Here’s Why Your Nespresso Tastes Bitter. Do This to Fix It 

Your Nespresso tastes bitter, right? 

It’s happened to me a couple of times in the past I read a bunch of online resources on the topic and  I run different experiments to really find out the reason behind it. Stick around, in this article, I’d like to share with you all the important findings of my research. 

Let’s kick off. 

6 Reasons that make your Nespresso taste bitter 

Let’s go over the most common reasons your Nespresso taste bitter. 

Expired or reused pods

In case you haven’t noticed Nespresso pods have an expiration date, meaning that if you brew with expired pods the taste of your coffee is going to be weird and bitter. Nespresso pods typically last around 2 years, if you have kept them in your cupboard longer than that, it’s high time to get rid of them and buy new ones. 

Another reason your Nespresso coffee might taste bitter is when you reuse pods. That’s a great way to save money and you can read here how to go about refilling Nespresso pods. But if you don’t wash them thoroughly and follow a clear step-by-step process, the odds are bacteria will spread all over your pod, spoiling the taste of your coffee. 

Use of 3rd party capsules

I get it, it’s cheaper to buy 3rd party capsules. Since Nespresso pods cost between $0.8 to $2.0 I can’t really blame you, for opting for 3rd party capsules, I do it myself too (especially when they are on offer). But let’s get real, the coffee they produce isn’t as delicious and aromatic as Nespresso pods, simply because Nespresso pods are specifically manufactured for Nespresso machines. 

Like I said, there’s nothing wrong in buying 3rd party pods every now and again to save some bucks, but if you really can’t make compromises on your coffee I suggest sticking to Nespresso pods. 

Over-extracting coffee

One of the most common reasons for breaking bitter coffee irrespective of the machine or gadgets you use for brewing is over-extraction. 

What Does that mean? 

In practice, you brew coffee longer than you should and extract more flavours that are needed, and as a result, too much caffeine ends up in your cup making your brew taste bitter. 

How can avoid over-extracting your coffee? 

Make sure to check the settings the manual of your Nespresso recommends.

Brewing Temperature 

What’s the temperature of brewing coffee with your Nespresso? Ideally, the right temperature for brewing with a Nespresso is 92 to 95. Refer back to your machine’s manual to find out how to set up the temperature in Thermo Block. What if you set it up to this temperature but it isn’t hitting this temperature? 

A great way to get around it is to run a  water-only cycle which helps to warm up the water.

Your Nespresso needs cleaning 

Does your Nespresso make weird noises lately when brewing? This is a sign that your machine needs cleaning. The good news is that Nespresso machines take pods which makes it dead easy to clean them. 

The bad news? 

They still need cleaning. Make sure you dismantle your machine take off the parts of your machine that can be washed, give them a wash with soap and hot water and let them dry out before assembling the machine. 

Cleaning is boring, no doubt about it, but it’s the only way to prolong your Nespresso machine lifespan and avoid brewing bitter coffee. 

Your Nespresso needs descaling

Similar to cleaning, descaling is equally important to brew coffee that doesn’t taste bitter. 

What’s descaling and how it differs from cleaning?

Descaling is more of removing hard water minerals that build up on the inside of your machine over time. Simply mix water with white vinegar and and pour the mix into the water tank. Run 2-3 water-only cycles and you’re good to go. 

Malfunctioning machine

As it happens with all coffee machines, yours might be malfunctioning. As mentioned above Nespresso machines have a temperature regulator called Thermo block. There are cases in the past where parts of the coffee maker were melted because of users’ wrong use and as a result, the coffee tasted bitter and rubber. 

If this is the case, speak with the customer support of Nespresso to guide you. 

How to brew delicious Nespresso coffee

Let’s chat about a bunch of tips and tricks on how to brew great espresso every single time: 

• Use Nespresso pods to your liking: there are so many different espresso pods with different flavours including Melozio, Intensio, Odacio, Columbia, Mexico, Double Espresso Chiaro, Bianco Forte, Bianco Doppio. Try out different ones and find out what’s really up your alley.

• Use filtered or bottled water: tap is good for brewing but it’s probably not the best option since hard water minerals might spoil the taste of your coffee. Using filtered or bottled water might cost you a bit more but it’s worth it, especially if you can’t compromise on coffee.

• Reprogram your machine: based on the type of pods you use, it’s wise to go back to your Nespresso machine manual and read about the right temperature and settings for each pod – this will make a whole lot of difference. 

• Warm up the machine: this is a top trick to really brew fantastic coffee. Before you go ahead with your brewing run a water-only cycle to warm up the water and inside of your machine, so it will hit the right brewing temperature easier and faster. 

Let’s wrap it up 

Hope this article has helped you get a better understanding of why your Nespresso tastes bitter. Visit our blog soon, I’m planning to write more articles about Nespresso and how to avoid bitter coffee. 

FAQ

Let’s go over a couple of questions that often come up on the topic to help you get the big picture. 

Signs that your Nespresso machine needs cleaning 

One of the most common signs is that the machine is making weird noises as if it’s struggling to brew coffee. Another 1 is the fact that it takes longer to brew than it used to be a couple of months ago. And of course, coffee residue in your cup also indicates that there must be more residue on the inside of your machine built up which needs to be cleaned. 

Why is my Nespresso coffee still bitter after descaling?

Have you thoroughly cleaned it before or after descaling? If not, consider doing it to keep it in great condition. But if you cleaned and descaled your machine already, then read through the section with the 6 reasons that Nespresso coffee tastes bitter and try to find out which one applies to your case.