Alina Petcu
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
3 years
For anyone here who is curious what a naked filter is, that is when there is no spout attached to the bottom of a portafilter when you brew espresso!
In my barista days, it became very popular to do this around 2015-2018, and is now the general standard at coffee shops. From a professional standpoint, the spout is mostly a way to separate the espresso shot if people prefer less espresso in their coffee. It's not the way to brew an espresso accurately. There is also the single spout but that is truly pointless because it does not separate the full shot
Taste-wise, I believe a lot of crema is lost when it runs through the spout first, and many people love rich and plentiful crema. However, without the spout, a naked portafilter keeps most of that in place, and it aerates as it beautifully falls from the portafilter. Think about it: every time you pull a shot of espresso, that is 1 extraction. So, if someone at a specialty cafe wants a latte, that "double shot" is technically 1 extraction. And so, 1 shot with a spout would be half an extraction - which in my opinion tastes very weak.
Perhaps in a professional environment it would be a matter of starting right away with naked portafilters as the standard, and if someone wants something like "half caff" or small shot, you can always pour half of the extraction out, or save it for the next drink!
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