Parts of an Espresso Machine – Group Head and Portafilter

All 11 parts on the diagram

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The machine 8

Group head The fitting that the filter holder locks into.
Filter holder (portafilter) A handle with a bowl; it holds the filter basket.
Steam wand A thin tube that lets out steam for frothing milk.
Water reservoir The tank that holds the cold water.
Drip tray A tray at the bottom that catches spilled drops.
Drip tray grate The slotted cover of the drip tray; cups stand on it.
Warming plate The top of the machine; cups warm on it.
Power button It switches the machine on and off.

The filter holder 3

Filter basket A metal cup with fine holes; it holds the ground coffee.
Spouts Two outlets under the holder; the coffee runs out here.
Tamper A tool that presses the ground coffee flat.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01, a name kept only where two independent sources use it. Three makers' instruction manuals, read in the Internet Archive's copies, each maker counted as one source (https://archive.org/details/manualsonline-id-cd627df7-8813-42cb-b049-1b473a554ea5, https://archive.org/details/manualsonline-id-be7e04b9-72e4-4a22-840f-7171c6407174, https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-637897); Wikipedia, Espresso machine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espresso_machine), one source. This page is not connected with or endorsed by any maker. Hints and detail lines are in our own words. Names only: the page gives no brewing, cleaning or repair instructions. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry; a schematic of no maker's product, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of an espresso machine are a water reservoir, a group head, a filter holder that locks into it, and a steam wand. The second drawing shows the filter holder with its basket and a tamper.

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The machine

Water comes from the reservoir at the back. The group head is where hot water under pressure meets the coffee. The filter holder, also called a portafilter, locks into the group head. The steam wand at the side froths milk. Cups warm on the warming plate on top, and the drip tray under its grate catches spills.

The filter holder

The filter basket is a metal cup with fine holes; it sits in the filter holder and holds the ground coffee. The tamper presses the coffee flat. The coffee runs out through the spouts.

Questions and answers

What is the handle on an espresso machine called?

A portafilter, also called a filter holder or group handle. It is a handle with a bowl that holds the filter basket, and it locks into the group head.

What is the group head on an espresso machine?

The fitting under the front of the machine that the filter holder locks into. Hot water under pressure passes through it onto the ground coffee.

What is the steam wand for?

It is a thin tube that lets out steam. It is used to heat and froth milk.

What does a tamper do?

It presses the ground coffee into a flat, even layer in the filter basket before the filter holder is locked in.