Overheard my barista say espresso shots should only take 25 seconds and now I'm rethinking everything

I was grabbing a coffee before my shift last Tuesday and this older guy was arguing with the barista about pull times. She told him anything over 30 seconds means your grind is too fine and you're just making bitter water. I've been pulling my shots at home for years just letting them run until they looked right. Now I'm sitting here wondering how many cups of coffee I've ruined without knowing it. Has anyone else actually timed their pulls and noticed a big difference?

2 comments

2 Comments

kevin_dixon1mo ago

Sounds like you've been making accidental bitter water for years.

zarab241mo ago

OH WOW I used to be all about that "just dump everything in and hope for the best" method! I really thought I was making PROPER kombucha but mine always had this weird sour bite I couldn't figure out. Then I read about how water quality and brew ratios actually matter and I realized I'd been treating my SCOBY like a dish sponge. Now I measure stuff properly and it tastes totally different, way smoother and actually good. My old batches were basically bitter vinegar that I somehow convinced myself was "complex flavor" lol.