Just wondering what people think about the IMS shower screens, I’ve heard IMS are to shower screens what VST are to baskets, is this true?
Are they worth the investment or has anyone noticed a difference in extraction compared to stock shower screens?
I’m curious as to how big of an impact these shower screens can have to the coffee.
If it makes any difference I am currently using a La Marzocco GB5 3 group AV with stock shower screens and 0.6 restrictors.
I think they’re great!!
I got the Teflon coated one for our E61 group. I don’t know if extraction is better but the water drops coming out of the group look beautifully even across the whole screen surface.
And one thing is for sure, cleaning is fantastic compared to the stock screen. Just a quick wipe before and after backflushing. No visible dirt and also less coffee stuck behind the screen.
I don’t recommend the IMS screens outside of a competition environment and to be fair I think that’s what they were designed for.
The LM screens I have experience with failed in a commercial environment very quickly because any impact or overdosing mistake will warp the body of the screen. If you haven’t seen one up close it is a single piece of metal, with the perforations laser-etched into the surface. The fault in its design to my view is that it relies on elastic deformation of the screen dish against the seated position of the shower screw to create the seal against its perimeter. Any time an impact or crush of overdosed baskets causes plastic deformation of the screen dish the perimeter is breached and water is allowed to flow around the screen, nullifying its design.
I have not had experience with the E61 screen but I would imagine it would not have this problem. I would still be concerned with its resistance to impact from an errant portafilter which is difficult to avoid with new hires in a busy shop.
I do not dispute any claims or experience of superior extraction performance among people using the IMS screens in competition where the screen sees perhaps 30 cycles with a highly skilled barista.
I love the stock heavy duty shower screens from La Marzocco, they are the most robust design I have ever seen and would not be concerned leaving them in service for a year in a busy shop if they were being cleaned properly.
In a domestic environment, or low volume commercial where the owner is the sole barista the IMS may work well over the long term but I would monitor the seal around the perimeter of the screen very closely.
@Steven_Li …I replaced my stock screen on my machine with a teflon-coated IMS and have been pleased with the results.
I noticed immediately that my pucks were more thoroughly saturated across the basket and knocking them out was much easier. Cleaning them is a breeze with a quick wipe daily and a little bath in a Cafiza solution every week or so.