Had a barista tell me my pour over technique was all wrong at a shop in Austin last Saturday

I was at Third Coast Coffee in Austin last weekend and the guy behind the counter watched me do a pour over at their brew bar. He straight up said my water temp was too high and my pour was too aggressive, basically scalding the grounds. Turns out I was rushing the bloom phase and not letting the coffee degas properly for about 30 seconds. I switched to a slower circular pour and dropped my kettle temp from 210 to 200 and the cup tasted way smoother. Anyone else get a harsh reality check from a random barista?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_young11d ago

Read something in a coffee snob forum about how most people pour way too fast and hot... they said it makes the coffee bitter and flat. I tried their tips with my Chemex at home and it was a total game changer.

derekwalker11d ago

Emma, you've been hanging out with the kind of people who can tell you the exact temperature of their kettle by feel. That's like trusting a wine snob to pick your beer. But hey, if it made your coffee taste better, then maybe those weirdos are onto something. Just don't tell them I said that or they'll start lecturing me about the perfect pour for my bar's drip coffee. Next thing you know, I'll be timing my pour over by the second and talking about my coffee's "mouthfeel" at parties.