A barista in Portland told me my water was the problem, not my beans, and I haven't stopped thinking about it

Michael Rodriguez · 2026-09-25T18:15:07.095138+00:00

I was in Portland two weeks ago for a friend's wedding and stopped at a small cafe near Alberta Street. I ordered a pour over and started chatting with the barista about my setup at home, since I've been stuck on this one Ethiopian roast for a while. I told her I kept getting a flat, dull cup no matter what I changed, and she asked what water I used. I said tap water from my kitchen in Boise. She said that was probably my whole problem, because our water is hard and the minerals block a lot of the good stuff from coming through. She told me her cafe uses a simple mix of distilled water and a mineral packet that costs about 30 cents per gallon. I tried it when I got home and the same beans tasted like an entirely different coffee, way sweeter and more fruity. I'm not saying fancy gear doesn't matter, but I'd been blaming my grinder and my beans for 6 months when the answer was a $12 gallon of water. Has anyone else messed around with their water recipe, and did you notice a big jump too?

🐿️Pinecone Attack

Loading…

A barista in Portland told me my water was the problem, not my beans, and I haven't stopped thinking about it | Coffee Enthusiasts - Pinecone Attack