A barista in Portland told me my pour-over technique was all wrong

I was at this shop called Coava in Portland last year and the barista watched me do my pour-over. She said I was pouring too fast and not letting the bloom breathe for at least 30 seconds. I switched to a slower, more controlled pour with a 45-second bloom and my coffee tastes way less bitter now. Anyone else get stuck in a bad habit until someone called them out on it?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly8986d ago

Coava is that spot on SE Grand right? I had a barista there once tell me my pour technique looked like I was trying to drown the coffee grounds. I was doing this frantic circular pour like a maniac, basically waterboarding the beans. Slowing down actually made a huge difference for me too, now I feel like a total snob timing everything with my phone. What kind of grinder are you using with your pour over setup?

emmag406d ago

Have you ever tried a manual grinder? I picked up an old Zassenhaus from a thrift store years ago and it's been a real workhorse, even if it takes a bit of arm power. My neighbor saw me cranking away one morning and asked if I was churning butter, which made me laugh. It's not the fastest thing, but I think the consistent grind helps my pour over taste better than my old electric one ever did.