Had a chat with a barista in Austin that shook up my pour-over routine

I was at a little shop on South Congress last Saturday, talking to this barista about my go-to brewing method. She asked me why I always do a 30-second bloom, and I said that's just how I learned it. She shrugged and said, 'maybe try 45 seconds next time, especially with lighter roasts.' I tried it the next morning with a Colombian I had, and the flavors came through way more bright and clean. Has anyone else gotten a small tip from a pro that totally shifted your daily setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_anthony1mo ago

Yo same thing happened to me last month! I was at this shop in Brooklyn and the barista watched me do my pour and was like "bro you're rushing the bloom." I had been doing like 20 seconds max cause I was impatient. He told me to try a full minute for a natural Ethiopian they had. Honestly it was like a completely different coffee. The fruit came through so much more and it wasn't all bitter at the end. Now I'm doing 45-55 seconds on everything lighter than a medium roast and it's a game changer.

angela68719d ago

Honestly I don't get the hype. I've tried longer blooms and it just made my coffee taste flat and kinda dull. For me 20-25 seconds is plenty and I get way more clarity that way. Different strokes I guess but longer doesn't automatically mean better.

cameronf881mo ago

Man that Brooklyn barista sounds like a legend. I had a similar thing happen to me a few months back at a place in Portland called Proud Mary. The barista there watched me pouring way too fast and told me to slow down the actual pour, not just the bloom. She said to do a slow spiral pour over about 50 seconds total instead of rushing through it in like 30. I tried it the next day with a Kenyan I had and it was insanely different. The sweetness came out way more and there was no bitterness at all. It's crazy how one little tweak can change everything you thought you knew.