Old barista at a shop in Portland taught me to taste coffee in a spoon

3 comments

3 Comments

@coleman.seth really nailed it with that blueberry thing because that's exactly where the spoon trick shines. Not every coffee needs it but when you hit a super fruity natural process or a really bright light roast the difference is night and day. The spoon cools the coffee down faster and spreads it out more so you get those delicate flavors before they get buried by bitterness. Keith is right that it's not some magic ritual but calling it only 10% better feels generous in the wrong direction. For a dark roast yeah probably not much changes but that's like saying a straw is useless because you don't drink soup with it. Different tools for different beans basically.

keithharris2mo ago

That old barista trick is a legit skill check but people act like it's some sacred ritual. I've done the spoon thing where you slurp it loud enough to sound like a vacuum cleaner and honestly the difference is maybe 10% better tasting at best. You still get the same basic notes of bitterness or chocolate or whatever regardless of the spoon temperature. It's coffee not wine, it's not that deep.

coleman.seth2mo ago

Man I used to be exactly like you, thinking it was all just hype and theater. But one time this super old guy at a local shop made me do the spoon thing with a natural ethiopian and a dark roast side by side. The difference was honestly kind of wild, like with the spoon I actually picked up this bright blueberry flavor that was completely lost when I just sipped it from the cup. Not saying it's some life changing magic trick but it definitely made me shut up about it being pointless lol.