c/coffee-enthusiasts

Finally pulled a decent shot with my old espresso machine

I bought a used Gaggia Classic three years ago and could never get the timing right, always ending with sour or bitter coffee. Last week, I finally dialed in a new bag of beans from a local roaster in Austin, grinding 18 grams to a much finer setting than I used to. The shot ran for 28 seconds and tasted smooth, with a nice layer of crema on top. What's one small change that made your home espresso better?

Warning: I spent $60 on a 'precision' coffee scale and it's just a tiny scale

It measures to the tenth of a gram, but my $12 kitchen scale did the same thing. Has anyone found a real use for these besides feeling fancy?

Question about those $80 insulated travel mugs

I grabbed one of those double-walled stainless steel mugs last month, thinking it would keep my pour-over hot for my commute. First day, I brewed a cup, screwed the lid on, and drove to work. When I got there, the coffee was barely warm, like it had been sitting out for an hour. I checked the seal and everything seemed fine. Has anyone else had this happen with a supposedly high-end mug? Wondering if I just got a bad one or if I'm missing something obvious.

My pour over routine went from okay to amazing in about two months

I used to just dump the water in. Got okay coffee. Then I started timing my pours. Aiming for 3 minutes total brew time. Using a scale to measure 22 grams of coffee. The difference is huge. Way more flavor. Clearer taste notes. It was all about being more careful with the water flow. Anyone else find that a simple timer changed their home brew game?

Just dropped $40 on a metal milk frother and it's a total game changer

I always thought my cheap electric one was fine, but this thing makes cafe-level foam in under a minute. Anyone have tips for getting perfect microfoam for latte art?

Remember when a good cup just meant a clean machine?

My pour over was always bitter, no matter what beans I used from the local shop. After six months of frustration, I watched a video from a barista in Portland who said to grind way coarser than I thought. I tried it with my Hario grinder, setting it to a 24 instead of an 18, and the difference was night and day. Anyone else have a simple fix that saved their morning brew?

A guy at the Portland cafe told me his pour over method was a secret

He was grinding beans at the counter and said he never rinses his filter because it steals flavor. I've tried it his way for a month and my coffee tastes totally different. Anyone else skip the rinse step?

My gooseneck kettle gave out mid-pour this morning

I was doing my usual morning pour over, the one thing I look forward to, and halfway through my first circle the kettle just stopped. No click, no steam, nothing. It's a Bonavita I've had for about 4 years, so I guess it had a good run, but the timing was awful. I had to finish with a regular tea kettle and the pour was all wrong, totally messed up the bloom. Ended up with a cup that tasted bitter and weak at the same time. I'm stuck now because I don't want to buy another cheap one that'll break, but the really good ones are over a hundred bucks. Has anyone found a solid kettle in the $50 to $80 range that's lasted you a while?

Appreciation post: my cheap blade grinder versus a real burr mill

I used my $20 blade grinder for years, but switching to a Baratza Encore made my morning cup taste like a completely different drink. Has anyone else had a 'before and after' moment that was this huge?

I found out most coffee beans are actually seeds from a fruit

I was reading a book about coffee farming in Colombia and it mentioned that coffee 'beans' are really the pits of a cherry-like fruit. They have to remove the fruit pulp to get to the green seed inside. I always pictured them growing in pods like peanuts. Has anyone else had their basic coffee knowledge flipped like that?

Shoutout to the little shop in Boise that still uses a hand grinder

I was in Boise last week for a job and stopped by a place called The Slow Roast. They had a big, old hand crank grinder right on the counter for their single-origin pour-overs. The barista said they use it because it lets them feel the grind size change with the beans. It was a cool thing to watch, and the coffee tasted amazing. Does anyone know other shops that do something like this instead of using electric ones?

Three years back, my local cafe started listing brew methods next to each bean.

At first it was just 'pour over' or 'French press' on a chalkboard. Last month I visited a new place in Portland and they had a whole sheet with exact grind size, water temp, and time for five different methods per coffee. It went from a simple choice to a full recipe guide. I tried their V60 method for an Ethiopian bean and it was way brighter than my usual way. Has anyone else seen their go-to spot get this detailed with brewing tips?

My French press exploded coffee grounds all over my kitchen counter this morning.

I was rushing and didn't let the water cool enough before pouring it in. The glass carafe cracked and I spent 20 minutes cleaning wet grounds out of the grout. Anyone have a good method for cleaning up a mess like that?

Had to choose between a fancy grinder upgrade or a new kettle with a gooseneck spout

In my experience, you get to a point where you want to improve your morning cup but can't do everything at once. Last month, I had about $150 to spend and was torn between a nicer burr grinder, which I'd heard makes a huge difference in consistency, or finally getting a gooseneck kettle for better pour-over control. My old grinder was a basic blade model, and I was using a regular kitchen kettle. I went with the kettle, a simple Fellow Stagg EKG model. Honestly, it's been a game changer for my V60 routine. The slower, more precise pour lets me saturate the grounds way more evenly. My coffee tastes cleaner and less bitter now. Has anyone else made a similar choice and regretted not getting the grinder first? I'm wondering if that should be my next move.

My gooseneck kettle's handle came loose right before my morning brew yesterday

I had to use a pair of pliers to tighten the screw while the kettle was still warm, which got me wondering if anyone else has a better fix for a wobbly handle on a Fellow Stagg EKG.

Overheard a guy at the cafe say 'all good coffee tastes the same' and I almost choked on my pour over, lol.

Heads up on those cheap ceramic pour-over drippers from that online marketplace

I spent about $25 on one that cracked from thermal shock after two weeks, so maybe stick with known brands for that daily driver.

PSA: I just found out how much water a single coffee plant needs

I was reading a report from the National Coffee Association and it said a mature coffee plant needs about 1 gallon of water per day during the growing season. That's a lot more than I thought for one little bush. Makes you think about where your beans really come from. Has anyone else looked into the water footprint for their favorite coffee region?

Why does nobody talk about using a pinch of salt in the grounds?

My morning brew in Austin was tasting super bitter for a week, so I tried adding a tiny bit of regular table salt directly into the basket before brewing. It actually cut the bitterness right away and made the coffee taste smoother! Has anyone else tried this weird kitchen hack?

Bought a fancy hand grinder that promised perfect grounds, but it's just a wrist killer.

I dropped $120 on this thing after reading a bunch of reviews saying it was the best for pour over. After a week, my arm is sore and it takes me over three minutes to grind enough for one cup. Has anyone found a good electric grinder that doesn't cost a fortune?

My $200 grinder upgrade turned my morning routine into a real mess

So I saved up for a new burr grinder, thinking it would be the big step up from my old blade one. I spent about $200 on it, a well-known brand that gets good reviews. The first bag of beans I ran through it... the grounds looked so much better, really even. But the taste? My coffee got this weird, sharp bitterness I couldn't shake. Tried adjusting the grind size, the water temp, everything. Turns out the grinder was creating way too many fine particles, even on the coarsest setting for my French press. It over-extracted every single time. Now I'm stuck with this expensive machine that makes worse coffee than my old $30 blade grinder did. Has anyone else had a grinder that just didn't work for their brew method, even after trying all the fixes?

Appreciation post: my pour over disaster at the park

I was trying to make a pour over at the park last weekend and a gust of wind blew my whole setup over... grounds and hot water everywhere. I ended up using a paper towel to clean my dripper and just made a really strong cup with the last bit of water I had left. Has anyone else had a brew go totally wrong outside and how did you fix it?

I spent almost $200 on a fancy hand grinder that my friend in Seattle swore by, but it takes me 5 minutes to grind beans for a single cup.

What's a good grinder that's fast but still gives a good grind for pour over?

I was sure my $15 blade grinder was fine, but a friend's hand grinder in Seattle changed my mind completely.

I've been grinding my beans right before brewing for years, but a barista in Portland told me I was actually making it taste worse.