WHY DOES MY COFFEE TASTE BAD?
This could be due to a number of reasons, some relating to the coffee and others to how your coffee machine is cleaned and maintained.
Buying coffee
Buying good quality coffee, that has had care taken over the roasting and storage process, is an essential start to brewing great tasting coffee. If you have enjoyed the same coffee before, it could be the case the roasting process has gone wrong and you need to buy again. Go for high quality Arabic beans whenever possible.
Storage of coffee
Coffee should be stored in air-tight containers in a moisture free, dark environment. After roasting, coffee will start to break down both physically and chemically and this will help slow this process to some extent.
Use by dates
If you buy fresh coffee, check the use by date on the packet. This will vary amongst roasters, but is normally up to a year if left unopened. If opened, beans can last 6 to 9 months, ground coffee around 3 to 5 months. The best approach is to buy smaller amounts of coffee and consume it quicker to avoid storing for any extended length of time.
Coffee to water ratio
Getting the water to coffee ratio correct is important to balance the flavour of the coffee you make. Testing the ratios for yourself is often the best way to find the results you like the best, and most suited to the coffee you buy. Espresso is recommended at a 2 to 1 ratio (coffee to water) as a starting point.
Water quality
Water quality is often overlooked as the cause of bad tasting coffee. Always use fresh water. If your appliance has a water filter check how frequently this needs to be replaced. Its normally around every two months, but will differ dependant on the type you have. The materials that help remove chlorine, odours and impurities will break down over time and become less effective at filtering the water. If your coffee machine doesn’t have a built-in water filter, then its a good idea to invest in a filtration jug.
Water temperature
Try adjusting the water temperature on your appliance to see how it changes the taste of your coffee. Depending on how accurate your coffee machine allows you to be, aiming for a temperature of close to 195 – 205 degrees Fahrenheit (90 – 96°C) is preferable. If your water temperature is too high, it will result in over extraction leading to a more bitter taste. Too low and under-extraction will leave the coffee tasting weak and maybe slightly sour.
Coffee machine grinder settings
Check the setting of your appliance and make adjustments to the grinder to see if this improves the brewing results. This controls how fine or coarse the beans will be ground. Finely ground coffee means the water passes through at a slower rate and can result in an over-extracted, bitter taste. Run some tests to see which setting works best for you.
Cleaning the coffee machine
Regular cleaning of coffee machines is essential. Oily residues build up over time, can start to clog the appliance and transfer to the coffee you are making. Its recommended to give your coffee machine a thorough clean at least once a month. Refer to your instruction manual to see what parts, if any, can go into your dishwasher. If not you should clean any removable parts in hot soapy water. Run a cleaning program using cleaning tablets. These will provide a deep clean, removing residues that may not be easy to see, but will be impacting the taste of your coffee. More information can be found on our
Milk system cleaning
If your coffee machine is used for heating or frothing milk its essential these parts of the appliance are kept very clean. A rinse should be completed every time a milk setting has been used and a more thorough clean completed weekly. Any milk not properly cleaned away quickly sours and will greatly impacted the taste of the milk produced for your next drink.