The diner off I-70 in Hagerstown made me rethink my whole drip game

Stopped at a little truck stop diner outside Hagerstown last month and the waitress poured me a cup from a pot that had clearly been sitting there a while. I almost said something, but then I watched the guy behind the counter pull a shot on this beat up old machine for the trucker next to me, and it was honestly better than what I make at home on my setup that cost way more. Turns out he grinds right before brewing and weighs everything on a $12 scale, no fancy gear at all. Made me realize I've been chasing equipment instead of just paying attention to the basics. Anyone else get humbled by a random spot like that?

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morgan_ramirez18d ago

I had the same thing happen at a gas station in rural Ohio, guy had a $20 drip machine and his coffee beat my $400 grinder setup by a mile. It stung a little but it also made me stop buying gear I didn't need and just focus on fresh beans and a decent scale. You're not alone in getting humbled by a random counter guy, that's just part of the game lol.

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sagew5018d ago

So what actually made his coffee better, was it just the beans or did he do something different with the water? Curious because @morgan_ramirez mentioned fresh beans and a scale, which seems right, but I keep wondering if the machine itself matters way less than we think. Like does temp stability or grind size even matter if the beans are roasted last week? Part of me wants to test this myself with cheap gear and good beans versus the opposite. Did you ever figure out his actual method or did you just walk away too stunned to ask?

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