Grind Issue / Coffee Not Flowing ProperlyUpdated a year ago

Troubleshooting Guide: Solving Coffee Flow and Taste Issues

Experiencing issues with your espresso flow or taste? You're not alone. Approximately 3% of our customers encounter similar challenges when using pre-ground coffee from our website. These issues can affect the taste of your coffee, making it sour or bitter.

Understanding the Issue

Our coffee is pre-ground to a standard espresso setting suitable for most (97%) of coffee machines. However, variations in machine pressure, water flow, and power can prevent the coffee from flowing smoothly through the portafilter in some models. 

Quick Fixes

1. Adjust the Coffee Amount: Reduce the coffee you add to the basket. This can prevent the machine from 'choking' and improve the flow rate, resulting in better espresso extraction and flavour.

2. Change Your Grind Option: Next time you order with us, consider selecting the 'grind for Aeropress' option. This is a coarser grind which will help ensure a smoother flow in your machine and will improve taste. 

If Your Coffee Still Isn’t Right

If adjustments don’t fix the flow, or if the coffee flows correctly but doesn’t taste right, the problem might be with the water-to-coffee ratio.

Adjusting the Ratio: Experiment with different amounts of water and coffee to find the balance that tastes best to you. This may involve making slight increases or decreases in the amount of water you allow through the coffee to adjust the volume of water used. This directly impacts the flavour. 
Check out our water to coffee guide. 

Still Need Help?

If you're still experiencing issues and not making progress, we’re here to help:

1) Chat Support: Reach out to our team and let them know you've read this guide but are still having trouble. We're comitted to giving you some customised support to fix this issue. 

2) Replacement: Send the remaining coffee back to us at Balance Coffee, and we will provide a replacement with a grind more suited to your machine.

3) Refund: If you prefer, we can issue a refund. Simply reach out to let us know your preference.

Your satisfaction is our priority, and we're committed to ensuring you enjoy the perfect cup of coffee.