The pour-over method is a technique normally employed by much higher-end coffee shops, and it yields you a custom cup of coffee that isn’t scalded from hours of overbrewing.
It takes longer (approximately five minutes), but the result is a remarkably good cup of coffee from Starbucks. As a bonus, doing this also allows you to try beans other than whatever they have brewed at the time, and it doesn’t even cost more than a regular pour.
I rarely go to Starbucks anymore as I drink Blue Bottle beans at home via my Chemex. If I’m traveling, I try to find a local roaster that offers pour-over. If that’s not available, I find a Starbucks with Clover machines as they grind and brew the coffee fresh. If that’s not available, well I’m going to a Starbucks and asking for pour-over.
Their coffee is brewed every 30 minutes via the old-fashioned drip method. They charge nothing more for pour-over even though they should. The process means a barista is tied up for 5 minutes making a single cup of coffee and every one on the staff hates you.
I’ve had baristas plead with me to not make them do it, “We have coffee brewed already” they tell me or “We won’t do that during busy times” in fact, they have to if you ask for it sort of like asking a barista to remake your latte 5 times because it tastes bad. They hate you for it but they’ll do it.
Don’t make me feel like a criminal for asking you to do what every other coffee shop in America is doing now which is grinding and brewing the coffee fresh. The difference is huge and I’m tired of the attitude.
Keep in mind me going to Starbucks was my last choice. Don’t make our forced relationship of me needing caffeine and you being the McDonalds of coffee any worse. By the way, the coffee you made me this morning was pretty good. Pour-over is indeed the way to go.