Mild smooth coffee

[jimbouk]

Looking for some help before I have to buy yet another coffee machine...
Currently have a lovely Krups bean to cup machine that runs on Illy beans. However my wife complains that the coffee tastes bitter and burnt, ‘must be the machine’, it’s a couple of years old and gets a regular clean through.
Had the same issue with a previous Gaggia...

So before we buy another machine can anyone recommend a bean (or can be ground coffee) that is smooth and not bitter? Primarily going to be for cappuccinos.

[S6PNJ]

Whilst the following won't help your quest for a new machine, try adding a few grains of salt (or to taste) to the next cup of coffee. I'd suggest starting with a very small amount and working up to a tiny pinch. It will change the taste considerably and make make it more palatable for your wife. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-...

[jet_noise]

[Truckosaurus]

jimbouk said:

... bitter and burnt...

If you look at cheap coffee beans they are shiny and black, if you look at more expensive beans they are more matte coloured. I assume the cheaper beans get roasted longer to make them seem more flavourful but this also gives more of a burnt flavour.

Perhaps try some better beans (from somewhere like Hasbean or one of many other online suppliers) before buying a new machine.

[Jamessd]

You could try the Illy Ethiopian monoarabica beans. Much smoother than the normal Illy blend.

You used to be able to buy them in larger Waitrose stores, but I haven’t been able to find then for a while, so I’ve had to resort to buying in bulk from amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/illy-Monoarabica-Ethiopia...

[b0rk]

illy classic or illy dark?

Does your machine allow you to alter the grind? A more course grind will produce a less bitter coffee but might make it taste sour/acidic.

[Sheets Tabuer]

Thought coffee was supposed to be bitter?

[Blown2CV]

Sheets Tabuer said:

Thought coffee was supposed to be bitter?

some are sweeter, some tangier and more citrus, but largely yes. Not burnt though.

[devnull]

Taylor’s “lazy Sunday” beans are a very good no frills coffee for everyday “just want a cuppa” use.

[RobbieTheTruth]

Truckosaurus said:

If you look at cheap coffee beans they are shiny and black, if you look at more expensive beans they are more matte coloured. I assume the cheaper beans get roasted longer to make them seem more flavourful but this also gives more of a burnt flavour.

Perhaps try some better beans (from somewhere like Hasbean or one of many other online suppliers) before buying a new machine.

100% correct.

Brands love consistency. The only way to make a coffee bean taste the same is to burn it - otherwise the flavour of the plantation will change season to season.

Any Supermarket bean (including Finest range, or ones that claim to be light/mild) will be burnt. 'Premium' beans (Illy, Taylors of Harrogate etc) are burnt. Chain Coffee (Costa, McDonalds, Nero, Starrbucks - including their new 'blonde' roast) is burnt.

Look at the bean, if it's black and shiny, it's going to be burnt and bitter.

Go to a nice independent that specializes in coffee (not all of these are good - some don't have a clue) and have a look. Expect to pay between £7-£13 a bag. They should look matte, lightish brown. If there is an oily shine, don't get them.

Buy a bag from HasBean online, they are a great starting point.

[RobbieTheTruth]

devnull said:

Taylor’s “lazy Sunday” beans are a very good no frills coffee for everyday “just want a cuppa” use.

No offence, and I agree to a certain degree.

It's a bang-average, over roasted bean - more enjoyable than most supermarket beans but a mile off someone like HasBean or even Pact.

[InductionRoar]

I have previously tried beans from Rave, Darkwoods, coffeebeanshop and am currently using Pebble and Pine. No remarkable difference between them, although I like the fact that Pebble and Pine enable you to choose between medium and dark roast on the same beans - the others tend to roast them how they see fit.

I only buy medium roast beans for the reasons outlined above.

[PistonBroker]

I see you're in the South West OP.

If you happen to be anywhere near Wellington then dropping in to Brazier - https://www.braziercoffeeroasters.co.uk/ - and chatting to Tom there could well be worthwhile.

[knk]

Do you have a cat?

Try feeding the raw beans to your cat, then collecting their stool and processing that for coffee.

Apparently incomparable in taste.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak

[RobbieTheTruth]

knk said:

Do you have a cat?

Try feeding the raw beans to your cat, then collecting their stool and processing that for coffee.

Apparently incomparable in taste.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak

I've had it. They simply over-roasted the beans unfortunately, so it was burnt

[feef]

HasBean has a good selection of coffees you can try, but isn't the cheapest.

My go-to coffee is Lavazza Red, but I do find the Lavazza Oro/gold is milder and smoother, so maybe worth a try

[RobbieTheTruth]

knk said:

Do you have a cat?

Try feeding the raw beans to your cat, then collecting their stool and processing that for coffee.

Apparently incomparable in taste.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak

I've had it. They simply over-roasted the beans unfortunately, so it was burnt

[captain_cynic]

Sheets Tabuer said:

Thought coffee was supposed to be bitter?

Hell no, good coffee shouldn't be bitter, Americans seem to be terrible at making coffee as it's always so bitter.

Head south of the border, keep going south (and up a few thousand feet) and you'll hit proper coffee country where coffee can be smooth and strong. Juan Valdez will do at a pinch but if you're in Medellin I'd recommend a place called Pergamino.

But as a trip to South America isn't in everyone's budget, look at decent beans from HasBean as others have suggested, also the Colombian single source beans from M&S have been pretty good for me as have the Sainsburys Fairtrade beans but I've only had them once.

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/sai...

Cant find a link to the M&S ones.

Also, you might want to see if you can set the machine to use a smaller volume of coffee (might mean you have double shots whilst the wife has single shots).

[croyde]

I've just started using a Taylors coffee bean with praline. Very smooth and I can actually drink it black.

I add honey to sweeten. Just cheap squeezy stuff.

[Blown2CV]

coffee is meant to have a very distinctive taste. It isn't really meant to be like a super-grande mocha-frappa latte or a some kind of brown water travelodge hot chocolate sachet.

Tasting notes for half decent coffee often include berries, citrus fruits, dark chocolate, ginger, these type of things... it is intended to be that type of taste. If you think it's meant to taste like nescafe made with loads of milk then maybe you don't actually like coffee??