Fresh-ground vs pre-ground coffee

After years of hearing that fresh-ground coffee tastes better than pre-ground, I finally got around to setting up a family taste test. Purchased two bags of Peet’s Major Dickison’s Dark Roast with the same expiration date (one bag ground and one whole bean), used a burr grinder to grind some of the beans to the same coarseness as the pre-ground, and did a pour-over cup of each with same water at the same temperature. I knew which one was which, but Amy and Millie did not (semi-blind test). Conclusion: None of us were able to detect much of a difference – certainly not enough to warrant the hassle of grinding beans fresh every day. Of the tiny difference notes we did come away with, one of us found the pre-ground slightly more aromatic, one of us felt that way about the whole beans, and one found no difference at all. I know a lot of people feel very passionately about this, but I remain convinced that much of it comes down to a love for the ritual (I get that!). I’m sure there are people with palettes fine enough to notice differences that we could not, but we have now conclusively decided that none of us are those people.