If I use Starbucks beans I get something that tastes like coffee. If I use fancy beans from coffee hipsters I get something that tastes like manure. Not a fan.

Using the the same methods and amounts for stale coffee (whole beans or ground) and fresh recently roasted beans will not work.

You need to adjust it for each new roast, even when the bean is from the same origin as the previous batch you used. Fluctuations will be smaller though.

Also be aware that some people do not enjoy some roast levels.

I for one used to think I loved dark French roasts in my early twenties. Now I am more for the lighter floral notes in my filters and the earthier nutty notes in my espresso. But nothing ever as dark as French roast.

Rules of thumb;

* buy fresh whole bean

* that are all from the same source

* not a robusta

* that has its roast date on the packaging

* store in airtight container away from sunlight

* do not freeze the beans

* and use it within 3-4 weeks of that date (earlier for espresso)

* enjoy the coffee you like and do not let anyone else tell you otherwise. But perhaps, experiment with your tastes.

I'll be honest, I have this problem in most cafes the last few years as well, it's not just at home. It just all tastes disgustingly sour to me (and again, horrible hints of compost and manure). I assume I just don't like what modern coffee drinkers like, but I cannot imagine ever acquiring a taste for it however hard I try.

The advice I always had from local roasters is to store the beans in a fridge.

I have the luxury to have a stepless grinder, and I can observe the difference when I have to adjust the grain size between beans that are freshly roasted, stored in fridge and stored at room temperature.

At fridge temperatures, beans stay wet and oily much longer.

Fridge might be alright. I haven't tried.

But surprisingly many believe that freezing the beans make for a good cup for longer.

Which is not going to be the case when the bean has not thawed and is so brittle it gives an uneven grind (and thus uneven extraction).

Better, if possible, is to buy smaller amounts more frequently and use them all up before getting more.

It isn't like you get high quality whole bean in bulk anyway.

It depends on your tastes and expectations.

I've had some really high end coffees that I thought tasted like garbage. Then again I wasn't prepared for what they were going to taste like. For instance, when I tried light roasts for the first time, I thought they were absolute trash. I only drank dark roasts though and based my expectations on that. I've since warmed up to them and now prefer a medium roast for my daily drink.

Some people have different tastes. Some folks really like the burnt flavors of Starbucks and associate it with coffee, so everything else tastes terrible. That's especially true if you don't drink coffee black and require a certain flavor after adding heaps of cream and sugar. Other people are more sensitive to bitterness or acidity and need something to cater to their tastes.

Personally I just stick with Peet's beans because I find them to be cheap and convenient and not all that bad. I still occasionally get a bag of terrible coffee from them, but it's terrible in the sense that I just can't get a cup of coffee that I like after adjusting all the parameters(temp, time, dilution(yeah, I use an aeropress), etc).

Tastes are a subjective thing. I've had $400 Michelin dinners that tasted like shit, and $8 burritos that were some of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. People like to get all judgmental about it but really you just have to know yourself and go with it.

Then something isn't right.

You're probably buying lighter roasts, which are in vogue but are more difficult to brew.

They must be spectacularly difficult to brew, because they taste just as bad when I have them at coffee shops. I basically can't order coffee in most places now because these flavours have taken over. I'd love to be able to live vicariously through someone else's palate and understand the appeal.

Real coffee does taste "bad" if you're not used to it. What you're enjoying is bland coffee. If that's enough for you, there's no imperative to go for the better stuff.

There's no reason to claim that the better stuff is not better, that's just pointless anti-elitism. As a kid, I certainly enjoyed a McDonalds burger over a rare tenderloin. The tenderloin obviously was better though.

I've been trying for several years! I have worked hard to acquire many acquired tastes, I don't want to have to flash my snob card here. But this taste just completely eludes me. My only hope is that other comments elsethread are right, and my town in Yorkshire maybe isn't home to the most talented or knowledgeable baristas and roasters, and they genuinely are serving garbage. In the meantime, when I need a coffee, I will have a cup of coffee and not a mouthful of the water at the bottom of my fridge's vegetable drawer.

I'll be honest, if they're using an automatic coffee maker (one where the puck is ground and processed internally), this very well could be the case. Also keep in mind that flavor profiles are generally targeted for espresso (either a double shot of something slightly watered down).

I'm the same way. I find that I can't even enjoy drinking the coffee at those shops. It's not a manure flavor, but there's definitely an acidity and strong flavor that I do not enjoy.

And, ftr, I am tired of Starbucks coffees too. It's hard to find an in between.

I mean, I don't know what manure tastes like obviously, but it's not a flavour I like being in my mouth. I've tried, I would love to be able to partake of this culture, but I just can't physically force 'third wave' coffee down my throat.

Were those beans stale?