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?

2 comments

2 Comments

rosejackson1mo ago

My buddy in Denver got a new grinder and some expensive Kenyan beans. He was so excited he used water right off the boil for his French press. The whole pot tasted like burnt lemon rinds, honestly. I had to gently point him to the little card that came with the beans, which said 200 degrees. He was just going on an old habit, you know, like hotter water must mean stronger coffee.

anthony_lane551mo ago

Old habits die hard, @rosejackson, it's a whole thing.