Had a close call with a faulty portafilter basket at Blue Bottle in SF last month

I was pulling a shot at Blue Bottle on Market Street last month, and the handle on their portafilter just snapped off mid-pull. Hot water and grounds sprayed everywhere, all over my hand and the counter. Turns out the screw that holds the handle in had been loose for weeks. Now I always check the handle tightness before I even load the basket. Has anyone else had gear fail on them at a busy cafe like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

luna_green17d ago

Oh man, that sounds terrifying and painful, I'm really sorry that happened to you. It's crazy how some small loose screw can cause such a huge mess, I totally get why you'd check every handle now.

park.troy17d ago

Wait, does this mean I should stop using my forehead to test if cabinet handles are tight? lol

wesley_hart16d ago

Old roommate John used to kick the washing machine when it got off balance during spin cycle. Did it barefoot once, broke his toe. He still does it but now he wears steel-toed boots. Got a real system going.