A regular at my cafe in Portland told me my pour was too fast

He pointed at my coffee and said, 'You're rushing it, the grounds aren't blooming right.' I watched him do a slow, steady pour over his own cup. The next day, I tried his way, counting to 30 for the bloom. The flavor was totally different, way more balanced. Has anyone else had a simple tip from a customer change how you make coffee?

3 comments

3 Comments

anthony1297d ago

My old shop in Austin always did a 15 second bloom until a customer showed me the 30 count method. Honestly, that extra time makes a huge difference, just like @nancycooper's swirl trick for sweetness. I was totally wrong to think it didn't matter.

gavinb977d ago

Totally agree about giving the bloom more time. I switched to a full 45 second bloom on my V60 and it completely changed the flavor, pulling out way more of the fruity notes. It’s like @nancycooper’s swirl trick, where that extra bit of care unlocks something you didn’t know was there. I used to rush it thinking hot water was hot water, but it’s all about letting the coffee open up. What’s the longest bloom time you’ve tried that still worked?

nancycooper7d ago

My old barista in Seattle showed me how to swirl the grounds during the bloom. It was just this little wrist thing, but it made the coffee taste so much sweeter.