Pro tip: my neighbor's $8 drip pot beat my $200 setup and I finally figured out why
My neighbor Carol invited me over last Saturday and poured me a cup from this cheap little drip pot she's had for 12 years, and it was better than anything I've made at home. She said the trick is she weighs her beans with a $15 kitchen scale and grinds them coarse right before brewing, no fancy gear at all. Has anyone else noticed that getting the grind and ratio right matters way more than what machine you're using?
The cheap pot thing makes sense when you think about it, because water temp and how you pour matter a ton too. I used to dump all the water in at once with my nice setup and wonder why it tasted flat. Started pouring slow in circles and letting the grounds soak for 30 seconds first, total game changer. Same beans, same grinder, way better cup. Carol probably does this without even thinking about it after 12 years. Turns out the person running the gear matters more than the gear itself.