Terrible take away coffee again

jackboy

It seems most of the time I get a take away coffee it is close to undrinkable. Got one today from a top class bakery, thought surely they would do coffee decent when the food is so good. It was so bitter I could not drink it.

I don’t drink coffee that often but most take away coffees I get has an unpleasant bitter taste. Is coffee supposed to be bitter? I find instant and nespresso style machine coffee fine and doesn’t have this bitter flavour. Is it just me or is coffee supposed to be really bitter?

jonnreeks

Most takeaway coffee is not the best option, I believe its up to the management and how they run their business. If you get it to drink in house, at least you can go back up to the counter complain and demand a replacement. Most times when you get a takeaway you leave and hardly ever go back.

I think a lot of business play on this aspect!

alec76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058300283/terrible-take-away-coffee-again

I would say that Nespresso or god forbid instant coffee much worse than ANY take away coffee.

There is a chance that coffee you’ve tried as bad as Nespresso, but with more intense taste.

Biggest difference between Nespresso and Take away is dosing.

Nespresso pod has 3-5 gram coffee and take away 14-18 gram coffee in a cup . Nespresso generally just more diluted and you might not feel horrible taste as much.

ps. I prefer coffee with fruity taste.

Most of Ethiopian beans taste almost as blueberry for instance.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120702498#Comment_120702498

Maybe that’s it. So coffee is supposed to be really bitter? To me that seems to be the overwhelming flavour although now and again I have gotten a take away coffee that’s fine for me, maybe those were just less strong.

alec76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120702534#Comment_120702534

Coffee could be sweet and fruity as coffee bean is a seed of a fruit tree, similar to cherry.

walterking

The older Nespresso pods are 5-5.5g depending on the variety you have.

The vertuo pods ranges from 6g to 12.5g and give a decent cup of coffee for most people.

Some coffee "aficionados" abhor anything other than hand picked hand roasted over priced "artisan" beans with the coffee made via some €10-20k machine resulting in €6 cup of coffee.

You have similar with red wine and this type has even spilt over into whiskey / whisky.

Fair play to them for enjoying a specialist area of the subject, but it's of no consequence to the normal consumer.

Takeaway black coffee will be fairly bitter as most people have a milk version which softens the bitterness.

If you can find a decent Italian style cafe serving illy coffee, that probably will be something you will enjoy.

Goldengirl

You can get your coffee more diluted

I don't like the bitter taste of espresso but love a cappuccino or a latte. In both cases you are getting a more dilute 'dose'.

The strong flavour of an espresso is not for everyone.

AyeGer

Caffeine is bitter

Hodors Appletart

Most takeaway coffee is made too hot and the grinds are burnt as a result, which gives the acrid flavour, also some places may be using a blend that uses the cheaper, worse tasting Robusta beans, and further to that many places are using a dark roast blend, which also has a more bitter, burnt flavour profile.

For these reasons then, people add all manner of milk, sugar, sweetened creams, syrups - basically fat and refined sugars - to mask the bitterness.

Drinking coffee black from these places is going to be a bad time.

ablelocks

I've pretty much stopped getting take away coffee anywhere. at a push, i might get one in a proper coffee shop, but never again from a service station or a shop

Flaneur OBrien

It annoys me that coffee made by a machine is the same price as made by a barista.

Its always worse from a machine, and the company don’t have wages of a barista to cover.

Hodors Appletart

McDonalds takeaway coffee is legit some of the best from a chain, it never tastes burnt.

breeno

Can't believe I'm typing this as it's from a machine but I find the Braeburn coffee in Applegreen to be absolutely lovely.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058300283/terrible-take-away-coffee-again

As a follow on to this, I was in the US recently and none of the coffee I got had the bitter flavour that is widespread here. I genuinely liked it.

Mr Magnolia

The bitterness is coming from over extraction, too much water coming through the puck. That and old, burnt, robusta beans.

inyoup

I was also getting annoyed with poor quality of takeaway coffee - about a year ago I got a coffee machine that grinds the coffee and frohs the milk - the coffee is so nice I am unable to get coffee when I'm out and about - it is just never as nice. The machine was like 600 euro, but I'd say it saved me at least 300 euro already.

I get organic milk and 100% single origin arabica coffee beans from Lidl (2.79 for 270g pack) and I couldn't be happier ..

Also they do Brasil, Ethiopia and Colombia so I only get Colombia one due to political reasons 😁

Mr Magnolia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824478#Comment_120824478

Good to hear. You should treat yourself to a bag of coffee from 3FE , CoffeeAnglel or the like.

apogee87

When there is a problem with coffee it is usually the water. What i mean stagnant water sitting in a hot water storage tank where the hot water sits. These boilers need to be thoroughly cleaned every few months. if its freshly made with expresso machine it should be fine.

z80CPU

Depends on:

Brand of Coffee being sold: Frank & Honest : Flunk & Poorest

My nearest circle K has regular-ish from the self service coffee machine service agent who comes in a van. And not Frank & honest brand like the other circle k petrol station just outside Rathfarnham.

I believe when a petrol station is in the middle of nowhere they will exploit the fact that they have a captive audience who will take whatever mucky tar coffee is on offer by the over worked machine which hasn't been serviced in 2 million years. Irish attitude to customer service

Mr Magnolia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824504#Comment_120824504

So nasty wine is because the vineyard aren't using fresh water to cultivate the vine?

Arthur Pants

Petrol station coffee being compared to wine production now? Jesus, that's a stretch.

Mr Magnolia

You not good with metaphors, no?

Arthur Pants

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824587#Comment_120824587

No, just calling out the BS

Mr Magnolia

Even if it wasn't a metaphor (which it absolutly is) you should check out the similarities between coffee and wine. No neither a stretch or BS.

Arthur Pants

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824602#Comment_120824602

Petrol station coffee. Right. Cop on.

Mr Magnolia

The thread is about takeaway coffee. Please refrain from further off topic posting

ablelocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824618#Comment_120824618

ah, who are you to tell Arthur Pants to "refrain from "off topic posting"?

you're the one who introduced wine in a thread about coffee.

Antipathetic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824576#Comment_120824576

Actually yes wine quality and taste can be affected by the quality of the water. The vine receives so for the best quality wine you need good quality water.

Here are a few ways in which water quality can affect the taste of grapes:

1. Mineral Content: The mineral composition of water, specifically the levels of certain ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, can affect the taste of grapes. These minerals can be absorbed by the grapevine's roots and subsequently influence the flavor profile of the grapes. Different mineral concentrations can contribute to variations in taste, acidity, and sweetness.

2. pH Levels: The pH of water used for irrigation can impact the acidity of grapes. If the water has a high pH (alkaline), it can potentially increase the pH of the soil and subsequently affect the acidity of the grapes. Changes in acidity can influence the overall taste perception of the grapes.

3. Salinity: High levels of salts in water, such as sodium chloride or calcium carbonate, can negatively impact grapevine growth and grape quality. Salinity can lead to osmotic stress, reducing water uptake by the plant and affecting the flavor, texture, and sugar-to-acid balance of the grapes. Excessive salt accumulation can also result in a salty or bitter taste in the grapes.

4. Contaminants: Water contaminated with certain substances, such as heavy metals, pesticides, or organic pollutants, can be absorbed by the grapevines and subsequently affect grape quality and taste. Contaminants may impart off-flavors or alter the chemical composition of the grapes, leading to undesirable taste characteristics.

5. Microbial Presence: Water quality issues, such as the presence of harmful bacteria or pathogens, can impact the health of grapevines. Infections or diseases caused by waterborne microorganisms can affect grape development and quality, ultimately influencing taste.

It is worth noting that grapevines have different tolerances and preferences for water quality parameters depending on the grape variety, rootstock, and specific growing conditions. Optimal water management practices, including appropriate irrigation methods and monitoring water quality, are essential to ensure the best grape quality and flavor.

Any further questions, feel free to consult ChatGPT

Mr Magnolia

I despair.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120827505#Comment_120827505

If you've a problem with moderation, take it to feedback.

Bawnmore

I stopped buying coffee from places I don't know a long time ago - 90% of the time it's just setting yourself up for disappointment. Petrol stations are an extreme case of this, but I find coffee in most bars/restaurants and even cafes to be a bit shite most of the time. I've always put it down to how much a particular place cares about it, but I could be completely wrong. What I mean by that is that a place is putting real effort into the things that make a good coffee because that's their thing - fresh beans from a good roaster, well trained baristas, fine tuning shots periodically etc.

Or I could just be a giant pain in the hole, equally possible.

Hodors Appletart

you can tell by the smell in a cafe or restaurant whether or not the coffee is going to be good.

The smell of burnt coffee is very noticeable