🐿️Pinecone Attack

c/coffee-enthusiasts

33

karen_sanchez10•15d ago

Tried a hario switch for the first time last weekend and got something totally different

I did a 4 minute immersion brew with 18g of coffee and 300ml water at 205F, then let it drain through a v60 filter. The cup came out super clean but with no body at all, almost like tea. Has anyone else had their go-to recipe turn out way different with a new brewer?

11

barnes.morgan•15d ago

Question about why people pre-rinse their paper filters

I've been brewing pour-over coffee for about five years now and I keep seeing people online and in cafes rinsing their paper filters with hot water before brewing. But here's what I noticed at a shop in Seattle last month: the barista rinsed the filter, dumped the water, then let the cone sit for two full minutes before adding coffee. I asked why and she said it preheats the brewer. That makes sense. But then I see other people doing it just to get rid of paper taste. I've never noticed any off flavor from my unrinsed filters at home. Am I missing something? Does the paper quality matter that much? I use Melitta filters and they seem fine without rinsing. Has anyone else compared side by side with and without rinsing?

4

the_robin•15d ago

Hit up an old coffee shop I used to go to in Portland and noticed they stopped grinding on demand

I was in Portland last weekend visiting family and stopped by this place I used to hit every morning back in 2015. Back then they would grind your beans right when you ordered, even if you were getting a drip coffee. Now they have all these pre-ground batches sitting in hoppers and just dump them into the machine. The guy behind the counter said they switched because it was too slow during the rush. I get it from a business side but man, the smell used to hit you as soon as you walked in. Now it just smells like a normal diner. Has anyone else noticed their old spots changing like this?

25

taylor.betty•15d ago

I used to think you were crazy for weighing your beans...

Our barista at Brew Lab in Portland finally made me see it. He said 'volume is a lie' while pouring exactly 18.5 grams into the portafilter. I took my $30 scale home and tried it with my morning brew. Now I get it - my cups aren't bitter one minute and sour the next, they're actually consistent. Has anyone else had a snobby barista talk you into measuring?

9

olivias88•17d ago

Is anyone else seeing people ruin their pour-over by grinding too fine?

I've been watching folks at my local cafe in Portland burn through bags of single-origin beans because they're grinding them to dust, thinking finer means better extraction. Last week a guy spent $45 on a bag of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and got nothing but bitter sludge because his V60 took 5 minutes to drain. What setting are you all using for light roasts on a flat burr grinder?

11

derek_burns•18d ago

Why does nobody talk about how bad French press is for office coffee

I switched from a drip machine to a French press at work about 6 months ago because everyone online said it was superior. First few cups were fine, but cleaning that thing in a shared break room sink is a nightmare. Grounds get stuck in the drain, the mesh screen clogs after a week, and my coworker chipped the carafe dumping it out. I went back to the $30 Mr. Coffee last Tuesday and I swear the coffee tastes the same when you're just trying to wake up. Has anyone else wasted time on a French press setup at work only to give up?

13

rivera.susan•19d ago

I finally got why people roast their own beans after visiting that tiny shop in Astoria

Stopped into this little place called Coffee Girl down by the river last week while the kids were at a playdate. The owner was just finishing up a batch of Ethiopian beans and the smell was so different from what I'm used to... more like toasted nuts and berries than that burnt smell from the big chains. She let me taste a sip of the fresh roast compared to something that had sat for 3 weeks and it was like two totally different drinks. The fresh one was bright with this almost wine-like finish. Now I'm looking at those $30 countertop roasters on Craigslist. Has anyone else done a side by side like that with fresh vs old beans?

15

rivera.susan•19d ago

Burned my tongue off at a latte art throwdown in Portland last weekend

I was at this small competition at a shop on Division Street and took a sip of my cappuccino way too fast because I was nervous. Ended up with a blistered tongue for three days and couldn't taste any of the other drinks I tried that night. Anyone else ever ruined a coffee event for yourself by rushing the first sip?

6

taylor.betty•21d ago

Talking to a 20 year barista made me rethink everything about grinding

Guy at a shop in Portland told me I was wasting good beans by grinding too fine for drip. Said he's seen half a pound of coffee turn into bitter mud more times than he can count. Has anyone here actually tested different grind sizes side by side and noticed a real difference?

30

milarodriguez•22d ago

TIL that roasting coffee at home actually saves you about $8 per pound compared to buying bags from the local shop

I was crunching numbers after my last batch of green beans from Sweet Maria's and realized I'm spending nearly half of what I used to, but has anyone else found their own roasting setup pays for itself faster than they expected?

19

holly_craig•23d ago

Showerthought: Is the pour-over hype actually better than a solid $30 drip machine or are we just fooling ourselves?

I spent last weekend at a local coffee shop in Portland watching a barista spend 4 minutes on a single pour-over while the guy next to me got a cup from the auto-drip in 30 seconds and honestly I couldn't tell which one tasted better - do you put real stock in the ritual or just the results?

14

charles_green•25d ago

Picked a ceramic burr grinder over a flat burr for my espresso setup

I had to choose between a $200 ceramic burr and a $300 flat burr grinder at a local shop in Austin. Went with the ceramic one for less heat transfer, and after 2 months of daily pulls, my shots actually taste cleaner than I expected. Has anyone else noticed a difference in flavor with ceramic burrs?

3

patricia_king23•25d ago

Found a hidden gem cafe in a tiny town in Vermont

I was driving through Stowe, Vermont last weekend and stopped at this little place called Mountain Brew. They roast their own beans in a back room and the owner showed me their 1970s Probat roaster that's still running strong. The pour over I had was smoother than anything I've gotten at those big chain places. Has anyone else stumbled on a roastery that feels like a secret?

19

spencer_wood•28d ago

Spent $40 on a basic burr grinder and it made way more difference than I expected

I used to think as long as you ground fresh, a blade grinder was fine. Borrowed a friend's Encore last week and tried the same beans back to back. My morning cup went from bitter and muddy to actually tasting like what the bag says. Wish I did this years ago. Anyone else hold off on upgrading something small and regret waiting?

-1

maryadams•1mo ago

That comment from a barista at Blue Bottle changed my whole pour-over method

I was at Blue Bottle in Portland last fall, showing off my V60 technique, and the barista just said 'your water temp is too low for that roast.' I thought 195 was fine, but he showed me their thermometer reading 205 and the flavor difference was night and day. I switched to a gooseneck kettle with a digital readout and started timing my pours. Has anyone else had a barista call them out on something that simple?

4

wyatt_chen86•1mo ago

That guy at the local roastery who told me my pour-over technique was wrong...

I was at Blue Bottle in downtown Portland last Saturday just grabbing a bag of beans. This older guy behind me in line saw my order and goes "you know that Ethiopian is too light for a V60 right." I told him I've been brewing it for 6 months with no issues. He just shook his head and walked away without even buying anything. Has anyone else dealt with a stranger trying to police your coffee choices like that?

3

sean502•1mo ago

Barista at a shop in Portland told me my pour-over method was attacking the beans

I was at this tiny shop on Division Street last month, one of those places with no menu, just a chalkboard. The barista watched me do my usual aggressive pour and shook his head, said I was literally tearing apart the coffee grounds. He showed me his way, just a slow steady spiral for like 3 minutes straight, and the cup actually tasted sweeter. Anyone else get roasted by a barista who ended up being right?

1

vera_dixon89•1mo ago

Vent: Just read that most coffee beans are over a year old before you buy them

I was reading a blog from a roaster in Austin, and they said the green coffee beans they get are often already 9 to 12 months past harvest. So by the time it's roasted, shipped, and sits on a store shelf, it's way older than I ever thought. I always figured fresh meant a few months, tops. This totally changes how I look at those 'roasted on' dates now. Has anyone found a good way to know the real harvest date?

21

barbaragarcia•1mo ago

My trusty French press gave out on me this morning, right before my first cup.

It was my dad's old Bodum from the 90s, and the glass carafe just cracked all the way down the side when I poured the hot water in. I had to scramble and make a sad, weak cup with a tea bag filter, which was a real bummer. What's a good, sturdy replacement that won't break the bank, maybe under $50?

1

ross.william•1mo ago

Went to a new coffee shop in Asheville and the pour-over setup was a total mess

They had a single gooseneck kettle for three different brew stations, so the barista was just rushing between them, letting the water temp drop each time. My cup tasted weak and sour, which is a shame because they were using a really nice Ethiopian bean. Has anyone else seen a place try to cut corners on gear like that?

17

jason562•1mo ago

Hot take: I started adding a tiny pinch of salt to my grounds before brewing and it fixed my bitter cheap coffee.

I got a bag of bargain beans from the corner store that tasted like ash, but after three tries, a friend from Austin said to try salt. It actually works, cuts the bitterness right out. Has anyone else tried this with a different method, like a French press?

11

blair_davis50•1mo ago

Showerthought: I keep seeing people brew light roasts with boiling water

I was at a friend's place in Austin and watched him make a pour-over with a fancy new Ethiopian light roast. He used water straight off the boil, about 212 degrees. The coffee came out super bitter and sour at the same time. I checked the roaster's website later, and they specifically say to use 195 degrees for that bean. It seems like a lot of folks just assume hotter is better for all coffee. Has anyone else had to correct this for people?

30

pat360•1mo ago

Shoutout to the local roaster who gave me a simple tip

About three months ago I was getting really sour shots from my espresso machine. I talked to the folks at Northside Roasters and they said to try grinding a bit finer and pulling the shot for 30 seconds instead of 25. The difference was huge. My shots went from tasting sharp and thin to rich and balanced. Has anyone else had a small change make that big of a difference?

20

eric_carr•1mo ago

PSA: I've been storing my beans in the freezer for 5 years and just learned that's wrong

My local roaster in Portland finally asked me why my coffee always tasted flat, and they explained the constant moisture changes from freezing ruin the flavor. Anyone have a good airtight container they recommend for the counter instead?

21

cameron770•1mo ago

My coffee log just passed 1,000 unique brews

Started keeping track in a notebook three years ago. Every morning, I write down the bean, method, and grind setting. Hit 1,001 this past Tuesday. It's wild to see how much my taste has changed. My first entries are all dark roast french press. Now I'm deep into light roast pour-overs. Anyone else track their coffee this closely? What number surprised you?