the Espresso Parts (EPNW) HQ triple. I've used their ridgeless HQ double which doses like an 18. I would guess that their triple would handle somewhere over 20 g.

It was free just because the machine was out of its box so I got a "discount".

Here are a couple of photos:

That looks like a pretty typical stamped basket. That's how baskets were made for decades and still are.

Depending on the manufacturer and a bit of luck, baskets made that way are generally reasonable in uniformity. If you hold it up to the light and you think you can see variation from hole to hole, you probably are seeing variation. If it is "predictable", such as all on one side seem smaller, then it's a great place to put small parts when you're working on things. You'd get a third of the puck over extracted and a third under extracted, compared to the middle third. If there is some variability but it seems random, then it's probably OK for espresso.

If you look at photos of "precision" baskets, you can usually see that the inner, bottom of the basket looks machined or ground smooth. There are definitely precision baskets that aren't really all that precise and uniform, but at least they tend to be better than the stamped style in not having so many outliers.

Well this is interesting. Seems like the Profitec Pro 600 double basket that came stock with the unit seems more consistent (I have only so far tried the triple basket).

Triple basket underside:


Triple basket inside:


Triple basket inside closeup:


Double basket underside:


Double basket inside:


Double basket inside closeup:


The triple basket looks terrible.