23
Hot take: That little coffee stand in Portland changed how I think about pour-overs
I was visiting Portland last month and stopped at this tiny coffee cart downtown, just a window on a corner. The barista handed me a pour-over that took like 6 minutes to brew and I almost walked away. But I waited and the cup was completely different from anything I've made at home. The flavor was super clean and sweet, not bitter at all. I asked what they did different and they said they use a specific grind setting and water temp that I never even think about. Now I'm questioning every cup I've made for the last 3 years. Has anyone else had a coffee experience that made you redo your whole routine?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
caleb_bell520d ago
The "blade grinders are the devil" bit made me finally toss mine and get a burr grinder.
6
robin89620d ago
The 202 water temp thing was my wakeup call too (195-205 is the range but 202 was the sweet spot for my beans). I switched to a gooseneck kettle with a thermometer and started timing my pours. That alone fixed like 80% of my bitterness issues. Also check your grind - if you're using a blade grinder, that's probably the main reason your cups taste uneven.
2
rowanw9120d ago
Stick with the gooseneck, but have you tried adjusting your pour rate for different beans? I found that a super slow pour works great for light roasts but makes dark roasts taste like ash, even at the same temp. And yeah, blade grinders are the devil (mine was a gift, so I felt obligated to use it for way too long). Switching to a burr grinder was like hearing music in stereo for the first time, honestly. What pour pattern are you using with that gooseneck, or just winging it?
1