Yes it is worth a hmmm... I think it is more forgiving than the VST basket, for only a small loss in flavour. And I mean small. From what experiments I've done this afternoon after posting this thread, the average punter would be hard pressed to tell the difference. As for likelihood of 'God' shots, well this basket has helped me get closer to nirvana, quicker, than the VST basket. When I get it right with the VST, it is worth it. But getting it right is the tricky part. This basket makes it easier to get there. :coffee2: As I said previously, I'm making 4 - 5 espresso based drinks a day, so I'm by no means proficient with the VST. In fact, I find the VST painful to use daily. My Synesso basket has given me good consistent service, and I'll probably keep on using it for milk based drinks. This IMS basket, coming from the Synesso, makes a more flavoursome coffee easier than the VST, IMHO. It's repeatable, and has more tolerance in it compared to the VST. At the moment I'm using 17g per shot in it, which is a bit more than the Synesso holds (15g for my machine), which also may bias my flavoursome comments a fair bit. I Find the VST very demanding, but if you get it right, it rewards you. Getting it right is the problem. If I was pulling 100 shots a day, this might not be an issue, but I'm a home espresso lover / hack roaster. I don't want a difficult basket to get close to my personal heaven. This basket suits me. It might not suit everyone, but I think people who use a VST and struggle for a consistent coffee should give this basket a go. Just make sure you get the right one for your machine. The '26.5h' part relates to the clearance from the bottom of the basket to the shower screen, and IMS do have a couple of variants that may be more suitable to your machine. There are available 24.5h and 28.5h variants. The 'h' refers to the height of the basket. I think it's definately worth considering. :thumb:
