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

      • Benicio on 21/12/2022 - 20:23

        1 week can be way too youn for fresh beans. they need to sit for a couple of weeks before being at their best.

        • Tunblor on 30/12/2022 - 13:48

          A lot of beans can be too young at 1 week for some tastes, yes. For my tastes though I love the mix of more complex coffee flavours starting to shine through at about 5-6 days, mixed with the super fresh roasted flavours that are still strong - it's like a fresh-baked bread vibe, even though I'm not eating bread.

          That aside, I was more talking about the crazy crema you get from beans that haven't degassed enough yet.

  • doctordv8 on 20/12/2022 - 08:09
    -1

    Forget the over rated machines and coffee seeds.

    There are dozens of instant coffees with then again dozens of different flavours.

    I pre mix two to get the flavour I desire… do the same. One name brand and one store brand.

    Darn site easier to get satisfaction every time too.

    But if you stick to a machine, you need to buy every brand and flavour and find your own favorite.

    There are specialty suppliers out there too, doing the premix thing for you if you want to throw money away.

    • Grazz989 on 21/12/2022 - 04:07

      You mix two instant coffees? Wow. That's … The first time I've heard of that concept.

      Which two instants do you mix, out of curiosity?

      • doctordv8 on 23/12/2022 - 08:32

        Nescafe Smooth n Creamy, and Coles El Cheapo granules something or other. It varies.
        Nescafe is near 1/2 price this week too, time to stock u;p

    • Hangryuman on 21/12/2022 - 11:27

      I once waitered in an expensive Austrian restaurant frequented by lawyers

      the owner told me to take a Corningware coffee percolator (remember those?), use the cheapest instant coffee International Roast, boil the jug, mix 10 teaspoons, stir to ensure no powder residue, then march out to the table of wine-drunk laywers and say 'who'd like coffee ?'

      they would turn and say 'ooh - freshly percolated - lovely !' - and all agree to a cup - and I never heard a word of suggestion that it was anything other than good quality coffee

      yeah I know - last century - no taste - drunk - I'm just sayin' blind tests many won't know the difference.

  • TilacVIP on 20/12/2022 - 08:36

    try it with a bit of coconut milk / cream

  • Qazxswec on 20/12/2022 - 10:19
    -3

    Just buy a Nespresso machine and some Nespresso brand pods, they are consist and taste pretty good

  • anthony t on 20/12/2022 - 15:01

    most above is correct.
    But I can't find a reference to the new 9/10 strength Lavazza Espresso Barista Intenso whole Beans. Coles right now for $25 a KG, Woolies often the same. I've bought from both for $18 sometimes. 'Retail' is $48/kg.
    I've roasted green beans for years. These are the best value/quality, even at $25 a Kg, I've tried from anywhere. At the moment, crazy long expiry dates - either they're very fresh, or they last until 2024 (even if taste falls away after 6-12 months like all roasted beans). Maybe it's an intro price? I bought 10Kgs at $18/kg, put most in a heavy plastic bag in the freezer where they'll keep unopened for at least 6 months.

  • Barrj46 on 20/12/2022 - 17:35

    I bought Aldi coffee beans on one occasion and found them to be very weak. I had to use double the amount of coffee to obtain a reasonable taste. Haven't bought it since, reverted to Lavazza coffee.

    • Tunblor on 20/12/2022 - 23:25
      +1

      Which ones? They have quite a few. The medium ones produced espresso with good body and acidity, the lighter ones and single origin ones were less complex, too bright + no body but with little flavour to show for the acidity.

  • newbo on 20/12/2022 - 21:13
    +1

    Clean your equipment regularly. The Airjo Enterprise are hard to screw up getting a good taste out of. Preheat your machine. Watch your grind size, shot times and shot duration. Take time between shots to see if that makes a difference.

  • mousie on 20/12/2022 - 21:15

    Grinders from Amazon S&S I don't mind and go through 1kg a month for a value pick.

  • AustriaBargain on 20/12/2022 - 22:14
    +1

    I have the Sage/Breville Smart Grinder Pro and I think the best part is how convenient it is to grind a shot of coffee. Just the smell of freshly ground coffee helps with the experience. Cleaning it is annoying, need a socket wrench to pull it apart properly.

    I been thinking of mixing the Aldi dark and medium beans. I find medium a bit too weak in flavour and dark way too strong.

    • Grazz989 on 21/12/2022 - 04:14

      Part of me thinks mixing the dark and the medium would be a great idea, but the chemist in me is skeptical.

      Something tells me that for a given roasted bean, there is going to be an 'optimal' (for you) grind fineness, combined with an optimal water temperature, pressure, and volume to extract it with. If you change how that bean is roasted, that 'optimal' set of values will be different. So, even if you grind them separately and combine them perfectly in the basket, then use water values in-between your optimals, you'll have one set of coffee grains underextracted and the other overextracted. That would certainly be an interesting cup of coffee to be sure, but I'm not sure at all if it'd be a particularly good one.

      It's like that gag in the simpsons, where they put a saltwater lobster in the fish tank with freshwater fish. No worries says homer, and carefully balances how salty the water is so that both the fish and the lobster are dying …

  • BartholemewH on 20/12/2022 - 22:32
    +2

    There are cafes out there that use Aldi beans, regardless of their contracts / advertising in store.

    Source: I worked for a coffee wholesaler for 15 years.

    Not sure if your machine uses a real group handle/basket, but if it does, use a 22g+ basket. If the machine is thermoblock design, preheat the portafilter and cups with boiling water. Get to know your grinder, as adjustments are required based on ambient temps and especially humidity.

    Pull a straight espresso shot. Time and measure it. Taste it. Adjust grind/tamp/time. Pull another shot. Taste it….etc… Until you have a sublime espresso. This negates the impact of milk etc.

    Also, when adding milk, add it immediately after pulling the shot, the crema will go bitter in no time sitting there.

    • Tunblor on 20/12/2022 - 23:27

      Measure the weight too, don't buy a coffee scale that's so overpriced it's criminal, just buy a drug scale from Amazon.

      • BartholemewH on 21/12/2022 - 00:12

        100% A generic electronic drug scale is plenty.

    • TightLikeThisx on 20/12/2022 - 23:34

      Crema is always bitter.

      • Grazz989 on 21/12/2022 - 04:19
        +1

        One of the best improvements I've ever made was slipping a pair of paper filters (mine are ridiculously thin) onto the bottom of the basket before adding the grinds.

        I think they absorb a good amount of bitter oils as you would expect of paper filters, while not meaningfully affecting crema volume (oil isn't good for foam anyway). Took my coffee from a step below cafe grade to a step above it.

        • BartholemewH on 21/12/2022 - 20:54

          Never heard of this one, will have to try it!

        • TightLikeThisx on 21/12/2022 - 23:16

          I heard of espresso bars doing this years ago with trimmed aeropress filter papers.

          I guess it would add resistance and slow the pour down. Also I don't know if the paper filter would function as normal under that amount of pressure.

          Honestly I don't understand the obsession with crema. It's like no one has tried to scrape it off a shot and taste it. In milk coffee it offsets the sweetness of the milk but for black coffee it just adds bitterness.

          • Grazz989 on 22/12/2022 - 00:04
            +1

            @TightLikeThisx: Yeah, the original idea I got was from people using trimmed aeropress papers on YT. However, being lazy and cheap, I found Aliexpress does a hundred for under $3. Even given that they're razor thin and I need to use two, that's still 6 cents per cup.

            Actually, it seems to reduce resistance - I presume this also means it doesn't slow the pour down, but I haven't measured it. I believe the reason why it reduces resistance is that it provides a porous layer between the high-resistance coffee grind (assuming you're using a very fine grind like I am), and the tiny holes which at the scale of very fine grind particles, are quite far apart. It helps avoid any pressure imbalances. Or, alternatively, it just plain old makes sure none of the holes clog up.

            Aside from the aesthetics, I think crema is a decent indicator that you've made a good cup of coffee. Crema tends to be most visible when everything else is about 'right'. So it morphed from being a sign that you've made a good coffee, to being itself the best part of the coffee. But I agree - My coffee tastes far less bitter with the filters, and honestly the crema isn't dramatically affected.

            • TightLikeThisx on 22/12/2022 - 20:17

              @Grazz989: I never tried pulling shots with papers in the basket but what you are saying about stopping the grounds clogging the basket makes sense.

              Crema can be a decent indicator but it depends on the coffee and the roast. I've had plenty of lighter roasted single origin espressos that tasted delicious but looked like they had been sitting on the bench for five minutes.

  • ShortyX on 20/12/2022 - 23:24
    +2

    Aldi beans are fine - https://www.beanscenemag.com.au/aldi-lazzio-beans-win-2022-c…

    You could post a video of your technique and shot for more advice. Are you doing a double shot from about 20g of coffee in a double basket? How fast does the shot fill 50-60mL?

    • ShortyX on 21/12/2022 - 08:32

      Edit: Aldi also won 2022 Golden Bean - Large Franchise - https://goldenbean.com.au/pages/2022-winners

      • TightLikeThisx on 21/12/2022 - 20:02

        Look at the other companies in their category. Not much of an award if you ask me.

        • ShortyX on 21/12/2022 - 21:56

          True, the survey comp was probably not worth posting in hindsight. Black Bag Roasters (Aldi Coffee) seem to do well at the Golden Bean comps though.

          Each to their own but my thinking is that I’d rather pay $15/kg for coffee that is about 6 weeks old from roasting date compared to $30-$40+ for freshly roasted.

          • TightLikeThisx on 21/12/2022 - 22:57
            +1

            @ShortyX: Each to their own I think. As long as whoever is drinking the coffee enjoys it then that's all that matters.

            Using 6 week old coffee would also have the added benefit of being very stable. More consistent pours and therefore less wastage. Less flavour but more practical for brewing coffee at home.

  • TightLikeThisx on 20/12/2022 - 23:25

    Good coffee will have the biggest impact.

    Grinder has an impact because it determines the amount of course and fine particles there are in the cup. Cheaper grinders generally aren't good because they will have a wide variety of grind size i.e a lot of both fine and coarse grinds on the same setting. In the same cup the fine particles will over extract and make the cup bitter and the course particles will under extract and make the cup sour.

    Better more expensive grinders tend to produce more uniform grinds.

    If you want to produce good cafe quality coffee though start brewing by recipe and tweek the parameters until you get what you like. Measure the weight of grinds you are putting in the basket, the weight of the final brewed shot and the amount of time it took to brew. Working out the recipe is called "dialing in".. Use scales that can measure in .1g increments.

    Also look into the quality of the water you are using and use whatever milk your favourite cafe's use.

  • liongalahad on 20/12/2022 - 23:36
    -4

    If money is not a problem, go with Nespresso. Better than 99% of cafe's coffee in my opinion. But my judgement is influenced by the fact that I only drink espresso and most cafe's use a blend that is not for espresso at all but for milkd-up coffee, which results in extremely sour espressos.

  • ellos on 20/12/2022 - 23:51

    1st. I would buy better beans. Coles and woolies have improved over the last 2 years but you'll be better off buying beans from a local cafe that roasts its own and has a high turnover.

    2nd. A better grinder will help because it will give a more uniform particle size (so you don't simultaneously get under and over-extracted coffee). I had the Aldi one and wasn't very impressed by it. I have a porlex mini and found it to be better than the aldi one, I have since upgraded to an electric burr grinder cos im lazy but yeah if better beans dont give you the improvement you're after try a better grinder.

    3rd. New coffee machine. the most extreme option that i wouldn't suggest until trying better beans and a better grinder as they will have more of an impact. Also I wouldnt know what to suggest as I do not use an all-in-one espresso machine.

    Also check out James Hoffman on youtube, his videos will help you understand coffee better and be better equipped to make the type of coffee that you want to drink.

  • Oofy Doofy on 21/12/2022 - 01:05
    +1

    Consider making cold brew, then heating it in the microwave with your chosen milk, to taste.

    Usually I skip the heating part and drink it ice cold, for my morning intake at least.

    The flavour is totally different when brewing it slowly, prepared ahead of time. I store litres of it in the fridge to use over a week.

    • fastnbulbous on 21/12/2022 - 01:50

      Yeah cold brew is easy to make. Coarse grind with a french press brewing for about 15 hours. In summer cold is always better than hot

  • DingoBlue on 21/12/2022 - 08:28

    Ensure you’re using a non-pressurised basket.

  • The General on 21/12/2022 - 09:45

    Sugar. Makes any poor coffee taste great.

    • ForkSnorter on 21/12/2022 - 09:57

      Don't have any sugar. Would apricot jam work?

      • TightLikeThisx on 21/12/2022 - 23:00

        If you are using milk no. It's too acidic and will curdle the milk.

        I found this out the hard way when trying to make a milkshake using jam.

    • Hangryuman on 21/12/2022 - 11:03

      yeah - to make bland taste better, add sugar, fat or salt

      I've read that in Italy they always add sugar to their espresso because it tastes bitter, because most coffee in Italy is the cheaper robusta beans which taste more bitter compared to the more expensive smoother tasting arabica beans.

    • Qazxswec on 21/12/2022 - 18:40
      +1

      sugar makes bad coffee taste even worse, sugar ruins coffee

  • enzso on 21/12/2022 - 09:59

    I've tried a few different types of beans over the years with subtle differences, but without doubt the biggest difference I've noticed when making coffee at home is the choice of milk. Different brands taste markedly different once heated. Milk in plastic bottles tastes different to milk in cartons. Soy milk may not have such varying characteristics but cows milk certainly does.

    • Hangryuman on 21/12/2022 - 11:07

      in Melbourne I was told the milk fat varied with the seasons - I forget which - and some season provided the best milk fat for foaming a cappuccino (remember those?)

  • pos on 21/12/2022 - 10:38

    Buy some good 0.1g scales. It wont matter if you have a good grinder or machine if you can't correctly and consistently dose you coffee. It's necessary for all coffee brew methods. Acaia is often recommended. On the plus side you can also use them for cooking, homebrewing and drug cutting - which is handy since Acaia scales are expensive.

    Also, probably the cheapest way to make good coffee is a pour over rather than espresso. You can buy the gear for next to nothing ar Daiso: https://www.tekkaus.com/2021/03/pour-over-coffee-daiso-coffe…

  • Hangryuman on 21/12/2022 - 11:01

    if you've gone this far with wanktastic accoutrements, then you could try lining up at your local coffee roasters to buy their special beans, wait the recommended period for offgassing, then go your head

  • sakurashu on 21/12/2022 - 12:55

    That's a good coffee machine but remember it only has one boiler! So if you steam milk using the wand on the dedica it will be too hot to then brew coffee; make sure to make your coffee first and not after frothing!

    Given the espresso machine is good, make sure you have it descaled every so often and then get better beans/a better grinder. Also make sure to give your grinder a bit of a clean every so often or you'll have oil buildups. Aldi coffee medium roast is probably the best of theirs but it's pretty mediocre compared to some of the amazing coffee we can get here in aus

    • keejoonc on 21/12/2022 - 16:52
      +1

      It's a bit of a stretch calling Deloghi Dedica a good coffee machine.

    • Benicio on 21/12/2022 - 20:28

      in now way is that machine 'good'.

    • sakurashu on 22/12/2022 - 00:05

      Oh yeah? Have you used one? What would you recommend instead at the low price point? I'm biased in that I don't care about the wand but otherwise I disagree

  • missmelb on 21/12/2022 - 18:38

    It's both the grinder and beans. A good grinder provides the best even consistency, and beans matter. There's an optimal range for the beans in terms of roast, freshness and type.

    Have you tried grabbing some beans from some of the places you go to and trying those out or even ask them to grind some for you to start with so you get the best of both worlds.

    Once you taste the difference, you can then upgrade one or the other first to get a better coffee.

    And, a lot of people recommend salt as the first go to to make a coffee less bitter. It might be worth trying that with your current setup to see if it can get you through until you do the above. :)

  • Wt133 on 21/12/2022 - 20:51

    Have you tried the bushels instant coffee? I find it’s better than the coffee pods and much cheaper in the long run. Also get the instant sachets from supermarkets to make macho or dirty chai and can get the different coffee mate flavours in you want. Even use a milk frother and it’s better than most coffee shops

  • drprox on 21/12/2022 - 23:08

    I've tried plenty of beans and the aldi dark roast is my go to. I won't claim it's the world's best but it's proper dark roast (so much medium roast out there), fresh all the time and so cheap. I got a new grinder which has helped but it was good before too.

  • dwillia on 22/12/2022 - 06:29

    how do you control the extraction time?

    I have a Delonghi La Specialista Prestigio that I recently bought to replace a fully automatic machine that I wasn't happy with

  • Waltervp on 27/12/2022 - 18:41

    I would try less water. Half the water and do two shot.

  • Daniel Plainview on 28/12/2022 - 16:54

    Where's the poll option for 'improve user technique' - as thats almost certainly the weakest link in the chain. As evidenced by the fact the OP states they don't know how a better grinder improves the end coffee result.

    I'd brush up on your knowledge and brewing prep technique as I suspect they're the cheapest ones to fix and will still be the issue with better beans, machines etc.

    • Tunblor on 30/12/2022 - 13:50

      Very polite "get gud" - may use it myself when necessary.

  • Ryk on 30/12/2022 - 13:51

    add a teaspoon or two of condensed milk

  • Waltervp on 31/12/2022 - 09:59

    Seriously, if you are using the right grind, try less water. Make smaller shots, start with half the volume you're using now. Can maybe buy some espresso ground coffee to compare just to make sure your grinder is setup right (although you should be able to tell just get a 250g bag for a test).

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