Realized I was making coffee wrong for 10 years after watching a barista at a local shop

Been using boiling water straight from the kettle on my grounds every morning and wondered why it tasted bitter. Watched a guy at Brew House in Portland last week let the water cool for 30 seconds before pouring and it was a completely different drink. Anyone else find out they were messing up a basic daily thing because nobody told them the proper way?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher_craig5d ago

Yeah that's a good tip actually but you got one thing backwards. It's not just about letting the water cool, it's that boiling water actually burns the grounds and pulls out all those nasty bitter compounds. You want your water around 195-205 degrees, so letting it sit for 30 seconds after boiling is perfect for getting it down to that range. I used to do the same thing for years and thought I just hated black coffee. The temperature thing makes a way bigger difference than most people realize, way more than grind size or bean quality even. Once I got a simple thermometer and started checking the water temp, my morning cup went from something I choked down to something I actually looked forward to.

hill.barbara4d ago

Do you think most people just never realize how much little things like water temp change the whole experience? I started timing my pour after the boil and it was like a totally different drink, not even the same coffee I thought I knew. It makes you wonder what other simple habits we've all been doing wrong without even knowing it.