Why my home brewed coffee does not taste as I wanted it to ?

It is not unusual for a cup of home brewed coffee not to match the standards we have about enjoying coffee, even if we think that we have followed faitfully all the required steps. The aroma is not intense, the taste is not what we would like, the beverage is dull or cloudy and generally our coffee is pretty far from what we had in our mind. The reasons that can spoil home brewed coffee are usually the following.

• Coffee is not stored properly: We should not forget that coffee is a natural product which, in order to preserve its properties (flavor, aroma, nutrients), must be stored under the proper conditions. We  have to make our coffee purchases from a coffee shop that we trust, in order to make sure our coffee is stored in conditions that meet the proper storage requirements. After buying our coffee,  we should keep it in a shady, cool place, inside a container or pouch that seals hermetically - oxygen can slowly oxidize our coffee, altering its taste.

• Οur equipment is poorly cleaned: A dirty coffee milling machine or a coffee machine that is not regularly cleaned can damage even the best coffee blend. The biggest enemy of our household equipment is the calcium salts that accumulate in the coffee makers and alter the flavor and aroma of coffee. A simple solution is the thorough washing of the equipment with water and vinegar, but we can easily find specialized equipment for cleaning coffee machines and grinders at a very low cost so that we get to enjoy our home brewed coffee without worrying about our equipment.

• Hard water (or inappropriate water in general): The final flavor of coffee, apart from the blend we use and our equipment, depends on the other basic ingredient we will use: water. If the water in our area is "hard" (ie high in calcium or magnesium), our coffee can get a "metallic" aftertaste that will overshadow the rest of the coffee aromas. If the tap water in our area is not good, a good idea would be to use  tap water. Do not forget that in a cup of coffee, 99% is water - so it should be of similar quality to our coffee blend.

• We are newcomers in the coffee world : In recent years, our coffee habits have changed a lot. Where, a few years ago, the range of choices was extremely limited, we now have a wide range of varieties, flavors, aromas and manufacturing methods. A consumer who makes his first steps in the magical world of quality coffee should not be afraid to explore new flavors, and new ways of making coffee, in order to shape his personal taste. Testing different flavors and different preparations can be an exciting journey.