Shoutout to the barista who taught me to bloom cheaper beans

Last month at a little shop in Portland, the barista poured a small bit of hot water over the grounds, waited 30 seconds, then continued. I asked why, and she said it lets the gas out so the coffee tastes sweeter. I tried it with my usual $8 bag from the grocery store, and honestly the difference was pretty big. Has anyone else noticed a huge jump from just this one step, or is my palate fooling me?

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logan_young2927d ago

Heard a coffee nerd on a podcast say the bloom is where like 90% of the flavor hiding in cheap beans lives. Makes sense cause I tried it with my usual stuff and it killed that bitter, burnt aftertaste. The trick is you gotta pour just enough to wet everything, not drown it, and let it sit till it stops bubbling. My bagged stuff still isn't fancy, but it tastes way more like what I'd get at a shop now.