- Over- or under-roasting: Coffee that is roasted too long or too short may have a burnt or underdeveloped taste.
- Rancidity: If coffee beans are stored longer than necessary, this can lead to rancidity, which results in an undesirable taste.
- Bitterness: Bitterness can be caused by over-extraction of coffee if the water is too hot or the coffee is brewed for too long.
- Acidity: An overly acidic taste in coffee can be caused by excessive fermentation or too long storage.
- Sweetness: An unpleasantly sweet taste in the coffee may be due to an infestation of pests or excessive fermentation.
- Saltiness: Salty coffee can be caused by insufficient cleaning of machines or coffee makers.
- Flat cup: A flat cup of coffee can be due to a lack of freshness or insufficiently roasted coffee.
These defects can occur individually or in combination and can affect the taste and quality of the coffee. To minimise coffee defects, it is important that coffee beans are properly processed, stored, roasted and prepared.
See our Brew Guides for help on how to brew coffee properly.
