Showerthought: I was about to give up on my French press until I tried a weird water trick

For months my coffee was either too weak or super bitter, no matter how I timed it. I read somewhere that using water just off a boil, like 200 degrees, makes a huge difference. So I boiled my kettle, waited exactly 30 seconds, and then poured. The flavor was completely different, way smoother and actually tasted like the beans I bought. Has anyone else found a simple temp tweak that fixed everything?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_brown232mo agoMost Upvoted

Wait, you guys measure the water? I've just been winging it and wondering why my coffee tastes like dirt.

joel502mo ago

Is the dirt taste maybe part of the charm? I just use boiling water straight from the kettle, always turns out fine.

foster.mary1mo ago

...and then I started doing that thing where you let the water sit for a bit before pouring, and my coffee went from tasting like burnt rubber to actually being drinkable. But then I got curious and tried it with cold brew instead, and now I'm stuck because my French press is just sitting there gathering dust. My neighbor swears by using a pinch of salt in the grounds before adding water, claims it cuts the bitterness, and I gotta say I tried it once and it was weirdly good but also felt wrong somehow.