Picked a pour-over over my espresso machine last week and now I'm hooked

I've had my Breville espresso machine for like 2 years now and I thought I was set for life. But last Tuesday I was in a rush and just grabbed my old Melitta cone and a bag of beans from the local roaster here in Portland. Took me maybe 4 minutes total and the flavor was so clean and bright I actually felt dumb for spending $600 on that machine. Anyone else ever switch methods and realize you were overcomplicating things this whole time?

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_fox501mo ago

Same thing happened to me about a year ago in Austin. I had a pretty nice Rancilio Silvia and a good grinder, but one morning I woke up late and just did a quick V60 pour over. The flavors popped so much more that I actually sold my espresso gear a month later. You're not crazy at all. For me, the big difference is that pour over lets you taste each bean's character way better since there's less going on in the cup. Don't feel dumb about the Breville though - it's still great for milk drinks if you ever want a latte. Try sticking with your Melitta for a few weeks and see if you keep liking it.

dakotawood1mo ago

My morning brew routine changed the same way after I picked up a used Chemex for $15 at a garage sale. I kept my Breville around for about six months before I realized I was only using it for guests, similar to what @jana_fox50 said about the flavors just being cleaner with pour over. Give yourself a solid two weeks with the Melitta and a good burr grinder, and you'll probably have your answer on whether to sell the machine or not.