When the waitress at your favorite diner asks you how much cream and sugar, do you wish you could say “none for me, I only drink black coffee”. Or maybe, you want some truth behind that (definitely not overused) pickup line, I like my coffee like I like my…

We get it, it’s pretty badass to drink a cup of coffee straight. The only issue is, you can’t stand the taste of black coffee!

You’re not alone! Did you know that only 35% like to drink their coffee black? With all of the Pumpkin Spice Lattes, caramel macchiatos, and frozen mochas out there, it’s no wonder that you haven’t had a good reason to cut the cream and sugar! Until now, that is.

Just To Be Clear, What Is Black Coffee?

It’s pretty straightforward, black coffee is just coffee! Take out all of the cream, sugar, artificial sweeteners, flavor shots, milk, almond milk, soy milk, well, you get it. Black coffee is the delicious liquid that comes straight out of the coffeemaker, uncontaminated by everything that masks the tasting notes of the bean.

The cool thing about drinking your coffee black is that the brewing method you choose actually changes how your coffee tastes. A dark roast might taste smoky and chocolatey with a pour over, but will have citrus notes in a siphon!

Later on in this article, we’ll break down a couple brewing methods and roasts that you will actually enjoy drinking black! But for now, let’s learn a bit more.

Is Learning to Drink Black Coffee Worth It?

If you can’t stand the taste of black coffee, is it really worth doing something you don’t enjoy? Short answer: yes! Like a fine scotch, black coffee is an acquired taste.

In a lot of ways, you can draw a several parallels between an aged scotch and black coffee.

First – Origin

A scotch connoisseur is able to tell the difference between a scotch born in a Speyside distillery and one created in the Highlands. A coffee aficionado is able to tell the difference between a bean grown in Ethiopia and one grown in the forests of Guatemala! You’ll get a feeling for the subtleties of different origins, the time of year the bean was grown, and even the type of soil in the region.

Second – Distillation Process

Just like a dark alcohol, how you make your coffee dictates, almost as much as the beans you’re using, how your coffee will taste!

Looking for a great way to bring out the fruity, floral notes of a light roast? Check out brewing with a siphon. Looking for a darker, chocolatey, even smokey taste of a darker roast? Brew yourself a cup of pour over coffee!

You can experiment with different combinations of your favorite beans, brewing with different methods. While you may be making delicious cup after delicious cup, the best is waiting for you to find it!

Third – Quality Ingredients

Never really understood what all the hype is all about with organic, fair-trade beans. Well, it’s probably because you’re drowning your expensive roast in cream and sugar!

Another reason why you’re probably not enjoying black coffee already, you’re buying pre-ground, low-quality beans and losing all the flavor! Below, we look into a few simple ways that you can improve the taste of your coffee.

How Do I Learn To Enjoy Black Coffee?

Tip 1: Invest in better equipment

This is the number one mistake that most people make! Cheap drip coffee makers, the coffee makers that most people have, heat the water to too high of a temperature. This burns the beans and makes your fresh pot of coffee taste bitter!

If you’re looking to stick with drip coffee, there are plenty of great machines out there that won’t burn your beans!

Tip 2: Buy better beans

Pre-ground and cheap beans tend to taste worse because they are grown in inferior soil, roasted incorrectly, and exposed to the air. Even in a container meant to preserve grounds, coffee will quickly lose its flavor!

Our advice: buy quality, whole coffee beans! Don’t skimp on the quality of the beans that you buy and wait until right before brewing to grind your beans. A quality grinder doesn’t have to be expensive!

Tip 3: Find the right roast for you

It’s not just the origin of the bean that matters! Did you know that there are dozens of different types of roasts?

From Half City to French, the spectrum of roasts out there allows you to choose from lighter, more complex coffee to darker, more robust brews.

We strongly recommend that you pick a couple of different roasts to try, keep notes as you drink them, and really start to figure out what your preferences are!

Tip 4: Experiment with different brewing methods

This, like the quality of your beans, makes a HUGE difference in how your coffee will taste! We’ve probably written guides on brewing methods that you didn’t even know existed!

Buying quality coffee equipment isn’t as expensive as it seems. If you’re in the habit of picking up a drink from Starbucks a couple times a week, there’s a good chance that brewing better coffee at home can actually cost less than your morning coffee run!

Tip 5: Practice, practice, practice

You probably won’t make a great cup of pour over the first time that you try, or the second, or maybe even the third! Good coffee is all about timing and technique, and that takes practice!

Before you try a new technique, go ahead and check out our guides for great tips, a comprehensive list of equipment needed, and common mistakes beginners make!

Tip 6: Make sure you’re drinking out of the right mug

This may sound weird, but the mug that you’re drinking out of can actually affect how you’re tasting your coffee! From texture, to material, to size, be smart about what you’re drinking out of!

TL;DR – Why You Should Drink Black Coffee

  • You’ll experience the subtleties of different beans, roasts, and brewing methods
  • It’s better for you! Ditch the cream, sugar, artificial sweeteners, etc
  • The coffee you brew at home will be better than almost any coffee shop
  • It’s cheaper! Which also frees up your funds to splurge on some nice brewing equipment

Before You Go!

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