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Serious question, has anyone else been stirring their coffee wrong?
I was at The Daily Grind in Portland last week, just watching the barista make my latte. She poured the milk and then, instead of stirring it with a spoon, she just gently swirled the whole cup on the counter. I asked her why, and she said, 'Swirling mixes the espresso and milk without adding air bubbles, so the first sip is smooth, not foamy.' I've been jabbing a spoon in there for years, making it all bubbly. Who knew? Does anyone else have a little coffee shop trick they learned by watching?
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craig.mila2mo ago
Nah, that's just extra. A spoon works fine and gets it done in two seconds. All that swirling feels like a show for people who take their coffee too seriously.
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the_thea2mo ago
Watch people turn simple tasks into a whole performance. It's not just coffee. You see it with people carefully folding a paper towel instead of just grabbing one, or lining up pens on a desk before they start writing. @rileym96 worrying about his spoon technique is part of it. We get sold this idea that the "right" way, even for tiny things, makes the result better. Mostly it just makes you move slower and feel a little silly.
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rileym962mo ago
Man, I feel called out. I've been stabbing at my coffee like it owes me money for my whole adult life. Probably been adding more bubbles than a kid with a soap wand. That smooth first sip thing makes a lot of sense, honestly. I guess I never stopped to think the spoon was the problem. Now I'm gonna be self-conscious every time I make a cup at home, trying to swirl it like a fancy wine glass.
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