So you bought some coffee beans and a fancy coffee maker. The machine will do all the work, you thought.
 
We can imagine your face as you drink your coffee, which is definitely not the happy face it should have been. In fact, it looks more like you have just eaten bitter gourd.
 
Truly, there is nothing more awful than a bad cup of coffee. It is disappointing on a whole different level.
 
If this sounds familiar to you then you probably want to know why the coffee you made at home doesn’t taste as good as the coffee in a cafe.
 

You’re messing up with the coffee beans

 

The beans haven’t been roasted properly

 
While you may have bought roasted coffee beans from a reputable cafe or store, there may still be a chance that you laid your hands on a bad batch of beans that somehow weren’t roasted properly. Lesson one - improperly roasted beans make bad coffee!

 

Were the coffee beans stale?

 
Unfortunately, what most of us forget to consider is that coffee beans have a short life after they have been roasted. Roasted coffee beans are supposed to be used within three weeks, after that it’s best you toss them in the garbage.
 
Make sure to check the roasting date next time you buy coffee beans, and store them in an airtight container to preserve their freshness.
 

You might have the wrong grind size

 
We may not pay much attention to what size the ground beans are, but your coffee does. The grind shouldn’t be too fine or too coarse. Too fine and your coffee will be bitter, too coarse, and your coffee will be weak.
 
Be sure to get a consistent grind: not too fine, and not too coarse.
 

It’s just bad coffee

 
As much as we don’t want to think about it, there is bad coffee out there somewhere.
 
Life would have been so much better for us coffee lovers if there was just good coffee. But no, life is unfair and some coffee is just plain horrible. Accept it.
 
Next time you buy, check others’ reviews and comments. Better yet, buy samples and check which one is the best for you.
 

Is the water being used correctly?

 

You have the wrong quality of water

 
The quality of water you use to make coffee greatly determines how it tastes. Use of bad water results in bad coffee even though you are doing everything else correctly.
 
Always use good water or mineral water from bottles to ensure good coffee, always.
 

Check the water temperature

 
Is your coffee tasting bad even though you’re using good quality water?
 
One possible cause may be the water temperature - coffee likes its water just right, not too hot, not too cold.
 
Ideally, the water used while brewing should be between 90 and 96 degrees celsius. Anything less than or more than the given range will result in bad coffee.
 

Do you have the correct coffee to water ratio?

 
Many do not pay attention to the coffee-to-water ratio, which not only determines the strength of the coffee, but also its flavor.
 
The amount of water used depends on the strength of coffee and what beverage you are hoping to make. In general, 1gm of coffee with 16gm of water is good to start with.
 
Here’s a chart to help you!

Are you using the right equipment?

 
We all know why your favorite cafe serves the best coffee. Well, it may not be the sole reason but the choice of coffee machines does play an important role in this.
 

When did you last clean it?

 
Would you use utensils that you have eaten daal bhat on (and probably left for days) to eat on it without washing? Obviously not, that’s pretty disgusting.
 
So why would you think that your coffee machine doesn’t need cleaning?
 
Coffee machines require as much cleaning as regular utensils. The coffee residues and other leftovers make the coffee maker dirty and your coffee taste bad.
 

Something wrong with the brewing process?

 

Don’t brew too much at one time

 
Brewing coffee takes time and you are probably brewing a large pot and drinking it slowly during the day. This is a problem because coffee beans have a short lifespan - they are meant to be enjoyed fresh. You’re only making your taste buds suffer horrible coffee because of your laziness.
 
Brew enough for 4 cups at most at one go, you’ll see the difference and your tastebuds will thank you for it!
 

Do you know how to brew your coffee correctly?

 
There’s actually no point in comparing your coffee with that from a cafe when you don’t have the right knowledge or training.
 
Honestly, without knowing the do’s and don’ts of coffee making, your coffee is going to turn out plain and boring, if not bad in most cases.
 
But there’s an easy solution to that!
 

Start your coffee training today!

 
Join the Kaffeine Coffee School and you will never have to drink bad coffee ever again! Go on, you know you want to sign up, because that ‘I-think-I-just-ate-bitter-gourd-instead-of-coffee’ face was a sight of horror and we wish to eliminate it from your system.
 
Give us a call at 977-1-4413425 or visit us at www.kaffeinecoffeeschool.com to find out more.