A barista in Seattle told me my pour-over was 'too perfect' and it messed with my head

I was at this little shop near Pike Place last month, just getting a coffee. The barista watched me make my usual V60 at the brew bar, then said, 'That's a really clean pour, but it looks a bit too perfect, you know?' He suggested I try a more uneven pour to get some different flavors out of the beans. I've been doing it his way for about three weeks now, and my morning cup tastes totally different. Has anyone else had a pro give you advice that went against what you thought was right?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_henderson2mo ago

That's a great example of how technique changes the result. A perfect pour gives you one kind of extraction, but a messy one can pull out different notes. It's worth playing with to find what you like best.

adam_adams2mo ago

Hold up, you're saying a messy pour can pull out different notes? That's wild.

grace5082mo ago

Wait, you're saying a messy pour can actually be better sometimes? @william_henderson that goes against everything I've ever read.