PSA: That 200 degree water rule for pour-over isn't that important

I read this article from a coffee science blog last week that tested extraction temps with a refractometer across 50 different beans. Turns out water at 195 vs 205 only changed extraction yield by like 0.8% on average. I've been stressing over exact temp for years and now I just boil and wait 30 seconds. Anyone else find other sacred coffee rules that don't hold up to actual testing?

3 comments

3 Comments

dianal942mo agoTop Commenter

Oh man, that's actually really interesting. I remember watching a video where a pro barista said the grind size matters way more than the exact water temp, and now I just kinda eyeball it after the boil.

xena12mo ago

So @dianal94 you mentioning the grind size thing actually reminds me of a time I was at this tiny coffee shop in Portland (I know, so cliche right) and the barista was like "yeah I just use a cheap hand grinder I found at a garage sale" and I was expecting the worst but it was literally the best cup I've ever had. Meanwhile my buddy at home has this $500 electric grinder that looks like a spaceship and his coffee tastes fine but nothing special. I feel like there's this whole "buy the gear first, learn later" trap that coffee people fall into (and honestly it's the same with fitness equipment) when really you can get good results with basic stuff if you know what you're doing. But also people should do whatever makes them happy, if weighing beans at dawn is your thing then go for it, just don't lecture me about my "inconsistent particle distribution" at 6am you know.

brian_rivera592mo ago

Lol yeah that's basically what I do too. I swear some of these coffee nerds act like they're running a science lab instead of making a morning cup. I once watched a guy time his pour over with a stopwatch and weigh every single bean. Like bro it's 6am just drink it. But hey whatever makes them happy right? As long as it tastes good I'm not gonna stress over 2 degrees of water temp.