Can we talk about how someone told me my pour over water temp was ruining everything?

I've been making pour over coffee for like 2 years and thought I had it dialed in. Then a barista at this shop in Portland watched me and said my water was way too hot, like 210 degrees, and I was basically scorching the beans. I dropped it to 195 and the difference was night and day, way less bitterness. Anyone else get roasted by a random coffee pro and change your whole routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

rosebarnes8d ago

Jumping in to say 210 isn't actually scorching the beans (that's like a common myth), it's just on the high side for most light roasts. But hey, if dropping to 195 made it taste better to you, that's what matters - I've got a buddy who swears by 185 for some of his darker roasts and his coffee is bomb.

daniel4748d agoOG Member

Fair enough, but 210 is still too hot for most beans if you ask me. It might not physically scorch the coffee, but it sure can make it taste flat and burnt. That's more about water chemistry and extraction than temperature myths anyway. If the roaster says light roast, 195 gives me a cleaner cup every time. Darker roasts at 185 make total sense, that's just common sense. Taste is the only real test, and your buddy's results speak for themselves.