Aeropress Coffee Mystery! Help!

[JMcrooks]

I've had an aeropress since last december. It's worked beautifully for me this whole year, making sweet, robust shots out of pretty ordinary beans.

However..... MYSTERY STRUCK

About two months ago, all my coffee started to turn out bitter. And I mean ALL my coffee. Not just our regular beans, but any beans we buy. High quality or low. I've tried varying the temperature of the water I use to brew, I've tried using distilled water from the grocery store, I've thoroughly cleaned the Aeropress itself, my grinder, the coffee canisters....

I recently de-mineralized my electric kettle, and I don't remember if that's when my bitterness started. But is there any possibility that might be the case? Can the mineral residue in a kettle affect the taste of coffee so significantly? And conversely, can the LACK of minerals somehow affect the taste of my coffee? My GF believes that the plastic in the aeropress is getting old, and somehow affecting what we taste.

Thanks so much! I am eagerly awaiting a solution to this problem.

 

[PinkRose]

Hello "JMcrooks"

Welcome to the Coffee Forums website.

As an experiment, try heating the water in a pan over the stove instead of the electric kettle. You just need to get it to boil, and by the time you turn off the stove, and remove the pan to pour the water into the aeropress, it will be the right temperature that you need for the coffee.

If there is a difference in the taste of the coffee, then you'll know if the electric kettle is causing the problem.

I wonder if Aeropress customer service could help you solve your mystery. Have you tried giving them a call?

Rose

 

[CCafe]

What were you using for water before when the coffee was tasting so good? If its filtered you may want to check and see if its time for a replacement.

 

[chast]

Try a decent water like Volvic or Fiji. If it still has no taste then I would look at the plastic as being part of the problem. Plastic, unlike glass can absorb over time and transfer bad tastes. I try to stay away from everything that is made from plastic that I eat or drink from. The plastic crucible could be made from glass but it would make the Aeropress quite expensive. JMO

 

[Liquidline]

We had this happen at work with our aeropress - something to do with it being cleaned in the dishwasher I believe and the salt/tablets we used.

 

[thebeantree]

I have had this happen to me before. This may be a stupid question, but are you pressing the AeroPress all the way down or do you leave a little bit room? I've noticed that when I press it all the way down, trying to get all the "juices" out of the coffee, it always turns out bitter. Now I leave a little bit of room after pressing, and I don't get that bitter taste anymore. Hope this helps.