Can we talk about preheating the portafilter wrong?

I see people on here say to warm the portafilter, but they just run hot water over the outside. That does nothing for the basket. Last month I tested both ways with a cheap thermometer. Cold basket dropped my shot temp by almost 8 degrees. I now stick mine in the cup warmer for 5 minutes before pulling. Anyone else find the cup warmer works better than rinsing?

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simonp401mo ago

Isnt it wild how we do half the job on stuff like this all the time? People rinse the outside of the portafilter and call it good, same way they wipe down a pan but dont heat it up before cooking. The cup warmer trick makes total sense cause its steady heat, not just a quick splash. I bet the same people dont preheat their mugs for pour overs either, then wonder why the coffee goes cold in 2 minutes. Its like we get lazy with the small steps that actually matter the most. Good on you for actually testing it with a thermometer instead of just repeating what some barista said once.

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