Coffee brewing mistakes are surprisingly common, even among the most passionate coffee lovers. This simple, everyday ritual is what has turned coffee into a worldwide staple for millions. It’s what we grab first thing in the morning, the perennial pick-me-up of a midday slump, and a staple of our social gatherings.
But like most with a coffee obsession, even the most coffee-crazed among us can mess up when in the throes of a brewing session. This might seem little, but it could mean a huge difference in how your coffee tastes. If you want to take your daily cup to the next level and really get the most of the flavor out of your beans, it’s important to know a few things you might be doing wrong currently
Here are 11 common coffee brewing mistakes you might be making daily, and how you can fix them to make your coffee taste better than ever.
1. Using Stale Coffee Beans

One of the most common coffee brewing mistakes is using stale or old coffee beans. Coffee beans are fragile and the taste fades soon after roasting.
As soon as it’s exposed to air, they begin to oxidize and turn your flavored vodka into mud. You could be brewing a cup of coffee without even knowing that the beans you’re pouring into your grinder have passed their peak flavor.
The Fix:
Only purchase whole beans in small amounts, and ensure that the beans you buy are freshly roasted. Best enjoyed within two weeks of roasting, ideally. Powder beans right before brewing to preserve fresh flavor.
Read also: Bean Basics, Where Do Coffee Beans Come From?
2. Grinding Beans Incorrectly
Grinding coffee beans is an art, and too many of us wind up making bad art. Note that the grind size will be determined by the length of the brewing time.
For example, with espresso, you’re looking at a fine grind, with French press you want a coarser grind. If your grind size is wrong for your brew method, you can over-extract your grounds (making your coffee taste bitter) or under-extract them (making it watery).
The Fix:
Dial-in your grind to your preferred brewing method. For even results, go invest in a proper burr grinder. Be sure to do some experimentation with grind size until you find the perfect grind that brings out the flavors best for whatever brewing style you prefer.
3. Using Extremely Cold or Hot Water
One of the most common coffee brewing mistakes is using the wrong water temperature. Water that is too hot can burn the coffee grounds and water that is too cold can lead to under-extraction, when the coffee does not entirely give up all its flavors.
The Fix:
You want your water temperature at brewing to be from 195 degrees to 205 degrees (90 to 96 Celsius) for optimal extraction. Since then, purchase a thermometer or go for a kettle with temperature control to eliminate scalding your coffee or cold brewing it.
4. Not Measuring Coffee and Water Properly
Many people eschew measuring out their coffee and water and instead just “guess.” This can result in a coffee that’s too weak. If will be bitter and too strong, if you don’t use enough than your coffee will come out weak with no flavor.
The Fix:
Buy a good kitchen scale (the grams dead on accurate). The general accepted ratio for coffee to water is around 1:15 to 1:18, depending on how strong you like your coffee. Tweak it depending on how strong or weak you prefer your coffee.
5. Brewing Too Long
Brewing time will vary depending on your method. For instance, French press coffee usually requires about four minutes to brew, while espresso is brewed in around 25 seconds.
Over-brew and you risk over-extracting the coffee and getting bitterness. Brew for too long, and your coffee will be under-extracted, sour and weak to the taste.
The Fix:
Learn the perfect steeping time for your brewing style. If you’re not sure, time how long your coffee brews. Tweak the time to meet your taste after a couple of trials.
6. Using Low-Quality Water

So you can do with today’s coffee, incidentally. No matter how perfect your beans are, if the water you use is of poor quality so will your coffee.
One of the most overlooked coffee brewing mistakes is ignoring the quality of water used in the process. With hard water, for instance, you could be left with a mineral residue that affects the taste of your coffee.
The Fix:
Brew coffee with filtered or bottled water. Where you have hard water at your house, there are too many chloramines in your water or your water taste awful then you should use a water softener instead of your out-of-the-jar water.
7. Reusing Coffee Grounds
One of the most common coffee brewing mistakes is reusing coffee grounds. This is arguably the dirtiest practice among coffee drinkers. Not only does it make the coffee weak, but the used grounds will add a bitter taste to the coffee.
The Fix:
Fresh coffee grounds should always be used for making coffee. It’s tempting when brewing a large quantity to reuse grounds, but fresh ones are key to the best outcome.
8. Overfilling the Filter
Cramming more coffee grounds than necessary into a coffee filter may seem like a surefire means to brewing a stronger cup, but do not be that guy. Too many grounds can lead to uneven water flow and extraction, and an unbalanced taste.
The Fix:
Use the appropriate amount of coffee grounds for your brewing method. Do not overfill the filter to get the right extraction and taste profile. If you prefer a stronger cup, tweak the coffee-to-water ratio.
9. Not Cleaning Your Coffee Equipment
Failure to regularly clean your coffee equipment can result in a buildup of coffee oils that taste your coffee. This residue leads to your coffee eventually tasting bitter and stale.
Avoiding this common coffee brewing mistake ensures every cup you make is fresh, clean, and full of intended flavor.
The Fix:
Keep your coffee maker, grinder, and any other equipment clean. Recommended by:Just rinse with warm, soapy water, thoroughly rinse to avoid any soap residue. For grinders, you can try grinder cleaning tablets for deeper cleaning.
10. Using the Wrong Coffee-to-Water Ratio for Different Brews

Coffee brewing mistakes often begin with something as fundamental as the coffee-to-water ratio. Various brew methods call for different coffee-to-water ratios.
For example: pour-over coffee might use a ratio of 1:16, while one shot of espresso may use a 1:2 ratio. An incorrect ratio can lead to under-extraction or over-extraction of the coffee.
The Fix:
Play around with the coffee to water ratio for your brew method. Begin with these general rules and modify according to your own tastes. The most consistent way to brew is to measure your coffee and water on a scale.
11. Not Experimenting with Different Beans
If you’ve been drinking the same coffee beans for months or years, you’re settling for second-rate flavor. Coffee brewing mistakes don’t just happen during the actual brewing process—they start with your choice of beans.
Flavor Coffee beans have a wild range of flavor, from fruity and floral to nutty and chocolatey. Refusing to branch out on the same beans can narrow your caffeinated world.
The Fix:
Use other types of coffee beans to find other flavors. It’s a great way to experiment with beans from different regions, roasters, and processing methods and to vary your coffee experience. You might even discover a new favorite that will make your everyday brew about a million times better.
Wrap up: How to Make Coffee Like a Pro?
Like anything wonderful done well, making coffee is about attention to detail. You can avoid these 11 coffee brewing mistakes and, in doing so, improve the flavor of your cup. Choosing the right beans, experimenting with new brewing methods and ratios, and tweaking everything until it tickles your tastebuds is what makes for better coffee.
If you take your coffee seriously and want to taste the best of what beans have to offer, give FnB Coffee a try. We source only top quality beans and select only Q-Grader certified beans, which we roast with precision so that each cup you brew is nothing but premium.
And so, no more committing those grave coffee brewing mistakes, now make the coffee you really deserve! Shops our Indonesian green coffee beans here!
Reference:
Top 9 Mistakes to Avoid When Brewing Coffee” – Stone Street Coffee Academy
“10 Common Coffee Brewing Mistakes You Might Be Making” – Bean & Bean Coffee
“Common Coffee Brewing Mistakes and How to Fix Them” – Makario Coffee
“8 Common Coffee Brewing Mistakes and How to Fix Them” – Equal Exchange
“11 Tips for Brewing Better Coffee at Home” – Caffe Luxxe
“Top 10 Coffee Brewing Tips” – Coffee Bros
“14 Ways to Make a Better Cup of Coffee at Home” – Business Insider
“How to Avoid Common Cold Brew Mistakes” – Food & Wine
“Best Coffee Brewing Method” – The Kitchn
“Sacred Grounds” – The New Yorker