c/coffee-enthusiasts

6

felix155•5h ago

French press vs pour over wasn't even close for me

I spent last month testing both methods side by side with the same beans from a local roaster in Portland. The French press gave me this muddy cup with fine grit no matter how I poured, while the pour over with my $25 V60 made everything clean and bright. I think the paper filter makes all the difference for clarity. Has anyone else switched and felt the same way or am I missing something with the press?

12

amy_foster56•17h ago

Had to pick between a pour-over setup and a French press for my van shifts

I drive deliveries all day and needed better coffee on the road. Went back and forth for like two weeks deciding between a Chemex 6-cup and a basic Bodum French press. Ended up getting the French press for $25 at Target because it's tougher and I can just pour hot water from the gas station. Honestly it's been great but I do miss the cleaner taste of pour-over when I'm sitting in my van at 6am waiting for a pickup. Anyone else make a similar call and regret it or nah?

11

caseys30•1d ago

Shoutout to the pour-over method I swore I'd never try

I used to just dump grounds in a Mr. Coffee machine and hit brew. Two years ago my buddy Mike from Portland made me taste his V60 pour-over and I got mad because it was way better. Now I spend 5 minutes every morning doing a slow spiral pour with water at exactly 200 degrees. Has anyone else caved and switched to a method they thought was pretentious?

2

the_joel•1d ago

Warning: Those espresso machine pressure gauges might be lying to you

I was at a roastery in Austin last week and overheard a repair guy telling the owner that 4 out of 5 machines he sees have gauges off by 2-3 bars. Means you could be pulling shots way outside the sweet spot and not even know it. Anyone else ever checked their gauge against a calibrated tool?

11

allen.cole•3d ago

Dropped $120 on a fancy coffee bean subscription that I barely finished

Signed up for this 6 month subscription from a roaster in Seattle back in January. Thought I'd be saving money and getting fresh beans. By month 3 I had 4 bags sitting in my freezer cause I couldn't drink coffee fast enough. Ended up tossing 2 bags that went stale. Anyone else fall for the hype on these subscriptions?

15

sam_wood60•3d ago

TIL an old barista's advice about temp was spot on.

Guy at a shop in Nashville told me to pull espresso at 200F instead of 195, and my shots have been way smoother since. Anyone else get a tip that totally flipped their routine?

11

the_jason•4d ago

I switched from a blade grinder to a burr grinder 3 months ago

For years I used a $20 blade grinder I got at Target, just pulsing it until the beans looked kinda small. I finally picked up a Baratza Encore for $140 and the difference in my French press is night and day. No more muddy sludge at the bottom of my cup. Has anyone else noticed a big jump when they upgraded their grinder?

21

jordancoleman•18d ago

Blew up my French press in a tiny Manhattan kitchen

Was rushing to make coffee before work and put too much grounds in, then pushed the plunger down way too hard - glass shattered everywhere. Had to clean up tiny shards from the floor and counter for 20 minutes while my roommate watched. Anyone else ever break their press from being in a hurry?

21

cole_robinson•18d ago

Burned my Chemex pour-over three times in a row last week...

I was in my kitchen in Portland trying to multitask during a work call, left the water on the boil too long, and scorched the coffee so bad it tasted like ash... Did you guys ever figure out a way to fix that bitter mess without starting over?

17

the_ryan•27d ago

Blew $60 on a fancy coffee grinder that couldn't even do espresso

Picked up one of those hand crank ceramic burr grinders from a local shop, thought I was saving money. First batch took 4 minutes to grind 18 grams, and the grind size was all over the place. Tried to pull a shot with my Gaggia and it channeled so bad I got muddy water. Has anyone else wasted cash on a grinder that just didn't cut it for real espresso?

7

torres.jason•28d ago

Just realized my cold brew recipe has been overcomplicated this whole time

I was chatting with the barista at Blue Bottle in Austin last Saturday and she told me she just uses a 1:8 ratio and leaves it on the counter for 16 hours. No fancy filters, no stirring every hour. I've been doing this whole thing with ice and a 24 hour steep and honestly it hit different because her cup actually tasted cleaner than mine. Anyone else find out they were overthinking their brew method after talking to a pro?

4

gavincampbell•28d ago

Realized my morning pour-over routine has gotten ridiculous

I counted my steps this morning while making coffee - 23 separate moves from grinding to the first sip. Found that number on a coffee blog last night and thought they were exaggerating until I timed myself. Anyone else look at their own process and wonder when things got this complicated?

35

rowan_butler93•29d ago

My buddy Dave changed my mind about cold brew last weekend

Tbh I always thought cold brew was just weak iced coffee with a fancy name. But Dave made me try his batch that he had steeping for 18 hours with a coarse grind from that Ethiopian bean he gets. The smoothness and the chocolate notes were totally different from what I expected. Now I'm setting up my own mason jar system tonight. Anyone else had a similar turnaround on a brewing method you wrote off?

22

thompson.robin•1mo ago

French press vs pour over - no contest for me

I used french press for 3 years straight. Switched to pour over last month. The difference is insane - cleaner taste, no sludge at the bottom of my cup. Anyone else find one method just clicks better than the other?

16

skylercooper•1mo ago

Cold brew concentrate disaster in my kitchen yesterday

I decided to try making my own cold brew concentrate for the first time. Followed a recipe that said 1 part coffee to 8 parts water and let it steep for 18 hours. Well I woke up at 3am to a loud crash in the kitchen. The mason jar I was using literally exploded from the pressure buildup, coffee grounds everywhere on my white tile floor. Took me an hour to clean up the mess at 3 in the morning. I learned that you need to leave way more headroom than you think, and probably use a proper cold brew pitcher with a spigot. Has anyone else had a jar explode on them like this?

1

margaretrivera•1mo ago

I finally had my trusty French press shatter on me this morning

It was the one I got from a thrift store in Austin like 4 years ago, and I swear it made the smoothest coffee. But when I went to rinse it after my brew, the handle just snapped off clean in my hand. Hot water went everywhere on my counter and I almost dropped the whole thing. I had to grab a towel real quick and clean up the glass pieces. Now I guess I need to find a replacement, but I don't want to pay $40 for one of those fancy insulated ones. Has anyone else had a favorite brewer break out of nowhere?

-1

mia_singh24•1mo ago

Wasted $120 on a fancy bean subscription that was totally overpriced

I fell for one of those artisanal coffee subscriptions that send you single-origin beans every two weeks. After 3 months I realized I was paying $40 a bag for beans that tasted no better than the $18 ones from my local roaster in Austin. The shipping was slow too, and they kept sending me light roasts even though I picked medium on the form. I finally canceled after the fourth bag gave me a burnt, ashy flavor that ruined my morning routine. Has anyone else had a subscription that just wasn't worth the hype?

4

riverhill•1mo ago

Was totally wrong about pour-over being overhyped

Bought a $25 plastic V60 on a whim 6 months ago after swearing it was just pretentious drip coffee. First cup I made tasted like mud, but after dialing in the grind size with my $20 hand grinder it's actually way cleaner than my Mr. Coffee. Anyone else have a coffee method they dismissed at first?

8

hannaho52•1mo ago

Barista at my local shop told me to skip tamping altogether

He said I was overcompressing the grounds and it was choking my shots. Tried it with just a light leveling tap yesterday and pulled the best espresso I've had in months. Anyone else ever get advice that goes against everything you thought you knew?

10

nathan545•1mo ago

Caught two baristas arguing over brew temperature at a shop in Austin

One said 195 is the only temp that works for pour over, the other swore 205 brings out more flavor. I just stood there sipping my coffee wondering who's actually right. Has anyone here tested both side by side and noticed a real difference?

2

harperwright•1mo ago

Visited that new Third Wave spot in Denver and their pour-over setup felt like a show, not a service

I was at The Roost on Colfax last weekend and waited 12 minutes for a single cup. The barista used a timer, a scale, and talked through every step, which I know some people love. But honestly, it made the simple act of getting a morning coffee feel overly complicated and slow. Has anyone else felt like some shops focus more on the performance than on just serving a great, quick cup?

8

margaretrivera•1mo ago

Overheard a guy at the shop say his pour over was 'too clean'

I was waiting in line at this place in Austin last week and the guy in front of me was talking to the barista. He said, and I quote, 'This is a good cup, but it's just too clean. I want to taste the dirt.' I mean, idk, maybe it's just me but I had to stop and think about that for a second. I've heard people talk about wanting fruity notes or chocolate notes, but I've never heard someone specifically ask for a taste of dirt. It made me realize how far down the rabbit hole some of us can go, looking for super specific and maybe even weird flavors in our coffee. I spent the rest of the day sipping my own brew and trying to figure out if it was 'clean' or not. Has anyone else ever gotten a coffee that tasted like, well, earth on purpose?

1

gray_schmidt8•1mo ago

Hit 500 cups brewed with my little pour over setup

I keep a small notebook by my brewer and just marked number 500 this morning. It started as a way to track beans, but seeing that total surprised me. That's a lot of mornings and a quiet ritual I didn't know I needed. Has anyone else tracked something simple that added up to a big number?

23

morgan316•1mo ago

Met a barista in Seattle who said 'the best coffee is the one you share'

He was pouring a cup for a regular who looked really down, and just gave it to him for free. Has a small gesture like that ever made your whole day better?

6

daniel552•1mo ago

My French press carafe shattered on the kitchen tile this morning, but I managed to salvage the brew with a clean bandana and a big measuring cup.

What's your go-to method for a quick filter when your main gear fails?