u/PlasmaHeat

For context, I've been toying around with pour overs for a few years now. I usually use a single cup drip machine because it's just so convenient, but I do grind my own beans. Pour overs are more of a weekend thing for me when I have extra time in the mornings.

Now the thing that has always confused me is ratios. I see 1:12 or 1:15 often touted as the golden ratios, with some people preferring somewhere in between or just slightly more diluted. However, when I try using these ratios, the coffee comes out like absolute rocket fuel. Just way too strong to the point where I think the majority of casual coffee enjoyers would not like it at all. Definitely stronger than I've ever had at a cafe or diner. A more palatable cup of coffee seems to be as low as half of that ratio to a third of that ratio to me, and it doesn't come out watery.

I do prefer darker roasts, which means I'm usually using lower brew temps (~195 F) as well.

I just recently got a V60 kit that comes with a pre-measured spoon that's supposed to contain about 12 grams of grounds. Here's where I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong and somehow misunderstanding ratios:

The carafe that the V60 came with is intended for up to six cups. However, if I were to put six Hario-sized spoonfuls of grounds into the V60, I think it would be damn near filled up to the rim or even overflowing. Surely that's not right, right? A solid "pot" of coffee with the V60 for my girlfriend and I according to our tastes comes from dumping two Hario-sized spoonfuls of grounds into the V60 and then filling it up to the 6 cup line, which is ~720 ml.

I guess my question is: where could I be misunderstanding ratios? Is there a likely culprit for why my coffee comes out overwhelmingly strong when I do a 1:12 or 1:15 ratio? Or have I just grown up in some weird microcosm where everyone is brewing extremely weak coffee, coffee shops and diners included, and it's what my taste buds are accustomed to?

Edit: To clarify, I do typically use scales. I've only been playing around with the volumetric scoop that the V60 came with for like a week now, and figured the anecdote about how six scoops would nearly overfill it might be helpful context in determining what I'm doing wrong.

Hey everyone,

Just for some context, my girlfriend and I are in our late 20s (soon to be early 30s) and have been teetering back and forth between moving to Portland or Vancouver lately. The main thing spooking us about Portland is the higher utilities costs, along with my employer being in Washington so I'd be avoiding state income tax if we moved to Vancouver.

However, all the stuff we want to do is in Portland, so we're leaning towards it if we can manage to find the right place.

The most important things to us are:

• Being relatively near great spots to eat and drink
• A relatively quiet neighborhood (e.g. not right next to train tracks or a highway)
• A safe enough area to walk our golden retriever
• Neighborhood safety in general; preferably not somewhere with higher-than-average rates of property/violent crime

What neighborhoods fit the bill the most? Three we've identified are Sellwood, Woodstock, and St. Johns, although the proximity to the train tracks in parts of St. Johns potentially seems like a pain. It does seem to have the most rentals available, but they're on the pricier side.

Thanks in advance!

Does anyone know of any better options than Zillow for finding rentals in the Vancouver area? My hopes aren't super high, but figured it's at least worth asking.

We've had alerts set up on Zillow for properties that meet our criteria (allows pets, has AC, not over $3K/mo), but it seems like things matching that don't come on the market super frequently, so I thought I'd ask. I know finding a spot that allows pets and has AC is a bit of a unicorn in the PNW, but might as well try.

Context:

I just hit the milestone of $100K in my HYSA. The APY on it is currently 3.5% for everything up to $100K, and then 2% on everything beyond that.

I live in Oregon, which has a relatively high state income tax, so I'm being hit with that in addition to federal taxes on the interest that I gain on my HYSA.

I'm pushing 30 and not really looking to buy a house at the moment due to not wanting to drain my savings on a down payment just to end up spending more than I currently am on rent. My rent is about $2K/mo split between my gf and I, and I earn about $6.5K/mo before taxes.

I'm already contributing to a Roth IRA. My work doesn't have a 401(k) option, although it does come with a pension plan.

Staying somewhat liquid is fairly important to me. While $100K is more than enough for an emergency fund, I've been starting to prioritize travel a bit more and would like to have money to spend on things that bring me joy, so having some funds to dip into when needed (e.g. for a big trip) is nice for me.

Question:

What is the financially wise thing to do with my money at this point?

I've read a bit about money market accounts/treasury money market funds/treasury bills/etc., but am curious what a Boglehead's recommendation would be. I've followed Boglehead philosophy for self-managing my Roth IRA, and it's done me right so far.

Would I just be better off opening a brokerage account and investing it similarly to how I'm investing my Roth IRA (e.g. with a Boglehead-style portfolio)?