Ran into a retired barista in a gas station last month who changed how I brew at home

I was grabbing coffee at a Pilot in Ohio and this older guy saw me pouring a cup from the dispenser. He asked if I'd ever tried a pour over. I said no, it seemed like too much work for one person. He spent 10 minutes explaining his simple method with just a cheap melita cone and pre-ground beans from the grocery store. Said the key was pouring slow circles. I tried it out of curiosity and honestly my morning coffee has been way better since. Anyone else pick up tips from random strangers like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephbutler1mo ago

Ditch the cone and go back to dump and run. Less fuss, same caffeine.

jessica_hall491mo ago

That part about "pouring slow circles" really stuck with me. That's actually a good trick I learned a few years ago from a lady in the camping section at Walmart. She told me the same thing about a basic cone filter, but she also said to wet the grounds first and let them sit for 30 seconds before adding the rest of the water. I tried it and now I can't go back to my old way of just dumping water in. It's funny how something so simple from a stranger can change a small habit like that.