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c/coffee-enthusiasts•michaeld48michaeld48•1mo ago

The day my French press made sludge for 2 years before I tried a coarser grind

I was making muddy coffee for years until a barista in Portland watched me pour and said 'dude, your grind looks like dirt.' Switched to a 28 setting on my Encore instead of 14 and now my morning brew actually tastes like coffee instead of sadness. Anyone else have that one dumb mistake they made for way too long?
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4 Comments
simonp76
simonp761mo ago
28 to 14? That's not a grind change, that's a confession.
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hill.margaret
Laughing at the "muddy coffee for years" bit because I did the exact same thing... kept blaming my cheap grinder when really I was just grinding it into dust like a fool. Finally watched a video where some guy said "if it looks like cocoa powder, you've messed up" and it clicked. Now I tell everyone who complains about bitter coffee to just go coarser but they never listen... more good coffee for us I guess.
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sandra_bennett59
Oh man, the cocoa powder comparison is what finally got through to me too. @simonp76 probably has a point about that grind change confession thing but honestly I've been there so I can't judge. Told my husband for months that my coffee was "just naturally bitter" and he finally brought me a cup from a cafe and was like "see the difference?" Pretty humbling moment ngl. Now I'm that person who brings a bag of beans to parties and tells everyone their coffee could be better but I try to keep it to myself most of the time.
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grays13
grays131mo ago
Too fine a grind and you're basically just making hot chocolate with caffeine.
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