Can we talk about how my espresso changed after I cleaned my grinder?

I was making okay espresso for about 6 months but it always had a weird bitter bite. Last weekend I finally broke down and took apart my Baratza Encore grinder for a deep clean. The old coffee oils and tiny grounds packed in there were DISGUSTING. My shots now have actual sweetness instead of that harsh taste. Has anyone else been shocked at how much gunk builds up in their grinder?

2 comments

2 Comments

piper_green26d ago

Did you ever see that video of a guy finding a whole dried-up bug in his grinder's burr chamber? That was my wake-up call to stop being lazy about cleaning mine. It's wild how those tiny oil spots turn into that burnt taste, and now I swear I can taste the difference between shots, not just the good ones.

sam53025d ago

Whoa, hold on. I mean, sure, the old oils can get nasty, but I kind of feel like people overblow how much it actually changes the flavor. I cleaned mine once after like a year and honestly, my shots tasted maybe a tiny bit less bitter, but it wasn't this huge night and day thing. Maybe it's just me, but I think a lot of that "sweetness" comes from just messing with your grind setting by accident when you put it back together.