That barista at the 3rd wave shop ruined pour-overs for me

I was at this new spot in Portland called Drip House last month. The barista spent 5 minutes explaining why my $40 hand grinder was destroying my beans with its burr wobble. He pulled out a refractometer and showed me my extraction was at 16% instead of the ideal 20%. I grinded finer on his $500 grinder and my coffee tasted like mud. Has anyone else had a coffee snob make you feel like your setup is trash?

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jesse_barnes372mo ago

You mention that "extraction was at 16% instead of the ideal 20%" and that's the part that gets me. Those refractometer numbers can make you feel like you're failing at something that's supposed to be simple and enjoyable.

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wrenwilson2mo ago

Lighten up, it's just coffee, not brain surgery.

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