A naked shot is an expression used to describe an espresso that has been brewed  with the typical espresso machine, except that the portafilter bottom has bee drilled out.

This allows the coffee to be directly dispensed from the group head to the basket and finally into the cup.

In such configuration, the pour of the espresso can be observed in all it’s glory.

Thus, the term naked.

While removing the bottom from the portafilter can potentially create a mess of a drip tray, coffee lovers would probably find the whole display fascinating and majestic.

But other than the show this brewing process can put up, there are practical reasons as well as to why baristas might want to do this once in a while.

The naked shot allows baristas to better observe the water flow and make a quick judgment of whether the machine is working the way it is supposed to work.

Moreover the spout of a portafilter, which come with the bottom can sometimes contain residue especially when there is no property maintenance.

With this being the source, it can negatively affect the taste of the espresso drinks that are being mixed with it.

Without the spout, one can be sure that no residue from spout will affect the taste of the coffee drinks that are being made with that espresso.

However if that thought holds water, then the opposite must be true as well.

This being that an absence of a bottom and spout would mean that residue would end up in the espresso instead.

Personally, the naked shot is not the magical brewing technique that can bring your brewing prowess to the next level.

It might however, help a barista achieve more evenness into the cup.

This is because the portafilter bottoms come with 2 spouts. There is no way you can say for certain that the same coffee with the same density will come out from both outlets as a mirror image of each other.

Therefore a naked shot or a double shot can help one to make coffee that is more consistent over time.