My pour-over times doubled after switching grinders and I just found out why

I finally tracked down the real reason after 4 months of frustration. I was looking at some testing data from a coffee science blog and realized my new grinder produces way more fines than my old one. The fines clog up the filter paper and slow down the flow way more than I thought. I have a Baratza Encore and switched to a burr set that was supposed to be better but it actually made things worse. My brew times went from 2 minutes to over 4 minutes for the same amount of coffee. The article said fines can increase extraction time by 50-80 percent and that matches my experience exactly. Has anyone else dealt with a grinder change that threw off their pour-over routine like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena8863d ago

I had the exact same issue when I switched from a Comandante to a cheap electric grinder. Fines are a nightmare for pour-overs. Try sifting your grounds through a fine mesh strainer before brewing - it helped me cut my brew time from like 5 minutes back down to 2.5. Or you could play with a coarser grind setting to compensate, but that might mess with your flavor. The Baratza Encore is solid but those burr upgrades can be hit or miss.

juliagonzalez3d ago

Ha! My morning brew is basically a science experiment now.

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