Why Your Coffee Tastes Stale (And How to Fix It)

If your coffee tastes flat or cardboardy, here’s why. And how to fix it fast:

1. Old Beans
Coffee peaks within 2–4 weeks after roasting. After that, flavor compounds break down. Most store-bought beans are already months (or years) old.

2. Cheap Beans
Mass-market coffee often uses low-grade beans that never had great flavor to begin with. They then have to roast them hard to mask this flavor, leaving a very bitter taste.

3. Bad Storage
Air, moisture, light, and heat kill coffee fast. That fancy glass jar on your counter? It’s ruining your beans.

4. Dirty Equipment & Bad Water
Old coffee residue and poor-quality tap water destroy flavor, no matter how good your beans are.

How to Actually Fix It:

• Buy beans roasted within the past two weeks.

• Store in an airtight container, away from light and heat.

• Grind right before brewing.

• Clean your coffee gear often.

• Use filtered water.

Fresh beans + clean gear + good water = a way better cup, every time.

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