Coffee Making advise

[heath dog]

Here's the scoop and any help would definitely be appreciated!!

I bought my DH a Mr Coffee 8 cup coffee maker for Christmas that got good reviews. He likes coffee with creamer. I bought him packs of Starbucks medium roast coffee, many different flavors of liquid creamer to go along with it. We have since switched to all naturals basket type filters and jugs of drinking water thinking that it was possibly our well water.

The problem you ask? (hopefully you are still interested)

It is so bitter tasting no matter how much creamer he uses or only good if he uses about half a bottle of liquid creamer. It has almost a burnt taste and smell. He has adjusted the amount of coffee he puts in the machine too.
This is the same brand of Starbucks that he uses at work with great results.

What are we doing wrong or did I buy a bad product? I myself like fluffy drinks so I know nothing about this.

 

[Pop Daddy]

one scoop per 8 onces is the normal, are you doing that

 

[Chuck S]

Even at Starbucks different batches of coffee can taste differently. Maybe this batch has a higher caffeine content, making it more bitter. Try mixing it with a milder roast.

 

[oxfordcircus]

did you buy whole beans or ground? Maybe you have some old grounds. Try buying beans and a grinder ($15) with an adjustable setting. Also, some bottled water has a very strong flavor.

 

[Frantasmic]

all naturals basket type filters

This is the brown type, right? I think that is your problem.
Switch to the bleached, white ones. I know it doesn't sound
right, but I bet you will notice an improvement in flavor.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Every once in a while, I have to run a vinegar cycle through my coffee maker just to clean it out. 1 cup of vinegar to 3 cups water (mine is a 4-cup since it's just me), then I do 2 full pots of just water. I only have to do it once every month or two.

 

[Mrs. T-i-double-g-er]

DH and I recently went through the same experience. We were highly disappointed with Starbucks coffee made at home. We started trying everything we could. He liked some, I liked some. We finally decided that we both like Don Francisco, which you can buy in a can at the grocery store.

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

I have trouble brewing Starbucks at home too. Too strong. I cut it w/ my Kona coffee from Trader Joe's, and it is much much better.

BTW- Try the Kona coffee from Trader Joes- its awsome.

 

[famofsix]

I have the same coffee maker I got it for Christmas. My problem is that is in not as hot as I like it. Try a mr. coffee white filter and I do 2 TBSP per cup.
I also use whole beans. You could try adding a pinch of salt to the grounds before you brew, that sometimes takes the bitter out.

 

[heath dog]

Wow these are really helpful! I will be showing these to DH tonight.
As far as filters, we had the white ones til yesterday and so that doesn't seem to change.

 

[bicker]

Bitter coffee comes from using too much water / too few coffee grounds. It's often a consequence of people trying to adjust for a coffee which is too bold for their tastes... in trying to dillute it, all they're doing is leeching coffee grounds way past the point when the bitterness comes out. If coffee is too strong for your taste, you want to add hot water to the coffee in your cup... don't add more water to the coffee maker.

Another driver of bitter coffee is lower quality beans (but that's not the case with Starbucks.)

Starbucks offers a very specific type of roast for its signature coffees, providing a more robust flavor. Some folks mistakenly think that is bitterness, but it is actually the appropriate flavor for such dark roasted coffee. By comparison, some other coffee roasters offer a comparatively less flavorful roast, but is the favorite of people who prefer that kind of coffee.

The color of the filters make no difference. What does make a difference is whether you use a paper filter versus a reusable mesh filter. The latter offers stronger flavor, since it allows many more of the coffees essential oils to get through. By the same token, again, it is a matter of personal taste. Some people prefer the comparatively weaker coffee flavor, and "cleaner" coffee, you get from paper filters.

For a great intro resource on coffee, check out the Trew Brew episode of Good Eats.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am a coffee lover but I don't like Starbucks unless I'm at the Dolphin. I would try another brand of coffee. For 8 cups, I would use about 3 1/2 - 4 scoops which will yield a nice pot, not too strong, not too weak. Give it a try.

P.S. I make the coffee at work. Sometimes I use brown paper towels if we're out of filters. Still good, everyone likes my coffee.

 

[arminnie]

A cold drip coffee maker really does a great job in removing bitterness. It's fairly common in LA. A friend gave me one when I commented on how great her coffee was.

Starbucks uses good beans, but they are so huge now that there literally is not enough of the best beans for them to use. I like Allegro much better.
http://www.allegrocoffee.com/page.php/contentID/68

http://www.thecajunconnection.com/toddy.html


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]General Information[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The Toddy Maker is a simple device that uses cold water and a carefully designed filter system to produce an exceptionally pure coffee concentrate from ground coffee. Cold water brewing extracts the desirable flavor elements, but eliminates many of the undesirable oils and acids found in hot brewed coffee that are not soluble at low temperatures. Cold brewed coffee tastes smoother and is easier on the stomach. Toddy coffee has been recommended by doctors to their patients who are sensitive to the acid in hot brewed coffee.[/SIZE][/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The original Toddy Maker consists of a plastic brewing container with a plug and filter at the bottom. One pound of regular grind coffee and nine cups of cold water are added and allowed to steep for eight to twelve hours. The plug is then removed and the resulting concentrate is allowed to drain through the filter into a glass carafe which is also provided. The grounds are then disposed of (they make good compost) and the filter rinsed thoroughly.[/SIZE][/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The concentrate must be refrigerated. To make a cup of hot coffee simply mix one part concentrate with three parts water and heat in the microwave. To make iced coffee mix one part concentrate with three parts water and serve over ice. The concentrate is good for about three weeks in the refrigerator and can be frozen for several months.[/SIZE][/FONT]​

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[heath dog]

This is all very interesting and helpful!!! Keep it coming if you don't mind!! Thank you!!

 

[GraysMom]

I've heard of people putting ground cinnamon in with their coffee grounds, but I'm not sure why .

 

[bicker]

Finely ground cinnamon (like you'd find in spice jars) makes coffee bitter. Coarsely ground cinnamon gives coffee a wonderful flavor of coffee... many coffee roasters have "Cinnamon Coffee" as one of their most popular flavored coffee flavors. As a matter of fact, right now Green Mountain Coffee's website is out of stock on their wonderful Fair Trade Organic Viennese Cinnamon coffee.

I use my coffee bean grinder to grind sticks of cinnamon. I only grind them for a few pulses -- I definitely don't want powder!