What the Competition Series actually does differently

IMS makes filters for a long list of espresso machine manufacturers, and the Competition Series is the line where the perforation is relaminated and recalibrated after punching rather than left as-punched. Every hole is a circular opening with a conical cross section, 0.30 mm at the narrow end, and the whole basket is electropolished and wet vibro-finished with ceramic inserts. The practical effect is a smooth surface that coffee oils struggle to cling to, and holes that stay open instead of gradually silting up.

Flat bottom or convex bottom

The B682TH24.5M has straight walls with a rounded internal corner at the base, and concentrates the flow through a Ø 44 mm perforated area. It is the more conventional choice and works equally well behind spouts or a naked portafilter.

The B682TCH26.5E has a convex floor that pushes the coffee bed towards the centre as water passes through it. IMS designed this geometry specifically for bottomless portafilters, so it is worth pairing with something like the Normcore Slim Bottomless Portafilter if you want to actually see what the basket is doing. It is 2 mm taller and holds a slightly larger dose.

Check your border before ordering

This is a B68 basket, meaning the outer flange measures Ø 68 mm. That is the Gaggia, La Cimbali, Carimali and Reneka standard. If your machine uses an E61 group (Rocket, ECM, Profitec, Lelit, La Marzocco and most prosumer machines), you need the Ø 70 mm B70 version instead. The body diameter is Ø 60 mm in both cases, so a 58.0 mm tamper will leave a ring of uncompressed coffee at the edge. IMS recommends 58.4 to 58.5 mm, which is what the Normcore V5 Spring Loaded Tamper offers.

Specifications

What’s in the box

• 1 × IMS Competition filter basket in the selected variant

Video

IMS walks through the Competition line, filters and shower screens both: