Why does my cappuccino taste bitter

The salt in coffee reacts against your taste buds just as it does when you add salt to a cake batter or brownie batter. The salt in coffee overrides the reaction on the taste buds which in turn helps to mask the bitterness of the coffee. On your next pot of delicious joe, simply sprinkle a little salt on the grounds before you add your water.

I can already see you cutting down on the creamers and sugars. Drip coffee or pour over coffee tends to have less bitterness than other brewing options such as espresso brewing. We prefer using the pour over method around here with the coffee you can get from the Blue Coffee Box subscription. The roasters in our box all highly prefer to lightly roast the beans making them mild in taste and flavour. When you brew at home, the bitterness of the coffee will depend on the type of bean you use, the roasting method used on the beans, and the number of beans you use.

You may need to play around with your coffee method to until you find a brewing method that is not too bitter. Another reason why your home brewed coffee may be bitter tasting is that you are using water that is too hot to brew the coffee. Using water that is too hot to brew the coffee can lead to more bitterness in your cup. You should aim for water temperatures between degrees Fahrenheit 91 degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit 96 degrees Celsius.

Specialty coffee only uses Arabica coffee beans, which offer superior quality. You want to stay clear from Robusta beans which are bitter, lower in quality and are often used in instant coffees. As a specialty coffee roaster, we are strict on high quality and only select delicious Arabica beans for every one of our Karvans.

If you enjoy your coffee beans strong you want to select a darker roast. For example, our Karvan Blend 4 is a medium — dark roast that is designed to cut through milk and deliver that smooth and bold flavour. Perfect for those who enjoy a strong coffee with no bitterness. However, be careful with selecting dark roast profiles as some roasters can take it a little too far. If your beans are roasted too dark it can strip away the flavour experience and make your coffee taste like its burnt!

Choosing specialty coffee roasters is usually a safe option as they will take pride in the premium green beans they source. When in doubt, ask the roaster! If you would like more information regarding any of the above issues, check out our barista training classes. We cover detailed coffee preparation and how to implement an espresso recipe. Book online or contact us training leafbeanmachine.

Skip to content. Leaf Bean Machine. All Posts. December 19, There is nothing worse than the disappointment of a bitter cup of coffee. Over extraction When we brew coffee, the flavour hinges on the extraction of solids from the coffee itself. Volumetrics and coffee machine programming Checking the volumetrics on the coffee machine is part of our daily set up. Grind Size Just as brew ratio affects espresso extraction, the grind size of our coffee also plays a huge part in the overall taste of the coffee.

Dirty machine and equipment This is a no brainer. Backflushing your coffee machine We recommend that you backflush your coffee machine with plain water as often as possible throughout the day. Some other things to consider: Ensure the coffee beans you are using are fresh. Try a lighter roasted coffee. Check your water is of good quality. Water filters should be changed regularly. You want it at roughly 94 to 96 degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit.

If your water is properly heated, then try grinding your beans a little finer to give your shots a longer extraction. The primary cause of over extraction is the grind of your beans. Another cause of over extraction and excessively bitter espresso is when your brewing water is too hot.

The least common cause of bitterness in your espresso is a dirty machine. Check the filters and the heads to make sure they are clean. If you do, wipe it down, flush it, and try another pull. There can be other issues with your espresso than just bitterness and sourness.

In that case, you should check your filters and backflush your machine. Here are some other odd tastes and their probable causes and solutions. If you notice that your coffee is extremely weak and watery, you should check when it was roasted. When a bean is roasted, it produces carbon dioxide and extremely fresh coffee will give your crema more bubbles than you want. It also makes the crema dissipate more quickly. Ideally, your beans should be between 7 and 21 days after roasting for best results.

This is another example of over extraction and is usually caused by extremely hot water.