However, if the hot-break is so important, so that the hop oils dont coaggulate with the break and fall,
I've wondered about this as well. Most books and websites (ie John Palmers) say you must hotbreak the extract wort.
But having using the late-method for almost a year, I don't think I'll ever go back. I still get a "break" of sorts which seems to come solely from all the hops, and the small amount of extract added.
It seems one of those things that always frustrate me. Like with secondaries, autolysis, starters, etc. Lots of things in homebrewing have a signifigant effect, while other things have very little, if any at all.