Nothing says, “Wake up,” like the smell of freshly brewed coffee. However, if you want it to retain that rich taste, you might not want to let it sit on the hot plate for hours.

Turning off your drip coffee maker immediately after it finishes brewing will preserve the flavor.

Most drip coffee makers feature built-in hot plates that keep the glass carafe warm for around two to four hours. This allows you time to drink several fresh cups, and while that’s convenient, there is a drawback: the hot plate can alter the taste of your coffee.

Just as reheating coffee or setting it on a warmer can alter its volatile compounds, a coffee maker’s hot plate can also change the taste, and not for the better. Essentially, the hot plate will continue to “cook” your coffee and could end up making it taste more bitter and acidic—not exactly the most appetizing of flavors.

What’s the solution? If you can switch to a brewer with a thermal carafe, that’s the best option. Instead of continually heating via a hot plate, a thermal carafe will simply keep your hot brewed coffee insulated and not alter its flavor. If this isn’t an option, though, it might be time to invest in a quality thermos and simply pour from it over the first few hours of the day.

If you feel like your coffee tastes bitter, it could just be your coffee maker itself.