Guy at the counter said dark roast has more caffeine. I looked it up later and light roast actually has slightly more due to bean density. Now I'm wondering who's right. What's your go-to roast and why?
I was at this little place called Heart Roasters last summer and watched the barista do pour overs. Real casual like. I asked him about my home brew tasting bitter and he just looked at my grind setting on my grinder and goes, "you're trying too hard." He showed me how coarse he grinds for pour over. I was grinding way too fine, basically making mud. Went home, adjusted my grinder to something closer to sea salt size, and my coffee stopped tasting like burnt rubber. Has anyone else had that moment where you realize you were overcomplicating something simple?
I usually just dump my regular dark roast in the French press each morning. But last week I tried making a big batch of cold brew with some Ceylon cinnamon sticks I had sitting in the pantry. I dropped two sticks into the jar before sticking it in the fridge for about 18 hours. The result was this mellow, almost sweet flavor without any sugar at all. No bitterness either, which I always get with hot brew. Now I'm wondering if I got lucky with the cinnamon or if this is a thing people do regularly. Any of you tried spices in your cold brew and had it work out?
Two weeks ago I picked up one of those handheld milk frothers at Target, figured it'd be a waste but I was curious. I've been drinking black coffee for like 10 years, never saw the point of fancy milk stuff. Well I tried it with some warm oat milk and a splash of vanilla syrup and I swear it turned my average morning brew into something I'd pay $6 for. Now I walk into the local diner and their coffee tastes thin and sad, like they forgot to add any soul to it. I keep looking at those expensive espresso machines online and my wallet is scared. My buddy told me I'm just spoiled now and need to get over myself. Anybody else ruin their cheap coffee habits with one little gadget purchase?
For years I was that person who thought cold brew was just watered down iced coffee that hipsters overpaid for. My go-to was always a hot pour over with some heavy cream. Then last month my AC broke in the middle of a heatwave here in Phoenix, and my neighbor brought me a mason jar of her homemade cold brew. I was polite but skeptical. Took one sip and honestly felt like an idiot for being so stubborn. The smoothness hit different, no bitterness at all, and I didn't even need sugar. She said she uses a coarse grind and lets it steep for 18 hours in the fridge. Now I'm hooked and I've already ruined two batches trying to copy her recipe. Anyone else have a coffee method they judged hard before trying it?
I realized yesterday that I hit 1000 days straight of making a pour-over coffee at home. That's almost 3 years of not buying a single cup from a shop. Some mornings I woke up 15 minutes early just to make it happen. The weird part is I feel proud of the discipline but also wonder if I'm just being stubborn about my routine. Maybe buying a coffee sometimes is fine and doesn't mean I'm failing. So which side wins for you? Is hitting a long streak of something like this worth celebrating, or is it okay to break it on purpose now and then?
I've been doing pour-over for about 2 years now. Most days it's just okay. But last Tuesday everything lined up. Water temp was exactly 205. Grind size hit that sweet spot. The bloom bubbled up like a science experiment. I poured in circles without messing up once. Cup came out sweet and clean with zero bitterness. Tasted like berries and honey. Then the next day I tried the exact same beans and technique and it came out sour and sad. Makes me wonder if it's really skill or just luck. Any of you have that one day where your coffee just clicked and then it vanished?
I had to pick between a paper filter and a metal mesh one for my pour over. Went with the mesh because I hate buying stuff over and over (you know, waste). First cup was super oily and gritty, almost like cowboy coffee. After about 2 weeks I got used to it, but honestly I still miss that clean taste paper gives you. Anyone else try this and switch back?
I spent $60 on a budget burr grinder off Amazon after burning through three $20 blade grinders in two years. The difference in my morning pour over is night and day - no more bitter fines or huge chunks ruining the brew. My local roaster even complimented how even the grind looked when I brought some in for a chat. Anyone else find a cheap upgrade that completely changed their coffee game?
I tried making cold brew with a coarse grind from a new roaster in Denver and let it steep for 20 hours instead of my usual 12. The result was super bitter and basically undrinkable, not the smooth cup I was after. Has anyone else had a batch go wrong from steeping too long or is it just me?
This guy claimed hot brewing then chilling gives you way more flavor depth. I tried it side by side with my usual 12 hour steep and man, the hot brew actually had brighter notes coming through. Does the long steep really bring anything worth the wait or are we all just fooling ourselves?
I was at a local shop downtown and they had a sign saying "good coffee takes 4 minutes" which got me thinking about how I rush my pour over every single day. Now I'm wondering if anyone else has slowed down their routine and actually noticed a difference in taste, or is it just a mental thing?