Need help with making coffee?

Question

I love drinking espresso, but unfortunately suck at making it. I tried a couple times and each time I got that bitter, acidic taste, in other words: bad tasting coffee...

I have a huge pack of ground colombian coffee beans and a moderately expensive coffee maker. Can someone suggest some tips/ideas to make great tasting espresso?

thanks!!

Answer 1

It sounds like you are over-extracting the coffee. There are a few reasons this can happen:
1. You are not using enough coffee grounds.
2. You have it ground too coarse
3. Your machine doesn't have enough pressure

You should be using 2 tablespoons of a dark roast arabica NOT robusta freshly ground fine. You machine should be capable of producing a jigger of espresso in absolutely no more than 30 sec.

Another potential problem is stale coffee:

1. It was roasted more than 6 weeks ago
2. It was ground more than 1 day ago (10 mins. if your picky)
3. It has been stored in the open air for more than 2 days
4. It has been exposed to light for more than 2 days.

Yet another potential area where you can be running into problems is the proper roasting. Espresso needs a dark roast. The roast scale goes like this (varies based on who you ask) light, medium, dark, french or italian. Light roast just barely gets rid of the vegetablish flavor, Medium produces a nice body will complex flavors, Dark is anywhere from when the sugars first start to carmelize until just before the sugars start to burn, French roast starts to burn the sugars (increases the bitterness). If you use too light or too dark of a roast, the espresso will not come out right. I get my coffee from a local coffee house that roasts all their own coffee at the store and marks it with the date it was roasted. I then grind the coffee with a burr grinder right before I make my espresso in a pump machine, not a steam machine. The noise is a little higher with the pump, but it makes for better espresso.

Also, espresso tends to start getting sour within 10-30 seconds after it is brewed, but adding dairy slows the chemical reaction that makes that happen, so adding a small amount of dairy to the cup before you brew your espresso can make for a much sweeter taste.

Answer 2

The taste of espresso depends on a lot of things, the freshness of the beans and the grind consistancy is usually the case, try to get it fine like sand. But the amount your using might also be the problem, if the grind is packed too tight it will be bitter. Also brewing temperature could be the problem . It may be as simple as the type of espresso beans you are using. Until you figure out the source of the problem why don't you put a little milk and some sweetner in, at least you'll still get to drink it in the morning.

Answer 3

Most grocery stores have espresso already ground in that brick thing. It's great and it's ground finer...for more flavor. That way the exact amount is on the brick, and sometimes in the small can.

I have a coffee grinder & beans, but I can't make the fine ground almost powder that espresso needs.

Hey....when am I invited for some......so good...I forgot I had some for company and I forgot to serve it.

Answer 4

Are the beans fresh, or are they ground too fine or not fine enough??? Either can affect how your espresso tastes...