macchinetta \"stove top\" and muddy coffee??/

[avrum68]

I purchased espresso beans from Starbucks, and had them grind the beans via fine setting. At home, I brewed a coffee - using \"stove top\" method, and had too much \"fine powder\" in my home made iced americano (this never happens when I order an iced Americano at Starbucks). So then I had them re-grind the beans using a coarser setting, the result...a little better, but still had \"fine powder\" in my brew.

So now I''m grinding ''em at home, and I still find I have a little bit of soot (which I can taste) in my brew.

Am I using the wrong bean?
Am I grinding the bean wrong?
Or is all of this normal?

Any advice would be welcomed

 

[Davec]

I purchased espresso beans from Starbucks,

Am I using the wrong bean?
Am I grinding the bean wrong?
Or is all of this normal?

Any advice would be welcomed

Yes you are using the wrong bean...it's probably normal and your probably grinding OK. Just the thought of your beans from starbucks makes me shudder. If it's anything like the UK, the beans will be over roasted and stale......not a great combination and I don't think I have ever had a decent coffee at starbucks (I never go in them now).

Find a better source of freshly roasted beans and don't go for too dark a roast.

 

[avrum68]

So you think it's the bean, and not the "stove top" method itself that causing the "soot" to appear in my coffee? I was thinking I was using a too fine grind for my bean. Perhaps I'll switch beans.

 

[Davec]

So you think it's the bean, and not the "stove top" method itself that causing the "soot" to appear in my coffee? I was thinking I was using a too fine grind for my bean. Perhaps I'll switch beans.

Certainly a coarser grind will help