Guy at the roastery told me my grind size was ruining my pour-over flow

I was at Blue Bottle in San Francisco last Saturday grabbing some beans. This older dude just walks up, looks at my bag, and says "you're grinding too fine for those beans, they're a light roast." I almost argued back but then he pulled out his phone and showed me his coffee setup. 6 months later I still think about that conversation whenever I dial in my grinder. Anyone else ever get random coffee advice that actually stuck with you?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathanbennett21d ago

Admitted I was grinding too fine for years because I thought finer always meant better extraction. That guy's tip about light roasts needing coarser grinds actually fixed my pour-over stalling problem overnight. Now I take unsolicited coffee advice more seriously, even when it comes from random strangers at the counter.

black.margaret21d ago

Yeah I read something similar in a coffee forum last week. Apparently darker roasts actually need a finer grind to keep from tasting bitter.