I used to be a pour-over purist but now I just use a french press

For about 3 years I was all about the V60, scale, gooseneck kettle, the whole ritual. I'd spend 5 minutes every morning doing slow spirals and timing everything. Then last fall I broke my ceramic dripper and couldn't find a replacement at the shop near my house in Denver. I grabbed a $15 french press from Target as a temp fix and honestly I haven't looked back. The coffee comes out way richer and I don't have to watch water temp like a hawk. My buddy Mark still calls me a traitor but I save like 4 minutes each morning now. Has anyone else jumped ship from one method to another just because of convenience?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery_jackson29d ago

The gooseneck kettle was the first thing I ditched, just regular boiling water straight into the press and it tastes the same. Keep the cheap Target replacement if it works, the coffee police aren't real.

emmaclark29d ago

I've noticed this pattern everywhere, not just with coffee. People get really into the complicated way of doing something because it feels more authentic or skilled, then one day you realize the simple version works just as well. My neighbor used to hand-wash his car every weekend with special waxes and microfiber cloths until the hose broke and he tried a drive-through car wash. Three years later and he's still going there every Saturday. The proper way can be satisfying but the easy way gets you the same result with way less hassle.

mason_lopez29d ago

Yeah totally agree with @emmaclark on this one. I had that same thing happen with making bread during lockdown. Spent months doing the whole stretch and fold thing with a fancy banneton basket and proving it in the fridge overnight. Then one day I was in a hurry and just dumped everything in the bread machine my mom gave me years ago. Honestly the machine bread was just as good if not better and took like ten minutes of actual work. It's crazy how we trick ourselves into thinking the hard way is the only way that counts.