From: N51L5201@ncsuvm.cc.ncsu.edu (David Auerbach)
Subject: Re: Krups coffee tastes awful
Organization: North Carolina State University
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 12:29:22 GMT

In article <1992Oct16.005301.3573@u.washington.edu>
whit@milton.u.washington.edu (John Whitmore) writes:
 
>In article <3128@news.cerf.net> egs2g1b@mvs.oac.ucla.edu (Phil Harriman) writes:
>
>>After more than seven years of getting up, putting on the water, getting
>>the beans out of the freezer, measuring them into the grinder, grinding
>>them (this noise is much more effective on my wife than an alarm clock),
>>putting the grounds in the Melita filter, waiting for the water to boil,
>>pouring the water, waiting for the coffee to drip, getting out mugs,
>>measuring out sugar and milk for my wife pouring the coffee, then rousing
>>my wife for our first cup, we finally had the brainstorm: "Let's buy a
>>coffee maker with a timer!"
>
>>I bought one last night. It is a Krups
>>I eagerly took my first sip--yuck! It tasted awful! It was certainly hot
>>enough, but it had this artificial, metallic taste which ruined the
>>coffee.
>
>	If I read the description correctly, the coffee is neither
>too weak (underextracted) nor too acid (overextracted), but simply
>has an off-flavor.  Likely cause: chlorinated water.
>
>	In bringing your coffee water to a boil, you caused most
>of the evaporated gases (including that chlorine-odor from the
>water treatment plant) to evaporate.  The dripmaker heats the water
>for too short a time to release these gases, so it all goes
>into your grounds.
>
>	You can remove the odor by (1) letting the water stand
>in a pitcher for a day or so, (2) bringing it to a boil and cooling
>it, (3) getting a water filter (deionizer/resin exchange type),
>or (4) purchasing bottled water.  It might also work to pour
>the water back and forth between two pitchers to aerate it.
>Coffee is very dependent on water quality; I had a drip maker once
>that only produced good brew when the water was warmed (to about 80F)
>and I ALWAYS have to run a couple of gallons of water to reduce
>the taste from the pipes.
>
>	John Whitmore
>
>
When we remodeled it was cheap to put a filter underneath the kitchen sink,
in which I put a charcoal filter which takes care of my city's incredible
chlorination (very noticable when I brush my teeth since THAT faucet isn't
filtered).  Charcoal is all you need.  It will also improve everything else
you use water for in the kitchen (bread leaps to my mind).
I have a Braun drip and an espresso machine.  I don't know if Krups if
significantly different from the Braun but I get good coffee
from the Braun and good coffee from friends with a Krups.  One thing I started
doing las tyear was using a gold filter instead of paper: partly because the
ecological aspect appealed and partly because it makes slightly different
coffee--the coffee has more "body" a thicker mouth feel--probably because
the gold filter actually lets through some more particles than paper.
   As far as fine-tuning is concerned the following are useful:
    a real grinder (not a blade type, but a burr type)
    finding the minimal fineness that will still allow the water through
    fresh beans (or fresh beans frozen in airtight container) ground just
     before use
    good beans from a reputable roaster.  ( some of the best stuff comes from
                  New Guinea and Papua now; the mass of beans of Brazil and
                 Columbia isn't particularly good though some of the estate
                 stuff is.  )
Of course you can check all the variables by simultaneously makng Melitta
by hand and Krups.  For over a dozen years I've used straight vinegar to
clean by machines.