Why Most Office Coffee Tastes So Bad, And How To Make It Better
Posted March 3, 2020 | 4 minute read
By Konrad
There are 3 main factors that contribute to a great cup of coffee at work; the coffee beans, how they get to you, and the system your office has to brew it. If you nail these 3 things, you’re on your way to coffee you look forward to drinking at the office.
#1) Be Picky About The Coffee Beans
I could write a novel on how to choose coffee beans, but I’m not sure anybody would read it. Honestly, I wouldn’t read it.
Try to buy coffee beans that have a specific roast date
Try to buy coffee beans that say where they were grown with a description that’s more specific than the country (i,e, region, state, farm, etc.)
More likely than not, if you’re buying coffee that meets those two standards, you’re in good shape. The coffee will be fresh, and the roaster who made your coffee probably experimented with timing and temperature during the roasting process to give your coffee an awesome flavor when it finally reaches your desk.
#2) Understand Your Supply Chain
Even great coffee beans can fall flat if they are delivered to your office from a service that is designed to reduce their own costs or maximize convenience. Oftentimes, those two things are in direct conflict with enjoying great coffee. For example, if your coffee is bought in bulk shipments that last for around a month, you are likely drinking old coffee that has lost its flavor by the end of your delivery cycle. While fewer deliveries cut cost for your coffee supplier, it leads to a crummy experience for you and your team.
Similarly, coffee that is designed to maximize convenience often becomes stale because it’s packaged in pre-ground plastic bags or pods. Ground coffee has more surface area compared to whole bean coffee, which means it has more contact with oxygen, causing flavor and aroma loss over time. Even if you are getting fresh shipments of pre-ground coffee, it will end up losing flavor. You may be thinking, I hate measuring and grinding coffee. Don’t worry, there are ways to make that process better, like buying pre-measured whole bean bags or using an auto dosing grinder that grinds the perfect amount for each of coffee for each pot.
Finally, understand your full supply chain to know where the coffee is before it gets in your cup. As an example, you may be getting frequent deliveries of whole bean coffee, but the coffee you are receiving is coming from large distribution centers or warehouses where it’s been sitting for weeks. Ideally, your partner should be giving you fresh made to order coffee directly from a roaster.
#3) Make Sure You Have A Consistent Brewing Process In The Office
Bravo. You are well on your way to a great cup. You’ve found great whole beans that were roasted a few days ago and you’re ready to grind. Not so fast! All of this effort could be ruined by a chaotic and inconsistent brewing system in your office.
Picture this. Cassie gets into the office early and is looking for some coffee. There are no instructions near the machine, and the coffee is in a normal grocery sized bag. Cassie makes her best guess at how many beans the machine needs for a full pot and throws them in the grinder. Turns out she underestimated, and the coffee came out watery and sour. A few hours later, during the 3pm slump, Jerome makes his way towards the machine. He opens up the brew tray and sees coffee inside. Jerome thinks someone did the work for him and he re-brews another pot using Cassie’s old coffee grounds. At this point you might as well be drinking motor oil.
All of this can be avoided with a solid office brewing process. Here are 3 things you can do to start building that system.
Hang up instructions near the coffee station that explain how to brew things properly that includes things like how much coffee, where to throw out grinds, etc.
Come to a consensus with the grinder setting. Ideally, put a sticker on it that says “don’t change me!” so you are always grinding the correct sized coffee
Regularly clean your brewer (ideally once every month) so that oils and minerals don’t build up over time, which impart bad taste
So there you have it, all the keys to success. Click here to learn how your office coffee stacks up against other offices. And, if you want a service that takes all of this off your plate so you can continue to worry about your day job, get in touch with us!