If you have just put a lot of money into a good espresso machine but are finding that the coffee produced isn’t living up to you the brew you usually drink at the local bar maybe its time you took a look at the coffee grinder you are using.

Its quite common for individuals to buy an espresso machine without putting time and effort into choosing a grinder, or even worse they opt to use pre-ground coffee.

Why shouldn’t we be using pre-ground coffee in our machine?

1. Pre-ground coffee might be acceptable if you are just looking for a caffeine hit but for optimum flavour you need to grind your own beans as you need them. Although coffee packing methods have advanced somewhat over the last 20 or 30 years its still impossible to find pre-ground coffee which can approach the taste of fresh.

2. Buying a large quantity of coffee that’s already ground means it will degrade further before you get around to using it. By the time you finish the packet the coffee produced will be even more substandard than when you opened it.

3. If you don’t grind your own coffee then you can’t choose how finely to grind your beans, a very important part of the process.

Coffee that has been ground too finely for your machine will make it difficult for the water to be pushed through the grounds and you’ll have a machine that is under too much pressure and no coffee.

Coffee which is ground too course means the water which is pumped through it under pressure will be unable to pick up the flavors and you’ll be left with a cup of insipid liquid without the famous espresso crema.

To get great espresso it always pays to make a financial sacrifice and buy the best coffee grinder you can find. Do your research on the Internet and find a grinder recommended by people who know what they are talking about.