Can You Eat Coffee Grounds Directly? How to Use Coffee Grounds? Why Does Coffee Sometimes Taste Bad?

How Coffee Grind Size Affects Taste - Common Grind Size Chart

"I've been trying to make espresso at home for several months now. I've changed machines, changed beans, changed water... I've tried all sorts of methods, but nothing worked! The coffee I make just doesn't taste as rich and aromatic as what I drink in coffee shops..."

Have you ever faced this kind of frustration? Don't worry, making poor coffee isn't something you're born with! In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss the reasons for badly brewed coffee, along with adjustment and solution methods.

Besides being able to sense that coffee tastes wrong, coffee beginners should find it difficult to precisely and specifically describe what the flaws are in words. A bad espresso lacks body, leaves excessive bitterness and irritating acidity in the mouth, feels astringent and not smooth, has insufficient or even no aroma, not to mention a memorable aftertaste...

There's no middle ground when it comes to coffee quality, especially espresso. Think about it carefully—it's the essence extracted directly from the simplest ingredients using high temperature and high pressure! However, this brewing method also has its drawbacks: too many variables. To minimize the impact of brewing conditions, you should pay attention to the following points:

Using an espresso machine that hasn't been maintained for a long time, is old and in disrepair, or has inherently poor conditions

Although espresso machines are becoming more common, not every machine is in equally good condition. A good machine also needs a good maintenance routine, especially never allowing coffee oil residue to accumulate on internal machine parts, and pipes should avoid scale buildup.

Not using a coffee grinder

The difference between coffee beans and ground coffee lies in that coffee beans can retain their flavor for several days after opening; while ground coffee, once exposed to air, will lose its aroma within minutes through rapid oxidation. Oxidized ground coffee absolutely cannot make good coffee, which is why both grinders and espresso machines are indispensable. The so-called grinder, more precisely a bean crusher with grinding discs, can grind fresh, fine coffee powder to brew our favorite espresso.

Using an unmaintained or poorly conditioned grinder

In the process of repeated bean crushing, grinder blades are prone to wear and can also accumulate coffee oils (cafestol). Over time, even fresh beans after grinding will produce coffee with a rancid taste. Regular maintenance of grinders is just as important as maintaining coffee machines.

Failing to precisely control extraction rate

In the process of high-pressure coffee extraction, each condition has precise standards that must be carefully and strictly executed. For coffee baristas, each adjustment step is an art of perfectly interpreting espresso. This requires skilled operational experience, plus a few failed attempts, to better grasp the brewing conditions for espresso.

Poor coffee bean quality

If coffee varieties are grown in land with poor terroir conditions and lack careful cultivation, the harvested coffee beans will inevitably be disappointing. Being able to brew a cup of coffee with balanced taste would be considered quite good. It's recommended to use high-quality coffee beans, and if necessary, consult with baristas.

Improper coffee bean roasting

Raw coffee beans undergo high-temperature roasting, a process called "roasting." If the roast level is insufficient, espresso will taste flat and sour; if over-roasted, the brewed coffee will tend toward bitterness.

Coffee beans that are not fresh or are too fresh

Coffee beans after roasting and sealed packaging can preserve their flavor and texture for several months, but storing them for too long will still produce a rancid taste. Freshly roasted coffee beans are not suitable for immediate brewing because the beans produce carbon dioxide during the roasting process, which might form large bubbles in the extracted coffee liquid. It's best to wait about a week for the beans to "de-gas." The brewed espresso will not only have better flavor but also less metallic taste.

Brewing and Tasting Filter Coffee

Additionally, do you know how to brew a good cup of filter coffee? Or, when you drink it, how should you properly appreciate it? Like espresso, filter coffee deserves to be savored and rated according to standards. For a long time, filter coffee was considered lower-grade coffee, but now it has regained attention and can be said to have been vindicated. Filter coffee is more accessible than espresso in terms of both pour-over techniques and equipment prices. However, you still need to follow certain techniques to brew filter coffee that can withstand careful appreciation.

Temperature

Delicious filter coffee reveals different flavors as the temperature changes. At or above 70°C: Water temperature is higher, aroma cannot fully dissipate, only partial fragrance can be detected. At 60°C: The coffee's acidity and fruit flavors gradually emerge. At 40°C: The refreshing aftertaste persists in the mouth and is fragrant. At 25°C: If it's exceptionally high-quality coffee, it still tastes good even when cooled.

Sugar or no sugar?

Properly brewed filter coffee can reveal noble and delicate layers, therefore doesn't need sugar; conversely, if it's poor quality or badly brewed filter coffee that tastes bitter and hard to swallow with insufficient mouthfeel, adding a little sugar can balance the overall flavor and make it more harmonious.

Using Your Senses

Observe color

Compared to espresso, the quality and type of cup have less impact on tasting filter coffee. Using a glass cup or transparent mug allows you to observe the coffee's color, from which you can also judge the roast level of the coffee beans.

Deep roast coffee beans: The brewed coffee color is dark, a deep brown close to black.

Light roast coffee beans: The brewed coffee will have a ring of light brown close to red.

Smell the aroma

Filter coffee should emit pleasant aromas with fruity, floral, or nutty notes; if you smell other types of flavors, they're mostly not good signs.

Taste the flavor

Among the five tastes, sourness best represents filter coffee. Refreshing acidity brings a fresh sensation, combined with fruitiness, giving the coffee distinct layers. However, if the natural acidity layers of coffee are too intense, it can also become uncomfortable (quinic acid can make coffee produce astringency and stomach-upsetting vinegar-like tastes).

Aroma

The aroma range of filter coffee is broader than espresso and can be divided into several major categories: floral, fruity, herbal, nutty, caramel, chocolate, medicinal plant, spice, and tobacco. The coffee aroma perceived through retronasal olfaction in the mouth (wet aroma), combined with the aroma directly smelled through the nose (dry aroma), makes the coffee's aroma more complete, but what's perceived before and after the nose isn't necessarily consistent (just like with espresso).

Body

Espresso is ten times more "concentrated" than filter coffee*, so the concept of body comparison is also quite different. The body of filter coffee comes from insoluble substances that remain suspended in the coffee liquid after water brewing (sediments and oils), giving the coffee thickness. Body refers to the tactile sensation when coffee contacts the tongue—it can be smooth, heavy, thick, plain, thin, or even watery; and regardless of whether the mouthfeel is intense or not, coffee should be pleasant when entering the mouth.

Flavor

Filter coffee isn't as thick and concentrated as espresso, which can be seen from its appearance. Its characteristic is delicacy and refinement, with appropriate acidity, just-right body, plus captivating aroma, leaving a lingering aftertaste between the lips and teeth. Savoring filter coffee is like a slow, long journey, with infinite beautiful scenery along the way hiding countless charming details that deeply fascinate people.

After reading the above knowledge about tasting and brewing coffee, I believe that starting from today, you can better understand this delicious drink in your hands!

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

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