How to Enjoy Black Coffee (7 Ways)

Everyone has their preferred way of making and enjoying coffee, but black coffee is just classic, and it is still one of the most preferred ways to drink coffee.

However, the fact is that many coffee lovers still find black coffee a little too strong and bitter and hence unbearable. Hence, they will prefer to lighten or sweeten it with a variety of additives from sugar to dairy.

But, if you want to get that authentic coffee experience, it is always a great idea to drink your coffee black. The good news is that black coffee does not always have to be bitter and boring as there are several things you can do to enjoy it, and here we highlight some of them. But first, we look at what makes black coffee amazing.

Why Should You Drink Black Coffee?

Before you opt for that creamy cappuccino with lots of milk or a nice latte topped with some sweet chocolate chips, you should consider giving black coffee a try. And here are a few reasons why drinking black coffee will be a great idea.

• It has few calories – Black coffee has almost no calories at all and will hence be a great choice for those checking their weight. While this will depend on the beans used, most black coffee will have 0 to 2 calories. Hence, if you are looking for a healthier way to take coffee, black coffee is your best bet.
• It is more flavorful – While the flavor is more subjective as different people look for different things in a cup of coffee, black coffee is generally more flavorful as it allows you to enjoy all the subtle flavor notes in the coffee as they are not suppressed by additives.
• Black coffee is cheaper – Besides coffee beans and water, black coffee does not contain anything else, and this means you will not need to spend extra cash on additives which makes it more affordable. Also, with black coffee, you do not need fancy equipment such as milk frothers and steamers as you can even make it with a simple kettle over a stovetop.
• It is quick and easy to make – While most types of coffee will not take a lot of time or effort to make, black coffee is way much easier and quicker to brew than most others as you only need to steep coffee in hot water or pass hot water through coffee grounds and your brew is ready.

How to Enjoy Your Black Coffee

Now that you know some of the benefits that come with taking black coffee, the next important thing is to know how to enjoy it. While it will take some getting used to, it is still easy to enjoy some black coffee and here is how.

1. Reduce and Eventually Eliminate Sugar

Sugar is the main reason many people do not enjoy black coffee, but the unfortunate thing is that it is what many will use to try and suppress the bitterness in this coffee.

While eliminating sugar from your cup of coffee might not look easy, you can still do it with a little dedication and patience. Ideally, you should stop adding sugar to your coffee on the next cup you make, but if you find it hard you can do it gradually by reducing the spoons you add or by using other sweeteners like honey.

2. Remove the Milk/Cream

As you are eliminating sugar from your coffee, you can continue adding the milk and cream to lighten and make it more bearable. But once you can drink the coffee with no sugar at all, the next step is to remove the milk and cream.

You can do this gradually just like with sugar by adding less cream or milk and as you reduce the milk quantity, your brew will start getting darker, and you should continue reducing the milk until you can take pure black coffee.

3. Experiment with Different Roasts and Coffee Blends

The coffee beans blend and roast are two key things that will determine how your black coffee will taste. Hence, to ensure you get a more flavorful brew you need to experiment with different roasts and blends.

Black coffee allows you to enjoy even the most subtle flavor notes in your coffee, and so you can easily tell what each coffee tastes like. Some will have fruity flavor notes and others will be chocolatey and nutty and hence experimenting with different roasts and blends will help you find something you like or at least find it more bearable.

Still at the roast, going for a lighter roast is also a better idea when you want to enjoy black coffee as it is less bitter and much lighter.

4. Make your Black Coffee Properly

How you make your black coffee also matters and if you want to enjoy it you need to make sure your brew it keenly. It does not matter whether you make it use pour over, drip machine or even on a French press, you just need to make sure you get it right.

Here you need to watch out for things like the coffee grind size and quantity, water volume and temperature and also the steeping time to ensure you get the perfect brew.

5. Always Use Fresh Coffee

Using stale coffee beans or pre-ground coffee that has been on the shelf for ages, can lead to bad coffee tastes and hence making it hard to drink the coffee black without additives.

To help solve this small problem, you should always make your black coffee with fresh beans by investing in a good burr grinder and using it to grind them just before you make your coffee. Using fresh beans allows you to enjoy all the nice flavors in black coffee.

6. Spice it Up with Other Things

Sugar, cream and milk are the most common coffee additives, but they are not the only ones as there are still many other things you can use to spice up your black coffee to make it more bearable.

You can add things like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger to give your black coffee a nice kick that allows you to enjoy it more. The best thing about these spices is that they pack a myriad of health benefits and besides making black coffee tastier, they will also not add any calories.

7. Keep Your Coffee Making Equipment Clean

Dirty coffee making equipment will introduce dirt and other foreign things to your cup of coffee and hence making it less enjoyable as it will most likely be a little too bitter.

Hence, you should always clean up after every coffee-making session and also remember to rinse out the coffee maker with some warm water before use to eliminate any funky tastes.

Conclusion

Black coffee might be a little too strong and bitter for coffee drinkers that are not used to it but it is still one of the best ways to take and enjoy your cup of Java. And this is because it allows you to enjoy all the subtle flavor notes in the coffee and does not contain a lot of calories.

If you are one of the many coffee lovers that find black coffee not very enjoyable, you should know that there are ways of changing this. They will range from adjusting your coffee beans roast and blend to brewing your coffee more keenly.

You can also enjoy black coffee more by adding different spices. But, ultimately you will need to take a lot of black coffee to acquire the taste so that you can enjoy it, and so a little patience will be necessary as you transition to black coffee.