I don’t like adding all the cream and everything in my coffee because its fattening, but I hate black coffee. How do I get used to the taste?
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January 26th, 2010 at 8:12 am
Start out by adding an artificial sweetener to black coffee, the kind that comes in little envelopes. Each envelope equals two teaspoons of sugar, but has no calories. That is about the amount of sugar or equivalent that will neutralize most of the bitterness of coffee. As you get used to the taste and flavor, you can back off on the amount of sweetener you add. You can buy a sweetener that comes in powder form, so that it matches sugar’s sweetness teaspoon for teaspoon. That will make it easier to adjust the sweetness. You can also add low-fat or skim milk or low-cal artificial creamer in place of real coffee creamer, but for me that ruins the taste of the coffee.
January 26th, 2010 at 8:44 am
Here are a few secrets to making great coffee without the bitterness
1. Buy quality coffee beans (not pre-ground) and choose a lighter style roast, a light city or full city are good choices. Store your beans in an air tight container (not the bag it came in), coffee beans lose their flavor and go stale very quickly, but the bitter remains.
2. Grind yourself and just enough to make the coffee you are going to drink right now. A burr grinder is best but they are quite expensive so a blade grinder is okay (still better than buying coffee grounds). They’ll run you about $20. How fine to grind it will depend on the method you choose to brew
3. Do not use an electric drip machine. They never get the water hot enough to extract the good flavors of coffee and just basically extract the bitterness. Use either a french press (also called a press pot or plunger pot) or a manual drip rig. French press needs a course grind so it won’t clog and a manual drip can have a medium grind (a bit courser than electric drip). If you pick the manual drip I find the permanent gold metal filters lend a better brew than paper filters (and better for the environment).
4. Use enough coffee! Contrary to popular thought more coffee does not equal bitter coffee it’s the other way around. More water and less grounds gives the water enough time to start extracting the bitter nasty compounds, more coffee helps prevent this. Use 2 tablespoons per 6 oz (a standard coffee cup) of water and a tiny pinch of salt (not table salt, the iodine messes with the flavor). The salt helps cut through the bitterness (you’re going to get some it’s just a fact).
5. Use hot enough water. Heat your water to just off the boil (190 to 205 degrees to be precise). If you’re using a manual drip just pour on the hot water (measured of course) onto the grounds slowly and let it drip through. If you’re using the french press, pour it onto the grounds and wait 4 minutes before plunging. Plunge slowly (it should take a good 20 to 30 seconds) and then pour into mugs. One more thing, if you don’t use all the coffee you made in the press, transfer it to another vessel (a thermos would be best) because although most of the liquid is separated from the spent grounds, some is still in contact and bitter flavors will slowly leech in from the grounds.
If you like weaker coffee than this makes then do not add more water before brewing or use less grounds, add some hot water to the already brewed coffee to reach the strength you like. If you like stronger coffee go ahead and up the amount of grounds til you find an amount you like (do not use less water!).
January 26th, 2010 at 8:45 am
Pretty much what the others said; you need good coffee. The brewing method doesn’t really matter (although drip vs. press is its own vivid discussion) as long as the brewer is decent; what you need are good coffee beans that are as fresh as possible. Unlike tea, coffee doesn’t store terribly well (according to coffee geeks) in roasted whole bean form and stores even worse (according to everyone) as ground coffee. Grinding your own coffee before making a cup is ideal, but stores have grinders if you don’t own one.
In my area, there is Cheap Coffee and Expensive Coffee. You want Expensive Coffee. 100% Colombian brands of Cheap Coffee might be acceptable, but if you’re trying to teach yourself to like coffee black, drink Expensive Coffee. What type of Expensive Coffee is up to you. I’ve discovered that I really like Kenyan coffee, but you might hate it. There are different flavors and it’s worth hunting around until you find the flavor you like.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:21 am
Coffee is an acquired taste. You have to just sip on it until you learn to like the flavor. If you don’t like it why drink it? Drink something you DO enjoy the taste of. Drink tea instead if you like that.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:04 am
Good luck.
I find coffee to be very bitter. Why do you have to get used to the taste? There are many kinds and flavors of teas.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:53 am
make sure it is good coffee, fresh ground. made in a french press and add a tiny bit of salt. that’s about all you can do.
January 26th, 2010 at 11:35 am
try adding rice: almond: hemp or soy milks =]