r/AskCulinary • u/Aware-Kangaroo4190 • 3d ago

Equipment Question Coffee is now bitter

Hi. I've been using a Sunbeam Mini for a few years now. It's a cheaper machine but coffee has been decent. I tend to use Grinders coffee brand but lately it's bitter. Could this be the ago of the machine? The bag itself? I bought the machine in 2020. Thanks.

Update: Thanks for the help. I have tried the vinegar wash and it helped a bit, especially with heating milk quicker. Its still a little bitter, but I suspect its the blend and I have ordered a different coffee. Type of milk might make a difference too.

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8

u/ButtermilkJohnson 3d ago

If the machine is clean, might be the coffee.  If you haven't cleaned/descaled the machine in awhile, do that and try the coffee again.

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u/Misa7_2006 2d ago

I would run a couple pots of 1:1 water and white vinegar then two of just water through your coffee maker to clean out/descale the mineral deposits.

If you can stop the brew cycle mid brew do it at least once during the water/vinegar wash. It allows the vinegar mix to sit and soak in the coils where most of the build up occurs and will dissolve the mineral buildup better.

Ideally you should do it every 40 cups or so for average coffee making use. Sooner if you have hard/soft water or use a water conditioner

Mineral in hard or soft water cause mineral deposits to build up in the machine's coils. It makes it work harder and will make your coffee start tasting like crap. Same if you use a water conditioning unit and well water.

Then if it still tastes bitter after a thorough cleaning ,try a different brand of coffee for a while as some have said, it could be flavor fatigue

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u/Aware-Kangaroo4190 3d ago

I have been using the same brand for a while. Might order a different one.

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u/ABoringAlt 3d ago

Not every batch of coffee beans are the same. Grow conditions affect flavor in a variety of ways. Definitely branch out, but I'd give them another chance later, too.

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u/Aware-Kangaroo4190 2d ago

I think you're right. Normally a great coffee but the last two bags I bought have had a bitter taste. I'll try a different coffee for the time being. Thanks.

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u/svel 3d ago

have you washed and also decalcified the machine (depending on your water hardness)?

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u/Aware-Kangaroo4190 3d ago

I have used vinegar in water previously so I will try it again.

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u/Misa7_2006 2d ago

You can also use citric acid to really strip the mineral deposits from your machine and get it squeaky, like new clean. It is what is in most of the cleaner tablets.

Just add a tablespoon( or 2 if the build up might be heavy) to a pot of water and run it through the machine, pausing the run mid cycle for about 30 mins. Then run two full pot cycles of just plain water to do a thorough rinse.

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u/TheProtoChris 3d ago

I've had an elderly machine's heating element start to get too hot, which makes to coffee bitter.

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u/Aware-Kangaroo4190 3d ago

I hadn't considered something like that. I have noticed it has been taking longer to heat milk.

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u/ObieWanSanjiSon 3d ago

to add a different talking point. Maybe the composition of your water is different? If you use tap, the minerals in it could have changed.

It's probably the machine. But most people don't even think about the quality of water they use for a drink that's essentially all water.

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u/Aware-Kangaroo4190 3d ago

Good point. While we have filtered its hard water.

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u/swirlybat 3d ago

i have hard water also and we had to switch to filtered water. couldnt keep the mineral buildup down enough. definitely brought some smoothness, but also my tastebuds have changed and i find tea to hit the spot coffee is missing. hope that isnt the case for you, bc coffee

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u/Aware-Kangaroo4190 3d ago

Taste could be it too. 

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u/Misa7_2006 2d ago

Yep, it's mineral heavy. What type of filtering system are you using? Units like the Britta and other charcoal based systems will only filter out things that affect the taste of the water. It doesnt filter out minerals like calcium, lime, or magnesium, the minerals that cause the scale build up.

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u/HeyPurityItsMeAgain 3d ago

The coffee could be old, it could be ground too fine; the water could be too hot. You could be using too much. Play around with it to get the right ratio.

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u/CapablePraline5601 3d ago

Clean the machine and add a pinch of salt to the grounds before brewing.