Ran into an old barista who called me out on my pour over habit

I was at a cafe in Portland last Saturday. Guy I used to work with behind the bar walked up and said my pour over routine was overcomplicating things. He pointed out I was chasing a perfect brew instead of just enjoying the coffee. Made me think about how much time I spend fiddling with grind size and water temp. Anyone else ever have someone throw a mirror up to your coffee hobby?

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robert642mo ago

That line about overcomplicating things hit a little too close to home. I remember spending a whole weekend once trying to dial in a single bean, adjusting the grind by one click at a time. By Sunday evening I had a counter full of half-drunk cups and a headache. My wife just looked at me and said 'is this supposed to be fun?' She was right. I still obsess a bit over the details but I try to remind myself it's just hot water and ground up seeds at the end of the day. Nobody ever handed me a perfect cup and said 'you earned this by obsessing over it.'

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paul_mason122mo ago

Is your wife available for consultations?

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