Food - Drink
The Often Overlooked Reason Your Coffee Tastes Burnt
By KAREN HART
There are many culprits that can lead to coffee that tastes burnt, including the use of stale or over-roasted coffee beans or brewing with water that's too hot. However, even if you mind the quality and temperature of your ingredients, there's one factor you might be overlooking that can still make your coffee overly bitter.
If your coffee tastes burnt, no matter how carefully you brew it, try to remember the last time you cleaned your coffee maker. The Espresso School recommends cleaning your coffee machine daily with warm water and soap, and also deep-cleaning it at least every other month, which will keep build-up and burnt-tasting coffee at bay.
The Home Depot says that you can either use a cleaning solution that's made just for coffee machines, or use a mixture of white vinegar and water. After your daily cup, simply wash any removable parts of your machine using warm, soapy water, and reserve your special cleaning solution or vinegar mixture for deep-cleaning.