My coworkers keep grinding beans way too fine for drip coffee

I've been making coffee at my station for about 8 years now, and lately at the break room I see people cranking their burr grinder down to a near powder setting. Then they pour hot water over it in a standard Mr. Coffee machine and get this bitter, muddy cup that tastes like charcoal. I tried telling a guy named Dave about it last Tuesday after he complained his coffee was 'too strong' but not in a good way. He said he wanted a finer grind to get more flavor, but really he was just over extracting and getting all the harsh notes. I pulled out my phone and showed him a simple chart from a coffee science site that explains grind size vs brew time. He still looked at me like I was speaking another language. Has anyone else run into this at their workplace or group coffee setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jordan1mo ago

Man Dave's just making mud water, you gotta show him how to dial it in with a timer and a scoop.

evan_jenkins1mo ago

Dial it in with a timer and a scoop" hits the nail on the head lol. Took me way too many batches of sad, weak coffee before I finally figured out my ratio and stuck to a 4-minute timer.