If you’re looking to start making your own high quality coffee at home using a machine, then you’re going to want to avoid the mistakes that most amateurs make. You can just throw the coffee in the machine, add water and press a button, but taking a little more care with it will result in a tastier coffee that delights your taste buds – not to mention your guests! 

Here are a few coffee mistakes that most amateurs make:

Buying Low Quality Filters For Your Machine

There aren’t that many options out there when it comes to filters, but buying cheap, low quality filters will usually result in a coffee that simply doesn’t taste as nice. There are options you can purchase that will result in a more rich flavor, so you may want to invest in these if you want the best taste possible from your brew. Even if you have a cheap coffee maker, if you have good filters, you can make great coffee.

Not Keeping Your Machine Clean

Keeping your machine clean sounds simple enough, but you should be cleaning it after every use – not just once a week, like many machine owners! Leaving used coffee grounds in the filter holder can result in a build-up of waste and coffee oils inside the machine. Not only that, if you leave it and forget about it for a few days, the used coffee can grow mold! The last thing you want to do is drink mold spores. Your machine will take longer to clean the longer you leave it, so try to give it a quick once over after each use and you’ll ensure the performance is still great, too. So it is a good idea to invest in good quality cleaning tools like a grinder brush to help you clean up easier after each use.

If you want to reduce build up of thick coffee sludge and ensure your machine works to full capacity, keep it clean. 

Buying Ground Coffee Without Paying Attention To The Flavors 

You can buy all kinds of ground coffee. There are literally hundreds of flavors and types out there. There’s French coffee, Italian coffee, African coffee, coffee with citrus flavors, coffee with chocolate flavors – you name it! You may not be a coffee connoisseur yet, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experiment with high quality brands like Black Rifle to get the best flavor. Smelling the coffee to get a feel for the aroma should also help you to get an idea of what you might like. 

Using The Incorrect Coffee To Water Ratio

Of course it should be based on your preferences, but many experts recommend two tablespoons of coffee grounds with six ounces of water. Many people use the incorrect coffee to water ratio and wonder why it doesn’t taste right! 

Using Old Grounds

Once you have opened a bag of coffee, you should follow the instructions to keep it fresh and avoid leaving it for too long without drinking it. Unfortunately, once you have opened it you will need to make sure you drink it within a week or two! 

Using Poor Quality Water

It’s always better to use filtered water rather than tap water with contaminants in it for your perfect brew!