Why is some coffee bitter?

by Judi
(Salisbury, Md.)

QUESTION:

I am a big coffee drinker. I always thought bitter coffee is the result of how much chicory is in it? Is this true or false? And if not then why would some brands of freshly brewed taste like that?

Thanks for your help,
Judi

ANSWER:

Judi, hi

I'm not sure what kind of coffee you are buying. Beans? Fresh ground? Instant?

While some instant coffees include chicory, fresh-ground coffee beans do not.

Adding chicory to coffee is popular in some parts of Europe and in Louisiana. And you can buy instant coffees with chicory included almost anywhere if you look hard enough.

But generally speaking, coffee contains nothing but coffee. I dare say that over 99% of the coffee purchased in North America doesn't contain chicory. And if it does, it will say so on the label.

So why is your coffee bitter?

The commonest cause of bitterness is when the hot water remains in contact with the ground coffee for too long. This happens most often with percolators, where the water is moved through the coffee grinds again and again.

Also, some coffees which are dark roasted can have a slightly burned edge to the taste which many people associate with bitterness.

My advice is to try some fresh ground, medium roasted beans. And use a drip brewer or a French press for brewing.

I hope this helps a little.