A barista in Seattle told me something about my pour over that I can't forget

I was at a small shop near Pike Place Market a few months back, and the barista watched me make my usual pour over. He leaned over and quietly said, 'You're pouring too fast, you're just washing the grounds.' I slowed down my pour right then and the next cup was so much sweeter. Has anyone else had a simple tip from a stranger totally change their method?

3 comments

3 Comments

henderson.val22d ago

Actually, that barista was probably seeing channeling from pouring too fast, not just washing grounds. It creates uneven extraction where water finds the path of least resistance. Slowing down lets the water actually soak into all the coffee evenly, which is why you got more sweetness. What kind of beans were you using that day?

maryh967d ago

Yeah, that path of least resistance thing is so real... I've seen it happen when the grind is off, too. If it's a little too fine, the water just gets stuck and then blasts a hole through the bed. It's like making mud and then watching a river cut through it. You end up with a mix of sour and bitter in the same cup, which is the worst.

leo_murphy22d ago

Sounds like my own rushed morning pour, @henderson.val.