This is the piston, and in my opinion it is also a kind of filter. Its operation is based on the fact that, after grinding the coffee, it presses the coffee in the brewing unit, and then the brewed coffee flows through the strainer in it, which when everything is ok goes to the cup. Unfortunately, this has not happened recently, so as a layman in these matters, I gave the machine to the repair point, at this point this piston was replaced and again for less than two months I enjoyed coffee, but the problem repeated, I ordered a new piston and replaced it myself 2 weeks and the problem returned, I replaced the plunger under the warranty and after two days the problem returned again. I do not know how or why the water flows to the drainer and does not flow through the brewing unit and the plunger filter into the cup. Despite the fact that after dismantling the plunger and starting the coffee machine, water flows out of the brewing unit and after installing the plunger it behaves as if it did not get there at all, because the coffee is removed dry by the machine.