Seven Deadly Sins of Coffee

— American Style

1. Styrofoam cups
   • Nothing good is ever served in a styrofoam cup. There are so many better options, why would you choose that? Don’t. Just don’t.
2. Too Much Sugar
   • This is coffee, not chocolate truffles. Get better coffee that you enjoy; try a different method that will bring out more of the natural flavor, or find frou that will improve your cup without putting your health at risk.
3. Old, stale coffee
   • I know it was $12 for a 3 pound can – so you bought three (to hedge price increases), but a year later does it even taste like coffee?
4. Poorly Maintained Equipment
   • Always clean your coffee equipment as specified in the small multilingual booklet that it came with. If you threw it out, go to the manufacturer’s web site and find a copy. Read it, then do.
5. Sludge
   • If you can’t remember when you made the pot, it is probably time to make a new pot.
6. Expensive Equipment
   • Trust me. Unless you have 500 neighbors that stop at your house for coffee every day, you do NOT need a $30,000 espresso machine to make great coffee.
7. Cheap Equipment
   • The cheapest equipment might be that – cheap. It may not cost much, but it also might not give you the results you want, or the longevity to make it valuable. Look for good quality, inexpensive equipment that will serve you well.

Bonus: Share your best efforts with family / friends / neighbors / co-workers.

Bonus 2: homemade sins to consider:

Five sins of homemade coffee:

#1 Your Water Isn’t Hot Enough (or Too Hot)

#2 Your Coffee is Too Fine or Too Coarse

#3 Your Beans Are Stale

#4 You Have To Wash Your Filter

#5 Your Mug or Server is Too Cold

— Brian the Accidental Barista.

This post inspired by Nathan at the Beanstalker. You can enjoy his list here: https://thebeanstalker.com/2011/seven-deadly-coffee-sins