bgm1911 wrote:I'm not tasting anything that was written on the label, but I smile to the barista anyway (she is cute!).

The solution is as clear as simple syrup - you need a coffee companion you find attractive to keep you from caring what you're drinking.

To be honest, any expectation of instant perfection from strange new (to you) beans and equipment is more than a bit unrealistic. Even passable quality in the first bag you run through a completely new setup is as much the result of luck as it is from skill and equipment. I've been through a few machines & grinders over the decades, and the best advice I can offer is to start with the most familiar to you, so you have some frame of reference.

Making great coffee is like most other things - there's never time to do it right, but there's always time to try again.