# How good is preground (espresso) coffee?



## korgua (May 15, 2017)

Hi!

Having read some forum articles, it feels like a decent grinder is out of scope for me to decide if I wish to invest in a new espresso setup.

I have just purchased a 2nd hand DeLonghi Scultura so I may be setting myself up for disappointment anyway.

That said, I see no harm in starting my journey this way.

As with many things in life, it is often best to let someone with the right kit do the job.

I have purchased a couple of bags of espresso grind coffee from coffeecompass and I guess they might have a £1k+ grinder.

Freshness - anything I can do to keep freshness levels e.g. resealable food bag, dark cupboard etc?

Grind - does a grind need fine tuning for each coffee machine. Can I assume the supplier will be 90+% there with their grind?

Is there anything else I need to consider when purchasing pre-ground coffee? I need to give myself a reasonable chance of tasting the difference after 15 years of Nespresso!

Thank you

Korgua


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

Hi there.

Sorry to be harsh but if you have joy with the preground coffee it'll be more luck based than anything else!

Very small adjustments on a grinder/ very small differences in grind size can make a huge difference!


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

It's easier to keep it short and sweet.

Preground = Crap

Dave


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

when you pop to the garden to cut a lettuce, as soon as the stem is cut it is actually starting to die and deteriorate......coffee is the same. coffee beans last a certain length of time before they begin to stale......once ground the same thing happens but once ground and exposed to air they have a couple of hours. You know when you open a bag of ground coffee and there is a fantastic smell.......is it there the next day?


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

How about checking the For Sale threads. You could buy a grinder, have a good play, and if, at the end of the day you decide it isn't for you, post it back up for sale. It's a bit like renting one really!


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## lake_m (Feb 4, 2017)

If you're quick there's an Ibertal MC2 for £60 delivered just gone up for sale. That and fresh beans will be infinitely better than pre-ground.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Pre-ground coffee is not fresh.

Being fresh is more important to a good cup of coffee that literally anything else you can do. If you tried making coffee on £5k worth of equipment but used pre-ground it would taste crap.

Same goes for beans bought with no knowledge of roast date (think all supermarket beans)


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## korgua (May 15, 2017)

Thank you all for the comments, I am now clear on what I need to do.....post a couple more forum items and gain access to forum for sale items


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