Barista told me my pour over was too bitter, changed one thing

Last Saturday at a cafe in Portland, the barista watched me brew and said "your water's too hot, try 195 instead of 205." I switched at home with a cheap thermometer and the difference is night and day. Has anyone else had a small tweak fix their whole cup?

1 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

1 Comment

the_william13d ago

That temperature thing is real but I gotta point out one small detail. 195 vs 205 is a big jump, most people land around 200 and call it good. Dropping to 195 can work for some darker roasts but you might lose some flavor clarity on lighter beans. The cheap thermometer is smart, but check it against boiling water first because those stick ones can be off by five degrees. Also, keep in mind your kettle cools fast once you pour, so heating to 205 and waiting a few seconds might get you closer to 200 anyway. The real fix is probably that you stopped pouring right off the boil, which makes a huge difference. Good on you for listening to the barista though, most folks just blame the beans.

9