Do you want to go get some coffee? Let’s go try that new coffee and bakeshop downtown! Have you heard of that new coffee bar on Main Street?
If you’re a typical college student or functioning adult, chances are high your texts and notifications look a lot like those sentences above. The local coffee scene is growing in just about every US state, and that’s great for the economy, but maybe not so great for you: the friend who doesn’t like coffee.
It’s true that coffee has an acquired taste, but there are so many ways to modify the drink that you’ll likely find some way to enjoy it. In this article, we’ll cover how to like coffee by customizing your cup of joe.
Most people avoid coffee because they don’t like the bitter taste of it. That reason is completely understandable. However, there are several ways to modify the taste, so it isn’t so bitter. Adding extra ingredients, like milk and sweetener, can dampen the sharpness of the drink. Also, correctly brewing the coffee according to roast and grind will maximize the flavors too.
Adding milk or other types of sweetener to your coffee will not only change the overall flavor, but the bitterness coffee has will temper down a little bit too. Adding modifications to your coffee is okay, but it’s important to keep in mind the amount of sugar these add-ons contain. If you aren’t careful, sugar and calories are going to add up quickly.
While any brand of whole milk you typically buy from the grocery store will do for your coffee, there are plant-based milk alternatives I’d recommend over others. Cashew and almond milk are going to give you the creamiest consistency. However, oat and soy milk will offer a lighter touch if you don’t want to completely eradicate the bitterness.
Adding sugar or other sweeteners is where you’re going to want to be careful. Too much sugar will, for the short term, cause your drink to be borderline undrinkable. Too much for the long-term will lead to unnecessary weight gain and other health issues.
Instead of sugar, you may want to try using honey, sugar-free creamers, or those with low sugar content, or maple syrup, among other things.
The way coffee is brewed can make or break the taste and composition of the drink. When a cup of coffee is brewed properly, you avoid an overly watery or overly bitter beverage. Follow these simple steps Trusted Source How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Coffee - Consumer Reports The days of picking up a latte or cold brew on your way to work are now on hold for many because of the coronavirus pandemic, but Americans haven’t given up their thirst for coffee; they’re just making it themselves. Coffee consumption, already up 5 percent in the past five years, has taken a bigger leap in the past month or so. Sales of whole bean and ground coffee in mid-March were 61 percent higher than at the same time last year, according to data analytics company IRI. www.consumerreports.org to properly brew coffee.
Of course, you’ll also need to have a good coffee maker to help you properly brew your drink. For anyone who needs a single-serve coffee maker that’s easy to operate, the 12-ounce capacity coffee maker by CHULUX is a popular choice among reviewers.
Aside from your standard coffee maker, there are other brewing methods you can try. These methods will change the flavor of the drink as it extracts flavor from coffee grounds differently. Three of the most common brewing methods are french press, Aeropress, and Pour-over.
French pressing your coffee will give the drink a flavorful and full-bodied taste. The bold taste of french press coffee comes from the fact that the beans retain their natural oils. However, you should keep in mind that some fine grounds can make it into your coffee, making it somewhat viscous.
AeroPress coffee is complex and has a well-bodied taste and aroma. For anyone who needs a quick cup of joe but doesn’t want to sacrifice flavor, AeroPress is a good option to consider. Although this is only a single cup coffee maker, so you can’t brew more than one cup at a time.
For those who want a smooth and somewhat juicy flavor, pour-over is the best option. The flavors in this method are toned down a bit and hold back some of the bitterness you’d get with other methods. Pour-over machines are easy to use. However, they do require more equipment than other methods.
Along with the brewing method, there are other things to keep in mind when brewing the perfect cup of coffee. Water temperature and coffee grind are the two most important aspects of having the right beans.
The ideal temperature for flavor extraction is between 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit. If you use water that is too cold, you risk a flat flavor. Water that is too hot will result in a lower quality flavor. There was a study Trusted Source (PDF) At What Temperatures Do Consumers Like to Drink Coffee?: Mixing Methods PDF | Three hundred consumers were required to mix a hot and a cooler coffee together until it was at the desired temperature for drinking. They added creamer and sweetener to taste. In a 2nd experiment, 108 consumers performed the same experiment with black coffee only but repeated it using different coffee strengths. www.researchgate.net done that found most people enjoy their coffee drink 140 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler. However, this temperature should be achieved by using cooling methods like letting it set or adding milk or sweetener.
Depending on the type of coffee drink you want, the consistency of the grind is key. If you find your drink tastes too acidic or watery, it’s likely due to coarse grinds. But, if it tastes overly bitter, the grind may be too fine. The general rule of thumb is the finer the grind, the more intense the flavor.
If you want to try your hand at grinding your own beans, you’ll use one of two coffee grinders: blade or burr. A blade grinder works much like a food processor in that it chops the beans into tiny pieces.
A burr grinder, on the other hand, crushes the beans between two burrs which results in a more even grind.
Although blade grinders are more commonly used, we recommend using a burr grinder because you eliminate the possibility of uneven, too coarse grinds. According to reviewers, the conical burr grinder by Capresso offers the most precise grinds. This makes sense since there are 16 total settings you can use.
If going through the grinding process is too intimidating, there are other ways to like coffee. Using a light roast or drinking specialty drinks are just as good at giving you a caffeine boost as a standard cup of coffee.
The great thing about light roast coffee is that you can drink it hot or iced. Light roast is perfect for a cold brew and gives you a nice mellow flavor. You could also brew it at the double the strength while on ice to give it more acidity and a bigger taste.
You know those fancy drinks you can buy hot, iced, or frozen at your nearest coffee shop? Most of them contain milk and other flavors to counteract the bitterness of coffee while also giving you the caffeine you’re craving. Mocha is one of the most common of these drinks and combines coffee with chocolate flavor to get a unique taste.
Cappuccino is an espresso drink, which means it’s slightly stronger than a standard cup of joe. To make a cappuccino, one just brews espresso coffee beans and then adds steamed milk foam.
While this is the original Italian way of preparation, many people use milk alternatives and creamers to achieve a similar result.
This drink can literally translate to “coffee and milk.” Because it requires so few ingredients, lattes are among the easiest coffee drink to make yourself. To make one, use espresso coffee beans and steamed milk. While this seems like the same thing as a cappuccino, a latte requires all of the steamed milk rather than just its foam.
Because of the caffeine level in coffee, jitters are a common side effect of drinking coffee. Luckily, there are some things you can do to prevent this from happening and alleviating it when it does:
If you’re new to the coffee game, we recommend starting off with a specialty drink. Coffee beverages like mocha, cappuccino, and latte come with added flavor from milk and other ingredients. These drinks can also be customized with other added flavors, so they’re great for all taste levels.
Coffee is definitely one of those drinks that take some getting used to for most people. The bitterness and smell can be overwhelming and trying to prepare it yourself when you don’t want a simple cup of black coffee can be stressful.
There are so many options for coffee drinks, whether specialty or not, but knowing your taste level and what you like will help you find the best drink for you. We hope our guide on how to like coffee takes some of that intimidation and stress away for you.
