Diagnosis: When your espresso comes out tasting bitter, it usually means that the extraction or pour time is too long. Commonly, you'll see a pale yellow/white stream of coffee that wobbles and spirals towards the end of the shot. Remedy: Adjust your brew time. A good pour will be somewhere between 25 – 35 secs.

Why would an espresso shot be bitter?

Espresso that pours slower becomes stronger in flavour as the coffee solids have more time to dissolve – but only up to a point. If the shot pours too slowly due to the grind being too fine, the espresso will taste bitter. You need to make your coffee grinds coarser so that the water is not so restricted.

Should espresso be bitter at all?

When done correctly, espresso extracts the most delicate flavors of the 800 to 1000 aromatic compounds that make up the taste profile of roasted coffee beans. Good espresso should taste like dark chocolate and leave a delicious caramel-like taste in your mouth. It should not taste bitter at all.