CafSuperCharged wrote:I did replace the "original" QM portafilter that came with Andreja by a La Marzocco. The QM needed to be cleaned underneath the basket after each use really. If I did not, old coffee residue in the PF would cause some dullness in the taste. The LM is better in this respect, and some rinsing/flushing suffices, or else I might have acquired a naked PF.

It really is kind of disappointing how shallow the stock portafilters are on most machines. I have a La Marzocco portafilter too. It's nice to be able to do triple shots in a spouted portafilter, but you're right that another big plus is that it seems to flush out much better without removing the basket. I would imagine this has to do with the amount of space in the portafilter.

I think that a naked portafilter should be considered mandatory for a new espresso enthusiast, but it's definitely true that you should quickly get to the point where you don't need to constantly be diagnosing your shots. I still think that I would agree with something that Dan has said about dosing--once you learn how to dose, you don't need to every time. But you do need to be able to check yourself every now and then and make sure you haven't "drifted." It's good for most, I think, to keep a naked portafilter around for a periodic "self-check" to make sure that you aren't letting any slack enter your routine. It's true that the end result in the cup is the final test for any diagnosis, but scales and naked portafilters are important tools, even if you don't just use them to keep your routine convenient and your basket clean.