Stopped pre-wetting my filter papers and my brew got way better

I kept getting this bitter edge on my V60 pours no matter how fine I went, so I tried skipping the rinse step on a lark. Turns out the paper taste people talk about is barely there for me, and the extra heat retention actually made the extraction cleaner. Anyone else ditch the pre-wet and get better results?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_rose2mo ago

It's funny how breaking a "rule" you were taught as essential can flip everything. I see this with cooking too, like when people are told you have to preheat the pan forever, but sometimes just throwing stuff in a cold pan and letting it come up together works way better. Or how everyone insists you need expensive gear to run, but my best runs have been in old sneakers. We get so hung up on the "right way" that we forget the actual goal is just making good coffee or enjoying the process. Sometimes ignoring the standard advice and trusting your own taste buds is the real upgrade.

faithbaker2mo ago

My buddy tried that cold pan thing with eggs once cause his stove was broken. He swore they came out creamier than anything he'd ever made the "right" way. Now he does it on purpose all the time and says he'll never go back.

karent7524d ago

Breaking a rule you were taught as essential" - that really hit me. I used to be so careful about pre-wetting my filters too, thought it would ruin everything if I didn't. But last month I was camping and forgot my kettle, so I just poured straight from the thermos into the dripper with a dry filter. Coffee was actually smoother, less of that papery bite I'd always assumed was just part of the deal. Now I'm wondering what other coffee rules I've been following without thinking. Like maybe I don't need to swirl the bloom for exactly 30 seconds, or use water at exactly 205 degrees. Might just start eyeballing everything and see what happens.