Instead of changing the settings wildly, change the portion size by tiny increments. Start with a dry basket, purge two grams from your machine after moving the collar, and pull a half-shot to test the flow speed. If it runs too fast, only move the collar half a notch at a time. This methodical pacing prevents dumping entire bags of fresh coffee into the sink.
We compared six grinders side by side in our grinder shootout from 2019, and the ranking still holds.
When you brew a cup of coffee, more than 98 percent of what ends up in your mug is simply water. Standard tap water contains a varying mix of dissolved minerals, dissolved solids, and chlorine disinfectants. Calcium and magnesium are actually helpful in small amounts because they bind to the volatile flavor compounds in the ground coffee. However, high levels of bicarbonate will neutralise the pleasant, bright acidity of your coffee, leaving you with a flat, muddy cup. If you have ever wondered why the exact same beans taste vibrant at a local cafe but dull in your kitchen, the municipal water supply is usually the culprit.
A standard electric kitchen kettle is built to do one thing quickly: boil water. When you tip its wide, blunt spout over a bed of dry grounds, the water rushes out in a heavy, turbulent wave. This sudden force pushes the coffee around violently, creating deep channels where the water flows through too quickly while leaving other pockets completely dry. Achieving a balanced cup under these conditions requires a high degree of luck and constant improvisation.