I used to think my drip machine was fine until I saw a friend's setup in Portland

I visited my buddy in Oregon and he made coffee with a simple pour over and a scale. I mean, I'd always just eyeballed the grounds and water for years. He showed me his ratio, 16 grams of coffee to 250 ml, and the taste was way cleaner than my bitter cups. Now I'm wondering if I should switch or if the extra work is even worth it. Anyone else go from a machine to manual brewing and stick with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy_jackson1mo ago

Honestly, that Portland trip would have gotten me too. It sounds a lot like my own switch. For years I just used the scoop that came with my machine and wondered why it tasted so bad. Getting a cheap scale changed everything, even before I bought a pour over. @william_carter, it really isn't mad science, it's just two numbers that stop you from guessing. The work is maybe an extra minute each morning for a cup that actually tastes good. Once you get used to that, you won't want to go back to the old bitter stuff.

lindab491mo ago

Did you try using a scale with your drip machine first? I found that just getting the ratio right made a huge difference without switching methods, maybe it's just me but it cut the bitterness right out. I still use my machine most mornings because it's easier.

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william_carter1mo ago

Scales for coffee sound like mad scientist stuff to me. But hey, if it chases the bitter taste away, I guess it's worth looking into. What kind of scale did you end up grabbing?