Appreciation post: the difference between my first pour-over and now 18 months later

I got into pour-over coffee about a year and a half ago, starting with a basic plastic V60 and a cheap blade grinder. Honestly, my first few cups were bitter and uneven, like drinking hot dirt water. I didn't think the grinder mattered that much, but after six months I finally bought a decent burr grinder for $60. The change was night and day - the coffee came out smoother and I could actually taste notes instead of just burnt flavors. What really pushed me forward was that time I messed up my water temperature and got a sour brew that made me spit it out. Now I use a gooseneck kettle and a scale, and my morning cup is consistent every time. Has anyone else had that moment where upgrading one small thing totally flipped your coffee game?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesley1819d ago

I read somewhere that water chemistry is actually a huge factor that gets overlooked for pour-over. Apparently the mineral content in your tap water can make or break the extraction. I switched to using filtered water from a cheap Brita and it smoothed out the harsh edges on my medium roasts way more than I expected. Ever try playing with the water temperature once you got the grinder sorted? Dialing it in by a couple degrees changed the flavor profile for me big time.

hannahsingh9d ago

Hold up, @wesley181, I gotta push back here. Water chemistry is WAY overhyped for most home setups. Tap water from a decent city supply is fine 90% of the time, and a Brita filter just strips out chlorine but doesn't really change the mineral profile enough to matter unless your water is HORRIBLE. Bumping the temperature by a couple degrees can hide bad grinder or technique, not fix it. If your grinder is solid, you can pull a good cup from slightly hard tap water, no fancy filtering needed.