A barista buddy told me to stop obsessing over gear and brew ratios
Last month I was at a small shop in Portland and this barista watched me weigh every dose and obsess over grind settings before ordering. He said, 'you're measuring everything except what's in the cup.' That hit me, so I started doing cupping at home with my French press instead of chasing perfect espresso. He was right, most of my daily joe was fine, and I was missing the simple flavors because I was too busy with numbers. Has anyone else had a similar reality check from a pro about overcomplicating your morning routine?