Why Does My Coffee Taste Funny?

Unlike any other day, Jimmy's cup of coffee didn't taste so good that morning. In fact he wasnt' even sure if the stuff he just brewed was coffee or not. It's black, tasted like coffee but still there seem to be something wrong with it.

If you can relate to Jimmy's morning coffee problem maybe this can help you. First, try tasting some well known substances like sugar or salt. If the sugar and/or salt tastes funny too then it's possibly your tongue playing tricks on you. Go see a doctor to fix that.

If the sugar taste sweet and the salt is salty to you then check the water. It's possible that there's a leak in your plumbing and some contaminants is making your water taste bad.

Now, if the water taste fine too then you should check your coffee beans. Sniff them out and if it smell bad throw them away. Since coffee is hygroscopics it does a great job in absorbing humidity, flavor and odor in the air. Perhaps you put your coffee beans too close to strong-odored substances and after a while your coffee beans starts to absorb the tastes and odor around it. If you place your coffee beans in a totally separate place than any other smelly stuff and it still smell funny then it probably has passsed it's shelf live. Freshness is the key to make great coffee. Try not to store to much coffee if you only take a cup or two a day. As a rule of thumb your coffee beans should not be kept more than two weeks.

What? Your coffee beans smell fine too. Then i guess you should check your coffee machine. Rust and stains can greatly affect the taste of your coffee. You should wash it throughly with vinegar and water to make sure no more stains are left. Rinse it real well twice just to make sure.