I like bitter coffee, anyone else?

[RagingRazor]

Does anyone else like bitter coffee? I like the way Maxwell House regular coffee taste, even more than more expenseive whole bean brands I have bought. When I drink coffee that is smooth with no bitterness, I fell like it doesn't have enough flavor.

I bought a can of French Market Coffee and Chcory to try it out, because it is supposed to be really non-bitter and it has no taste to me.

 

[vitaman]

I wouldn't say I like bitter coffee, but I do love me some strong coffee. I think there is a fine line between bitter and strong.

 

[calcustom]

I wouldn't say I like bitter coffee, but I do love me some strong coffee. I think there is a fine line between bitter and strong.

+1 Well said.

 

[mdunn]

I wouldn't say I like bitter coffee, but I do love me some strong coffee. I think there is a fine line between bitter and strong.

+2

I like strong coffee, its on the 'bitter' side, but not so bitter it eliminates the delicious coffee flavours

 

[bradyarz]

Does anyone else like bitter coffee

if you make a pot of french press coffee, it continues to get more and more bitter until it is considered "expired" and no longer considered drinkable, which takes about a half hour or so. i usually brew it and pour it right away, but you could always try leaving it for another 15-20 minutes. it just keeps getting stronger and stronger in the pot, since it's brewing almost like a tea.

 

[MMCCX]

bitter, but not acidic, for me. like good chocolate. nice counterpoint as i usually have honey as part of my breakfast.

 

[GFlanagan3]

+2

I like strong coffee, its on the 'bitter' side, but not so bitter it eliminates the delicious coffee flavours

+3 strong and bitter are not the same..strong coffee also has a strong flavor coming through but is often not bitter at all

 

[LagerLover]

Sometimes the "American Style" coffee is just what you want. I still love Denny's Restaurant coffee.

 

[chainfire]

This reminds me of the old joke... I like my coffee like I like my women, bitter and cold.

 

[Jim]

I am guessing what you are after is acidity. Coffee that is low in acidity can be flat and lifeless. If you can find a coffee house that has some dry processed African beans you will quickly see the difference.

 

[dfoster]

Bitter.....hmmmmm. Nah, not bitter, but I can easily reheat and quaff a good two-day old brew.

 

[RagingRazor]

Sometimes the "American Style" coffee is just what you want. I still love Denny's Restaurant coffee.

Yes indeed, Denny's restaurant coffee is great, alot of dinner coffees are good I think, maybe its just psychological, but I always wanted to get dinner coffee in one of those thick heavy cups for home consumption.

 

[RagingRazor]

I am guessing what you are after is acidity. Coffee that is low in acidity can be flat and lifeless. If you can find a coffee house that has some dry processed African beans you will quickly see the difference.

will try, thanks.

 

[Jasonian]

A few criticisms of the direction this thread has taken. Nothing personal, but I hate seeing misinformation being thrown around.

1. Strength and Bitterness have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with each other. Strength is a function of the coffee/water ratio. Bitterness is a function of extraction or roasting. If coffee is overextracted or overroasted, it will taste bitter.

2. On chocolate. "Good" chocolate will exhibit all sorts of flavors from the entire palate spectrum. From sparklingly acidic to pleasantly bitter and a little earthy. Comparing chocolate and coffee makes a lot of sense.. when done accurately.

Full flavor doesn't come from over-extraction or bad roasting. It comes from good quality green coffee, a good roast profile that matches the coffee well, and fresh coffee ground just before using (and roasted in recent memory).

Stale coffee will taste flat. Every time.

 

[Thebigspendur]

Bitterness is considered a very serious defect in coffee and as others have said has nothing to do with the strength of it. But I guess there are those who like bitterness the same as there are those who would prefer some ripple over a fine wine.

 

[Pauldog]

Supposedly, bitterness is reduced considerably by using the cold press method. It takes a much longer setup time, but you get a large amount of cold coffee concentrate which you can keep for several days, and reconstitute a cup at a time with hot water. No special equipment required, though many places have plenty of that for sale.

 

[Ferannia]

bitter, but not acidic, for me. like good chocolate. nice counterpoint as i usually have honey as part of my breakfast.

That's my preference too, if by bitter we mean no sweetener added. I like aromatic blends on a sweet side, not acidic, with minimum sugar.
One of really good coffees I tried is so called "Dessert" from Holland's company "Douwe Egberts". But, since it is unavailable in my city, every year in December before holidays I order online couple of bags. Their "Black Cat" rocks too.
All my brews are made through a filter, or in an ancient manner of preparing aromatic brews I learned while being in Balkans.

 

[gurana]

This reminds me of the old joke... I like my coffee like I like my women, bitter and cold.

...also with a spoon in them.

 

[thebikingengineer]

I've found that using more bean and extracting for less time (or at a lower temperature depending on the bean) gives me a better cup with bolder flavors and without excess harness (through bitterness, acidity, or off-flavors). I also find that darker roasts and blends usually like faster extraction methods (Aeropress, pourover, espresso) where single origins and light roasts generally like to be made in the press or with a cupping technique.

The best bet is to try a few different things changing one variable at a time until you find what works best for you, and always use fresh-roasted beans when you can. Your water is different from mine and that makes a huge difference in the cup.

 

[airplanedoc]

I like a good cup of chickory from the french market once and a while. Drank a lot of it when I was in College