Bitter is a taste sensation. So is sweet, sour, salty, and umami.

Bitter is common in coffee. It is overpowering in bad coffee but is an essential taste in a well-balanced brew. It will always be there, pleasantly so if the coffee is brewed correctly.

Your brewing technique and recipe are weapons you can wield in the battle to bring bitterness under control. You just need to know how to use them to your advantage.

The two main influences of unpleasant bitterness relate to strength and extraction.

Strength relates to how much dissolvable coffee has made its way into the brewing water. If there’s too much coffee dissolved in the water, we taste it as too strong. And sometimes, that excess strength can taste bitter. That’s because of the caffeine which tastes bitter.

The quick way to check if this is the cause is to dilute the coffee a little by adding more water. Check the taste to see if it has softened. If overly strong coffee is the source of bitterness, use less coffee grounds in your subsequent brew.

The other possible cause is extraction. Extraction relates to the development of flavour and taste during brew time.

The roasted nature of coffee beans means there is a roast-y bitterness present. This becomes more prevalent if the brew time runs too long. An option is to shorten your brew time.

Another influencing factor is the grind size. Finer grinds extract quicker, easily allowing the roasted bitter flavors out of the coffee grounds and into the final coffee. Shorten the brew time as an option if you use pre-ground coffee. Or eliminate some or all agitation during the brewing period. If you can adjust the grind size, try a larger grind setting while maintaining the brew time and agitation. 

Darker roasts also give off charred, bitter flavors easily. The same rules apply, try a larger grind or a shorter brew time, or eliminate some agitation if it is a part of your process.

Always pick one aspect to change at a time, don’t make multiple changes at once.

If an attempt fails, and you don’t mind a bit of milk and sugar in your coffee, then dull the taste and try again another day.

Making these incremental changes is by no means a loss. You will be honing your brewing technique and recipes while improving your tasting abilities.

Coffee should be enjoyable. It should not frustrate you. So, if you find yourself stuck with bad brews and can’t figure out why, check out our website for articles on troubleshooting troublesome brews.