Switched my whole morning routine after a barista called me out

I used to think making coffee at home was just about saving money, not about taste. Then last Tuesday I went to this small shop in Austin called Little City and the barista asked what beans I use. I said whatever bag is on sale and she just shook her head. She explained that freshness matters way more than the roast level and that most grocery store beans are already 6 months old. That hit me because I had been buying those big 2 pound bags from Costco thinking I was being smart. So I started ordering 12 ounce bags from a local roaster and using them within 2 weeks of the roast date. The difference is insane, my morning cup actually tastes like the notes on the bag now instead of just bitter. Has anyone else had a total stranger change how you do a daily habit?

2 comments

2 Comments

henry_palmer241mo ago

The first time I tried "good" coffee I actually burned my tongue because I was too excited and took a sip straight off the boil. I was that person who thought all dark roast tasted the same and just dumped sugar in to fix it. My wake up call came from a barista in Portland who handed me a pour over and said "just taste it black first" with this really serious look on her face. Now I'm the guy who texts his wife the roast date of every bag I bring home like its breaking news.

charles_chen931mo ago

Yo @henry_palmer24, do you still text your wife the roast date when its been like 45 days and the bag is basically just sad bean dust at that point? I think my wife started hiding my phone every time I walk in from the shop because she knows Im about to drop a full report on the origin story of a $22 bag of Ethiopian natural process. She just nods now and says "that sounds great babe" while scrolling Insta, but I know shes just waiting for me to stop talking so she can microwave her Folgers.