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Pro tip: rinsed my coffee filter before brewing at a local shop

I was at a small coffee spot in Portland last weekend watching the barista work and noticed they ran water through the paper filter before adding grounds. I always just plopped the filter in dry and poured. The barista said it gets rid of the paper taste and heats up the cone so the water doesn't cool down right away. I tried it at home the next morning with my usual medium roast and the cup really did taste cleaner. No more of that slight cardboard flavor I used to blame on the beans. Has anyone else noticed a big difference doing this, or am I just late to the party?
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2 Comments
mary_schmidt
That "welcome to 2015" line got me, because I honestly thought wetting the filter was just some fussy barista thing. I used to think it was a waste of water and time, like why add an extra step when you're already impatient for your morning cup. But I tried it a few weeks back with my V60 after seeing a video online and yeah, it changed my mind completely. The first sip didn't have that weird dry paper aftertaste I always associated with pour-overs, and the coffee tasted brighter somehow. Your buddy isn't wrong, I guess I was just late to the party too.
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julia_carter
My buddy laughs at me now because he's been doing this for years. I told him about your Portland barista trick and he just rolled his eyes and said "welcome to 2015, dude." He showed me his setup one time and he even wets the filter in his Chemex before grinding beans. I felt like an idiot but honestly how would you know if nobody tells you? It really does kill that papery taste that sneaks into the first sip. Have you noticed any difference in how fast your coffee drains through the wet filter versus a dry one?
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