How to Improve Coffee Taste?

ForkSnorter on 19/12/2022 - 07:56
Last edited 19/12/2022 - 12:00 by 1 other user

I drink heaps of coffee every morning, but often the coffee is a bit tasteless. My coffees are definitely nowhere near as good as those served in a decent cafe.

What do you think is the best way to improve the coffee without breaking the bank? I use a Delonghi Dedica coffee machine, a cheapish Aldi burr grinder (Stirling brand with 15 grind size settings), and usually Aldi coffee beans (have tried Airjo once, and ordered some more with the recent ozbargain deal, but even when on sale they are significantly more expensive than Aldi).

I’ve seen people comment that the grinder is important, but I can’t see how a more expensive burr grinder would significantly improve the coffee taste.

So, what do you think is the most important thing to upgrade for better coffee? The coffee machine, the grinder, or better beans?

Edit: I usually make double-shot cappuccinos using soymilk or occasionally cow's milk.

Poll Options

  • 9
    Buy a better coffee machine
  • 36
    Buy a better grinder
  • 198
    Buy better beans
Food & Grocery Coffee

Comments

  • solidussnake on 19/12/2022 - 08:03
    -4

    Stronger coffee beans

    • HeWhoKnows on 20/12/2022 - 10:14

      Aldi has a good range of coffees

      Some suggestions:
      1. Try a different blend
      2. Try using less milk
      3. Use the small flat stirrer. Not the one with the spring as it froths the milk too much makiong it tasteless as you say

      • JinWu on 20/12/2022 - 14:46

        Any milk brand recommendation?

      • Fobsessive on 21/12/2022 - 21:52

        Aldi beans are usually at least 1 month old since roasting…that is old

    • Tunblor on 20/12/2022 - 22:58
      +2

      Strong to me means concentrated, so beans can't really be strong or weak. What do you mean by strong?

      • Grazz989 on 21/12/2022 - 03:39
        +2

        … What? The concentration of the coffee post-extraction is dependent on the amount of coffee used and the proportion of the coffee which was extracted. The proportion of the coffee extracted is dependent on the bean, the fineness of the grind, and the temperature and pressure of the water used. You can absolutely have different extractions (and thus concentrations in the final product) between two beans, even keeping the other parameters equal, simply because one type of bean, roasted in a certain way, may have more soluble solids than another bean roasted to another standard.

        • Tunblor on 21/12/2022 - 16:05

          What are you talking about the concentration of though, caffeine?
          Agreed, some beans have more caffeine, and produce brews with higher concentrations of caffeine.

          The point I was trying to make is "strong" as a bean descriptor is poorly defined. Strong to me does not mean the same as the strong to the guy talking about caffeine, or the woman talking about bitterness, or the other guy talking about body or mouth feel.

          You answered my question: strength to you means the TDS in a standard extraction for those beans.

      • Hangryuman on 21/12/2022 - 11:10

        OTOMH I would have thought that the apparent 'strength' depended on the roast

        ground coffee beans, e.g. Harris something, used to display labels like mild roast

        maybe Kenyan Blue Mountain

        and dark roast maybe Brazilian, Colombian, Costa Rican

        dunno caffeine levels but stronger taste from the more 'burnt' flavour I'm thinking

        • Tunblor on 21/12/2022 - 16:06

          That's my point, strong means different things to different people.

  • daalinz on 19/12/2022 - 08:06
    +1

    Cafe coffees can also have multiple espresso shots.

    Try double shots or use less milk.

    You may have to reprogram the amounts in the machine functions.

    Also I notice some machines will do milk first and then espresso. Do espresso first.

  • wazzac on 19/12/2022 - 08:08
    +8

    Use beans roasted no longer than a few weeks ago
    Use 18-22g in a double basket and extract 50-60ml over 25-45 seconds

    • timthetoolman on 19/12/2022 - 11:12
      +2

      Curious, that's obviously not a 1:2 espresso ratio. Would that not water it down a bit or make it taste bitter from over extraction?

      • Tunblor on 20/12/2022 - 23:02
        +1

        Ratios are normally by weight, aren't they? Crema is quite light, if you're measuring shot volume by the top of the Crema, it will be less dense than 1g/ml.

    • ESEMCE on 19/12/2022 - 11:14
      +2

      ^this
      which means buying fresh beans from a roaster, not supermarket beans that are already pushing a month (at best) before hitting the shelves.

      Better quality = higher cost
      it's a pretty simple life lesson.

      • johnno07 on 21/12/2022 - 09:41
        +3

        A good rule of thumb is to not buy beans that don't have a roast date on them (aka basically anything from a supermarket)

        • od810 on 21/12/2022 - 09:50
          +3

          Some beans in the super market have roast date. The aldi ones all have roast date, some of coles and woolies have as well.

          • keejoonc on 21/12/2022 - 16:46

            @od810: Since when did Aldi beans have roast dates? I haven't bought them for a long time because personally I found them dreadful most of the time for espresso, but they only had best before dates when I bought them.

            • od810 on 21/12/2022 - 19:28

              @keejoonc: I bought the Aldi Brazil beans about 2 months ago and it had the batch date. It was on shelf about 2 weeks before i bought.

              Under the best before date it has B221025 or something like that which translated to batch of 25th Oct 2022

              https://imgur.io/FGujgJH?r

      • belongsinforums on 21/12/2022 - 11:10

        Untrue. Most coffee i have out of home is terrible. They burn the milk, the coffee or both. And they f the beans up somehow. Rarely I'll get one as good as my much cheaper home coffee. Higher quality can definitely be cheaper

        • Hangryuman on 21/12/2022 - 11:15

          but they can cover up a shipload of burnt taste with a beautiful steamed milk foam creamy taste

          that said I went to a 'club' recently where their $5.20 large flat white just looked wrong (dark orange-brown colour), had evil-looking stuff sprinkled on top (tasted like instant coffee), tasted claggy, and then I had diarrhea and unhappy digestive system for 2 days afterwards - so that kinda summed up all the wrong ways to make coffee

          • belongsinforums on 21/12/2022 - 11:51
            +1

            @Hangryuman: Even the fancy, snobby, hipster coffee places are disappointing. As far as a certain club goes, say no more

    • Nebargains on 21/12/2022 - 12:07

      IMO you are extracting too much in too short a time and will just end up with a watery coffee.

      You probably want to be aiming for a 2:1 ratio in around 30 seconds give or take.

      So if you are using 18 grams coffee, I would be looking to extract 36 grams total.

  • toristo on 19/12/2022 - 08:11

    How hard are you tamping the grind down?
    In the Dedica basket (single) I use one slightly mounded scoop and in the double I use two very level scoops. Tamping it down quite firmly, the machine should still flow - it will tell you very quickly if it is too firm and not pull the shot.

    • Tunblor on 20/12/2022 - 23:05

      Tamp is third to dose weight and grind size in terms of affecting extraction. It can be a bit of a band-aid, but shouldn't be used as a crutch. With sub optimal equipment though, it may be the only easy to control variable, so you may be making a good point.

    • od810 on 21/12/2022 - 09:51

      Level tamping is more important than how hard you do it.

      • salem on 21/12/2022 - 15:06

        And consistent tamping is important when tuning the other variables over successive shots

  • Tigerstu on 19/12/2022 - 08:15
    +5

    Check out the coffee snobs forum… I've recently dived into this rabbit hole and have totally changed how I make coffee. Filter coffee with a decent grinder is now my go to and buying decent freshly roasted beans helps too.

    • knk on 21/12/2022 - 10:22
      +2

      I've found filter coffee to be a lot more "forgiving" than most others. Maybe similar to that of using a french press.

      Aldi dark roast preground I quite like when filtered.

    • Hoju on 29/12/2022 - 07:58

      Can I ask what do you mean by filter?
      I have three manual devices
      - an Italian stovetop moka thing
      - French press / plunger
      - a glass carafe type thing that I sit double filter papers over the top, put the coffee in the cone and pour the water over

      Trying to decide on getting a machine or just putting a better product in one of the above (currently just use preground cheap coffee from Woolies)

  • stuarty9 on 19/12/2022 - 08:16
    • Quality of grinder & machine is super important.
    • How you froth your milk & heat can significantly change the taste/quality of your coffee.
    • Age/roasting and quality of beans is a key to taste.

    A lot goes into a coffee. Cafes test/change settings often and change things like grind depending on weather conditions.

    I'd start with a machine like the Breville dual boiler. Experiment from here (you should be able to create a very good coffee with this machine) and in a few years upgrade again should you feel it necessary.

    • Grazz989 on 21/12/2022 - 03:43

      Is the dual boiler actually an upgrade over an Infuser + Smart grinder pro?

    • Hangryuman on 21/12/2022 - 11:19

      I once met an Italian whose job in Sydney was espresso machine maintenance - once he started telling me some of the details of valve sizes, pressures and all the things that could go wrong if they weren't serviced regularly - I went wow OK that's why I don't have a $2000 espresso machine at home !

  • SBOB on 19/12/2022 - 08:17

    What kind of coffee? Espresso, flat white, latte etc? I'm sure recommendations might differ if you drink milk based lattes compared to ristretto shots.

    How many shots per drink? Pretty confident a double shot would be regular cafe dose.

    Have you checked your ml per g of coffee to see if you're over or under extracting.

  • boomramada on 19/12/2022 - 08:22
    +3

    I think you need gain bit of skill as well, not just coffee beans or coffee machine.

  • kiitos on 19/12/2022 - 08:26
    +2

    What aspects about the coffee don't you like? Too bitter, too sour, too weak? It's a combo of type of coffee, coffee age, grind size, grind quality, time of extraction, etc.

    I used the Aldi Brazilian single origin and found it very nice. I then tried their medium Dark and found that much stronger, sort of inky, but after a while enjoyed it. Was able to pull very good shots on my BDB with an old Sunbeam grinder.

    Now I'm trying their medium beans, after cleaning the grinder and I'm not really enjoying these beans. Still inky, and somewhat harsh. Pressure is good and extraction time is good, so not sure what the deal is, unless it's just that the beans aren't to my liking, or I didn't reassemble the grinder correctly.

    • Tunblor on 20/12/2022 - 23:09

      Perhaps cleaning the grinder is now letting the grounds be affected by static, causing clumping, channelling?

      Have the dose weights changed? Perhaps you're using a fluffier, finer ground dose: same volume, lower weight, slower extraction per gram, but less coffee so the time works out the same?

      • kiitos on 21/12/2022 - 23:23

        Maybe, I think I'll clean it out again and pay more attention to how the coffee looks and tastes.

        With the Aldi Dark beans I used I noticed an odd smell which I hadn't with other beans (though I had been using the grinder for only a couple of months), sort of off but not off, hard to describe. I thought it was the oils from the Dark beans, hence cleaning the grinder when I tried the Medium beans. But I can still smell that smell. Odd, not sure if it's just something that's there with freshly ground beans, or what.

        • Tunblor on 24/12/2022 - 06:48

          Dark beans are roasted to the point their structure has begun to break down and open up to the air. So the oils are released more, they are exposed to oxygen, and they are partially oxidised (starting to go rancid). They continue to oxidise quite quickly, and they get a smell of stale beans as a result.

          That stale-bean-smelling-oil that you can see on the beans then gets all over your grinder…

          Some people love dark roasts, I don't! You can clean the grinder a bit by just running some other less oily beans through it, some people use a special grinder cleaning product, like Urnex Grindz for example, but they're expensive, perhaps overrated.

  • skid on 19/12/2022 - 08:29

    Less water, more coffee.

    After fixing the coffee water ratio, try tamping it down more, as noted above.

    I voted better beans, but that is way down the list as coffee beans won't make the difference between tasteless and decent.

    • Tunblor on 20/12/2022 - 23:10

      Why would he change tamp after "fixing" extraction ration and time? That would just change the ratio/time again.

  • djsweet on 19/12/2022 - 08:34
    +5

    There are many factors in producing good coffee. As James Hoffman would say, if you have perfect technique and equipment and terrible beans, then you will produce a perfectly terrible cup of coffee. I think the following are important in this order:
    1. Beans (fresh, good quality, good roast)
    2. Technique (bad technique can easily ruin anything)
    3. Equipment. Dedica should be sufficient to pull a decent shot. Your grinder could be letting you down. Easy upgrade is to get a bottomless portafilter and ensure you extractions are around 30 seconds. This means you are likely getting an alright shot out. With pressurised baskets it is hard to tell.

    To test bean quality, the easiest way is with an Aeropress, because it is forgiving with the grind. If you can get out some decent black coffees with an Aeropress, then your beans are fine, and you need to move on to point 2.

    • ForkSnorter on 21/12/2022 - 07:18

      Airjo beans arrived yesterday. Today I made a cappuccino with 2 double shots and both times I stopped extracting once the liquid started to turn yellowish. No chocolate powder on top. Surprisingly, it was the tastiest coffee I’ve had for ages.

      The coffee tasted a bit granular though, like there was a bit of fine powder in it. I wonder if that’s because it was so strong, or if some small granules are getting through.

      • rlay3 on 21/12/2022 - 08:25
        +1

        Did you get roughly twice the output in around 30 seconds? E.g. 20g of coffee grounds in, 40g of liquid coffee out, in about 30 seconds. It's usually a good starting point.

        The coffee tasted a bit granular though

        This does sound like a grinder issue.

        • ForkSnorter on 21/12/2022 - 08:33

          This does sound like a grinder issue.

          Maybe I'm grinding too fine.

          • djsweet on 21/12/2022 - 09:25
            +2

            @ForkSnorter: Unlikely. More likely your grinder is grinding irregularly, creating enough fragments that are fine enough to pass through. The finest setting of most grinders still won't pass through the basket.

            • ForkSnorter on 30/12/2022 - 16:56

              @djsweet: I picked up a 2nd hand Sunbeam precision grinder. Combined with the Airjo dark beans, the coffee taste is now amazing. But the machine won’t extract any coffee (no liquid gets though) if I use finer than 10 grind size, or if I fill the group head with too much coffee grinds or tamp it too hard.

          • belongsinforums on 21/12/2022 - 11:12

            @ForkSnorter: Try grinding at the biggest spot for espresso. Coffee should take a few seconds to start to come out but not any longer. Do you get crema? Is the basket full of water when you remove it? It shouldn't be

          • rlay3 on 21/12/2022 - 16:01

            @ForkSnorter: I think a video of your espresso pull is in order here!

      • djsweet on 21/12/2022 - 12:11
        +1

        If you're using a dedica, it should just shoot out 60mls for a doubleshot. You just need to make sure you have the right amount of coffee, the right grind, and the right tamp. If your grind and tamp are good, you should get your extraction done in around 30s. If its taking less than 25s, your grind is too coarse. The coffee shouldn't be turning yellowish at any point

        • ForkSnorter on 21/12/2022 - 12:12

          It blondes after about 15 seconds.

          • djsweet on 21/12/2022 - 12:14

            @ForkSnorter: Hmm okay. I guess that is fine. Just mine stays pretty dark the whole way through a shot. I'm surprised its starting to turn yellow at 15s. That indicates that your extraction is pretty well done. Do you have enough coffee in the basket?

    • Hangryuman on 21/12/2022 - 11:21
      +1

      reminds me of a quote about photography -

      '..amateurs worry about equipment,
      professionals worry about money,
      masters worry about light,
      I just take pictures…

      Vernon Trent' - https://photoquotes.com/author/vernon-trent

  • lehtung on 19/12/2022 - 08:50
    +5

    You definitely can benefit from a better grinder, and learn to dial in.

    • Banj0 on 19/12/2022 - 09:44
      +2

      +1 on the grinder. Don’t skimp here. A 15 setting grinder from Aldi is unlikely to do good espresso I think….that’s not many settings on a machine that probably needs to cover espresso through French press.

      If you want the best control of the grind, and don’t want to spend $400 and up, I’d suggest a hand grinder. I like the 1zpresso grinders. Commandante has an excellent reputation, but commensurate price. I understand that Timemore makes some half decent entry level models.

      Compared to my own espresso based drinks I make at home, I’ve yet to encounter a cafe serving me something substantially better (but admittedly I don’t get out that much). My wife likes a much stronger tasting coffee than I, and is happiest when I am perhaps pouring them a little hot (right at the top of the boiler cycle on my Rancilio….not sure if you can do something similar on the Delonghi, which I expect uses thermoblocks). I use either a 1zpresso hand grinder, or a low end Eureka Mignon, and I find they both allow enough adjustment for me to dial in to a fine level (with the Mignon not being quite as precise as the 1zpresso).

      • Tunblor on 20/12/2022 - 23:14
        +1

        Commandante had been over taken by newer entrants to the hand grinder market, from what I read. Even more so my Lido 3 that I got 7 years ago!

      • johnno07 on 21/12/2022 - 09:44
        +1

        1zpresso owner here. Tossed up between it and the Commandante - glad I saved the couple hundred bucks. Great grinder!

  • Duckie2hh on 19/12/2022 - 08:50
    -3

    Don't burn the coffee.

    • djsweet on 19/12/2022 - 09:13
      +2

      When roasting, yes. When brewing, that is not possible. I don't think OP is roasting his own beans.

      • Duckie2hh on 19/12/2022 - 09:34
        +1

        If you heat your milk above 65 degC, you can change the flavour profile. Also the temperature at which you extract the coffee can also create bitter notes.

        • djsweet on 19/12/2022 - 09:35

          Hotter water just results in faster extraction. So, I agree with you. But it doesn't burn the coffee.

          • Tunblor on 20/12/2022 - 23:17
            +3

            @djsweet: Hotter water changes the extraction profile, extracting some compounds disproportionately faster than others, resulting in a less pleasant flavour. This less pleasant flavour is described in coffee-flavour jargon as "burnt", despite the coffee not actually being exothermically oxidised.

            • Grazz989 on 21/12/2022 - 03:52
              +1

              @Tunblor: As opposed to endothermic oxidation? That'd be a novelty.

              In any case - 100% agree. Using too much or too little water, and using water which is too hot or too cold, will absolutely alter the extraction profile and overall concentration as well. Additionally - so will pressure! I've got an entry level espresso machine and you can't just casually pick and choose a pressure target - and trying to achieve it with tamp alone is a fool's game vs. having direct control of the pressure the machine maintains.

            • djsweet on 21/12/2022 - 09:32

              @Tunblor: Anecdotally of course, I extract pour over as hot as I can and it doesn't leave any bitter taste. Seems to get the solubles out more quickly though, which results in a stronger cup. I find the unpleasant flavours have more to do with the roast of the bean, or the amount of extraction that actually takes place. Steeping in an aeropress for ages does tend to produce an unpleasant flavour. I expect that the hotter the water the faster it would become unpleasant, but I haven't really experimented with that.

              • Tunblor on 21/12/2022 - 17:06

                @djsweet: You should also be mindful that your taste sensitivity to different compounds is different to everyone else's, and it can also change over time.

        • Banj0 on 19/12/2022 - 09:46
          +1

          My wife calls it stronger (when I extract hotter). I know it’s not necessarily stronger across the whole profile. She likes it though, so now I extract it good and hot for her.

  • cashless on 19/12/2022 - 08:50
    +2

    usually Aldi coffee beans

    That could be your problem

    • harro112 on 19/12/2022 - 10:03
      +5

      i use aldi beans occasionally in my BDB and they come out just fine. the grind would be the first thing i'd be looking at.

  • fat queenslander on 19/12/2022 - 09:00
    +8

    Lookup James Hoffmann on youtube, he has good videos on every aspect of how to make a better coffee cup, I'd recommend to begin with how to dial in the coffee beans. For me personally this made a 100% improvement, then if you drink milk the video on frothing really made a big difference. It's a bottomless pit, enjoy!

    • dasher86 on 19/12/2022 - 10:54
      +2

      Be wary the dedica milk frothing is different to many machines…the principles maybe the same but the technique on this frother is different.

      • ForkSnorter on 20/12/2022 - 07:32

        I could never get the hang of frothing on the Dedica. Usually the steam pressure is too strong. I use a separate Bodum frother now, just push the button and wait.

        • dasher86 on 20/12/2022 - 08:41
          +1

          Well that is another thing contributing to your coffee taste.
          You won't get the silkiness and texture from the Bodum as you would from the dedica.
          I suggest watching some videos online with people using the dedica.
          I haven't owned a dedica, but I have owned the delonghi. The trick was submerging the tip to heat up the milk and then lifting to froth to finish.

    • Ghost47 on 19/12/2022 - 15:35
      +3

      Can never tell how old that guy is. Either a very old looking guy in his 30s or 40s or a very young looking guy in his 70s 🤣

      • Grazz989 on 21/12/2022 - 03:57

        I think he really puts effort into his appearance - and boy howdy does it seem to pay off. While I get the impression that getting serious about coffee isn't really popular with ladies, I'm still surprised the phrase 'silver fox' isn't far more common in his YT comment sections ha!

      • tryagain on 21/12/2022 - 23:02

        43 yrs old according to Wikipedia

  • Some Human on 19/12/2022 - 09:22
    +1

    Airjo coffee is significantly more expensive, because it is significantly better. I make my coffee in a perculator and the expensive coffee comes out amazing.

    Do you clean the machine every now and then?

  • EightImmortals on 19/12/2022 - 09:23
    +1

    Try some beans from Coffeesnobs beanbay, I always end up going back to them for taste. Lately I've been buying their green beans and roasting them myself.

    • djsweet on 19/12/2022 - 09:33

      this is the way

  • coffeeinmyveins on 19/12/2022 - 09:30

    ? The coffee machine, the grinder, or better beans

    All three, but try new beans first because it's the cheaper option.

    What's your ratio of dry coffee ground IN vs liquid out, and how long does it take? What's the crema look like? I usually aim for a 1:2 ratio @ 22 seconds. So I put 17G of coffee in and get about 33G out in 22 seconds.

  • djsweet on 19/12/2022 - 09:53
    +2

    There seems to be some misconception that cafes make good coffee, when the opposite is true in the majority of cases. If you can't make cafe quality coffee at home, you have a very long way to go. Fortunately, that means that any improvements you make are likely to have a significant effect :) There are some great recommendations in this thread.

  • altomic on 19/12/2022 - 09:56
    +4

    MSG

    • Helmuth on 19/12/2022 - 10:23

      The king of flavour! (But maybe just a tiny pinch to take out any bitterness)

  • jv on 19/12/2022 - 10:25
    +5

    How to improve coffee taste?

    Kahlúa

  • Earl of Lemongrab on 19/12/2022 - 10:30
    +2

    Start with the cheapest improvements before committing to the more expensive ones.

  • Clear on 19/12/2022 - 10:36
    -2

    and usually Aldi coffee beans

    Found your problem.

    • johnnygolden on 19/12/2022 - 19:50
      +8

      Actually disagree with this. I am a full-blown coffee snob with relatively a relatively high end grinder and espresso machine and have purchased beans from dozens of specialty roasters. When I have occasionally purchased the Aldi Lazzio beans I have been pleasantly surprised. The quality is better than acceptable - very good if not great - and the value for money is unparalleled. With a $200 espresso machine and a cheap grinder, I think it is very safe to say that the beans are definitely not the issue at this point.

      • Clear on 19/12/2022 - 19:57

        Not a truly full blown coffee snob then :P

        • johnnygolden on 19/12/2022 - 20:03

          Well maybe I'm as close as you'll come to finding a coffee snob on Ozbargain! Gotta check out the deals…

  • dasher86 on 19/12/2022 - 10:53
    +5

    It's hard to say how to improve your coffee without knowing some more details.

    What is your workflow?
    Are you using a single or double shot basket?
    Is it single wall or pressurized?
    How many grams of coffee are you grinding?
    Are you grinding at the right size?
    Are you tamping correctly?
    How long is your manual shot pull / how much coffee out?
    Do you know how to froth milk?

    If you don't know how to answer the questions above, I suggest doing some more research before splashing out any more cash on a new setup / more expensive beans.

    The most common mistake at work I see with new beginners is that they try to extract too much coffee from a double shot, this leads to a weak bitter watery coffee.

  • nubix on 19/12/2022 - 11:17

    The most likely factor is the missing option: Technique.

    Taking your description literally - it's not that your coffee tastes bad, just bland.

    Stale beans

    Probably not likely as you go through a lot of coffee, but check the roasting date obviously - try to finish the bag in < 6 weeks from that date (most ideal between 1-3 weeks).
    Buy smaller bags if you have to; freezing partial bags is also an option. I wouldn't go buying different beans yet though.

    How do you keep your beans? Minimizing air, heat and light will maintain freshness longer.

    Try your beans as an expresso. Good or bad aside, is it still tasteless?

    Dilution

    Too much milk or water? Try to differentiate which one it is and reduce it!

    The discovery that made me love coffee was actually playing with the milk recipe from LimeBlueCoffee - using double ristretto (1:1) and reduced milk (1:5.5-6.5).

    • not a barista
  • Oz8argain on 19/12/2022 - 11:40
    +1

    check out James Hoffmann on youtube, lots of good coffee information

  • Gunnar on 19/12/2022 - 15:56

    Since you've played with beans, take lessons - there's loads of places that do a one day course of coffee if you don't know anyone who can talk you through what to do

    My go to on what to change to improve your coffee
    Beans
    Technique
    Equipment

    Beans are the cheapest and easiest way to improve your coffee

    Technique is important. If you know what you're doing on crappy equipment you'll get better results than if you have no idea and you're on good stuff.

  • silenthillrocks on 19/12/2022 - 18:55
    -2

    Replace the OEM portafilter with a bottomless portafilter

    • Grazz989 on 21/12/2022 - 04:06
      +1

      Perhaps useful for diagnosis, but won't change anything by itself.

      • silenthillrocks on 21/12/2022 - 05:29

        Delonghi dedica uses a pressurised portafilter which is known for poor extraction. A big improvement is to change it to a non-pressurised one.

        • Grazz989 on 21/12/2022 - 05:56
          +3

          What you're trying to say is they use a pressurised basket. The bit the goes into the portafilter. You can swap to a regular basket without having to swap the portafilter.

  • johnnygolden on 19/12/2022 - 20:00
    +2

    Cheap grinders tend to produce grinds of inconsistent sizes which makes it difficult to repeatedly make well extracted (slow but steady) espresso shots.

    Can't speak for your machine specifically, but cheap espresso machines tend to have thermoblock boilers that don't maintain a very consistent water temperature, small portafilters that don't hold enough grinds, and pressurised filter baskets that produce attractive looking but tasteless shots.

  • Hugh G Rection on 19/12/2022 - 20:13
    -1

    get bottled water instead of water from the sink.
    freshly roasted beans is the way to go. anything in the grocery store won't have a roast date, and has been sitting on the shelves forever. it won't produce crema.

    when you brew is it coming down fast, slow, sputtering, etc..? are you doubling your yield (20 grams of coffee and extracting 40grams of coffee)? do u have a scale?

    your grinder and coffee machine is fine.

    • Tunblor on 20/12/2022 - 23:22

      How do you know his grinder is fine? Aldi beans can be quite fresh, and have roast dates, produce better Crema than the "1 week" old beans from my local trendy cafe (I suspect their roaster is mislabeling old beans)

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