Originally posted by deegee
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I agree with most of the above posts, and all the culprits listed. All of those things do create bitterness, however my "hands down" vote for no 1: oxidation of beans left in the dosers whilst awaiting the next shot.
Some very famous brands retain so much grounds in their dosers that they need at least two "clacks" to clear it, whilst other grinders never manage to do so without a top to tail clean.
Ground coffee starts to go bitter in less than 15 minutes in a warmish grinder. A lot of cafes are also humid, so it happens even earlier.
FWIW, that is why I only ever drag out my commercial gear if I am making more than 5 "on the trot". Less than that, the Mahlkoenig Vario (not the W) is just possibly the best single to 5 on the planet as it leaves almost nothing in the grinder mechanism and gives a really good even grind (actually far better than most other grinders). If I were to contemplate going back into the trade (shudder) I would buy a few of them and use one for each type of coffee, or perhaps their newer commercial grade one if it has similar grind retention. Oxidation was always my no 1 enemy on the job.
To return to the original post - test it by running a bitter shot, then cleaning it thoroughly and try it again immediately.
May your coffee be great on your worst day.
TampIt

(and that is NOT intended to be insulting in any way)
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