How to get used to black coffee

“Why black coffee is so hard for me?” My father always complains about it to me. And I have told the secret which can make black coffee without the bitterness to him again and again. Now I’ll write these secrets to everyone!

Use quality coffee beans

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.

Grind yourself

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

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).

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 till you find an amount you like (do not use less water!).

However, if you feel too much troubled with the above steps, adding a splash of sweet milk to your coffee is always a simple way to reduce bitterness, you will get used to the taste of the black coffee eventually.