Pro tip: I watched a barista at a tiny shop in Austin pull shots by feel alone

I was hanging out at this hole-in-the-wall place called Third Coast Coffee last Tuesday, just waiting for my usual latte. The barista was a younger guy, maybe 22, and he didn't even glance at the scale or timer. He just listened to the hiss of the machine and watched the stream, then cut it off like it was nothing. I asked him how he knew when to stop, and he said 'Your ears know more than your eyes for this part.' That hit me hard because I've been obsessing over grams and seconds for two years. Now I'm trying to ditch the scale for my morning pour-over and just go by sound and sight. Anyone else try relying on instinct over gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

hill.barbara12d ago

Pulled it off with my old La Pavoni last spring. Ditched the thermometer and just watched how the stream changed from thick to thin. Took about a month of bad shots but now I trust my hand more than any timer.

lisa_hill2312d ago

Hold up, watching the stream works better for temperature than timing, not the other way around. You can nail the temp by feel but the shot time still matters for grind adjustments.