Barista told me my pour over technique was killing the flavor, switched to a finer grind

She said my water was rushing through the grounds in 90 seconds instead of 3 minutes, so I dialed it down and now my morning cup actually tastes like the tasting notes on the bag. Anybody else get called out by a coffee shop employee and had to rework their whole routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

rivera.henry13h ago

Well the same thing happened to me last year. A barista at my local shop watched me pour and said "you're basically making brown water, not coffee." I felt embarrassed but she was right. My grind was too coarse and my water was through in about a minute. Once I fixed that and started timing my pours, the whole experience changed. That first morning where I actually tasted blueberries and chocolate from the bag was like a revelation. It's funny how such a simple adjustment can make you feel like you've been drinking bad coffee your whole life without knowing it.

andrew91613h ago

Wait, has anyone talked about how this whole experience changes when you switch to a different water source? @rivera.henry your barista was right about grind and timing, but seriously try filtered or bottled water sometime. I used tap water for years and thought I was making good coffee, then I tried it with filtered water at a friend's house and it was like night and day. The minerals in water actually pull out different flavors from the beans, so if your local water is hard or has a weird taste, it can mess up everything even if your grind is perfect. I know it sounds kind of extra, but it's a cheap way to level up without buying new gear. Just a thought since nobody mentioned it in the thread yet.