Why is my coffee machine spitting out bitter tasting coffee?!
Answers: Would using distilled water solve this?
Bitter coffee is caused by many things.
Dirty coffee maker
Bad water
Bad coffee
Adding new coffee to old (used) grounds for the next pot.
Not using enough coffee for the amount of water used.
Coffee as it is exposed to water first gives off all of the "good" flavors that we coffee drinkers like. After awhile, the water will start to dissolve the other chemicals in the coffee bean that gives coffee that bitter/flat taste. These chemicals can build up in your coffee maker and ruin the taste of your coffee.
Clean the machine with a pot of white vinegar and then run 4 pots of just water, put basket in place with a clean filter each time. Then, when that is done, if your coffee is bitter, don't add so much coffee. I use 2 to 21/2 ounces of coffee for 12 cups. That's about 2 tablespoons to overflowing 2 tablespoons. If that doesn't work, buy a different brand of coffee. Good water makes good coffee. Don't use distilled water, it is to "dry" for coffee. We have softened water and everyone brags how good my coffee is. (When I make some at church, I bring my own water, they have city water there.)
1) Try cleaning it real well
2) Distilled water lacks the minerals for good taste
3) Use "purified water" instead
4) Use a better quality coffee
5) Make it a little less strong
Hey Sam,
Water does make a big difference. Purified water is a little better than distilled water. Purified water still has some mineral content that makes for a better brew. However, distilled water can be a big improvement over your tap water, especially if you have a lot of impurities or a chlorine taste in your tap water.
The biggest cause of bitter tasting coffee is a coffee maker that needs cleaning. Most people don't properly maintain their coffee maker, and go for months (sometimes years) without cleaning and descaling. Some folks never clean their coffee maker.
Minerals and compounds in your water will build up on the internal elements of your coffee maker. This can contribute a bad taste to your coffee as well as impair the coffee maker's ability to achieve the right brewing temperature which reduces full extraction and good coffee flavor.
In addition, over time, coffee oils build up inside your coffee maker and leave a rancid, sour residue that will infuse into your coffee each time you brew.
The best solution is to clean your coffee maker on a regular basis. A mild solution of white vinegar and water run through your coffee maker (a regular brewing cycle without the coffee) will remove scale and rancid oils. Be sure to flush throughly with a few extra cycles of just fresh water so you don't leave a vinegar residue.
Better than a vinegar solution, I prefer a good coffee maker cleaning agent designed specifically to clean coffee machines. Urnex makes an inexpensive cleaning agent called Cleancaf that does a great job of cleaning and descaling home automatic drip coffee makers.
If you use a permanent coffee filter, gold tone or the like, be sure you clean on a regular basis as well. You can drop most gold tone filters in the dishwasher once a week to keep clean.
Also consider the coffee beans and level of roast you are choosing. You may prefer a lighter or medium roast over the stronger dark French or Italian roasts.
For more information on how to brew a great tasting cup of coffee, see http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/brewing-c...
Mark
Bad Coffee, Burnt Coffee, too finely ground for the system coffee.
Bad coffee can be inproved by placing it in the 'circular file'.
Burnt coffee can be fixed by placing it in the circular file also.
Coffee needs to be ground to a fineness that will allow it to brew in about 3.5 to 4 minutes. if it sets in the water any longer than that your coffee is too fine. Called over extraction