Overheard a barista bashing automated pour-over machines and I think they're missing the point entirely

I tried the Moccamaster at a cafe in Austin last week and it gave me a cup just as good as any hand-pour I've had, so why does everyone act like a robot touching your beans is a crime against coffee?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_john1mo ago

You're totally missing the human element here though. That Moccamaster might make a consistent cup but it can't read the beans the way a person can. A good barista adjusts their pour based on how the coffee smells and looks during extraction and a machine just blasts through a preset cycle. I've had pour-overs at Onyx that were so delicate and layered because the barista tweaked the water flow mid-pour to bring out specific notes. Machines flatten everything out into a decent middle ground. Plus half the experience is watching someone care about your drink and that matters for the vibe of the shop even if the cup is technically great.

lily_singh21mo ago

That whole "reading the beans" thing sounds like coffee snob mysticism honestly. I've had amazing pourovers from both people and machines and the good ones all taste the same to me. If the machine gets it right every time without needing a special vibe or a person staring at it, that's just better for everyone who wants a good cup fast.

olivia_harris1922d ago

Wait "flatten everything out into a decent middle ground"?? That sounds wild to me, have you actually done a side by side taste test with a skilled pourover vs a Moccamaster?