Warning: my local shop in Austin swapped to a new grinder and the espresso tastes flat now

Last week, the cafe I go to every morning replaced their old Mazzer with a shiny new model I didn't catch the name of. My usual double shot, which used to have a bright fruit note, now just tastes like bitter water, and the barista said it's 'more consistent'. Has anyone else had a grinder change ruin their regular spot's coffee?

3 comments

3 Comments

rileyfox1mo ago

Check if they switched to a flat burr grinder from a conical one like the old Mazzer. That would kill the bright notes and give them that boring "consistency" they're bragging about.

anna9831mo agoTop Commenter

Flat burrs can really flatten the flavor profile, not just the grind. My old shop made that switch and the regulars complained for a month straight. They ended up bringing the old conical grinder back from storage.

abby3081mo ago

Yeah, that's the exact thing that happened at my local spot. They got a shiny new flat burr grinder and suddenly my usual pour-over just tasted... flat, like all the bright fruit notes were gone. It just became this one-note, kinda muddy cup. I felt bad complaining because they were so proud of the upgrade, but man, I missed that old taste.