Salem 5 When I first started looking into these mesh filters, I was skeptical that the cheaper ones would not work or would rust. But this product works like a charm.In term of improvements to my coffee experience: I'm not an expert in flavor, so I can't tell you if it makes the coffee worse or better. It does make the process of making coffee easier. (1) the flow of water through the portafilter is noticeably more even. (2) After pulling the shot, the puck comes out of the filter in a very clean way, leaving very little residue and making cleaning it easier. (3) the group head stays clean (cleaner at least) than without using the mesh as there is less direct contact of coffee grounds.The one downside is that it is hot after pulling a shot. So separating the metal mesh from the spent coffee grounds can be a bit tricky. What I do now is I pop everything out on my knock box then fish out the mesh once it cools. If you are pulling multiple shots in a row, you might want to consider getting more than one.