Learn to love black coffee.
Coffee is a religion in my house. I have deep investments in espresso hardware, including grinders, tools, etc.
Not all coffee tastes the same. Not all coffee is overly bitter. Your biggest problem could in fact be, if I had to hazard a guess, is that if you “hate black coffee” its because the black coffee you’ve had, is, frankly, shit.
I do not mean Starbucks. Starbucks is absolute shit. It’s burnt. It’s garbage. So is Dunkin. Tim Hortons is the only chain coffee I’ve found where black, drip coffee is even remotely palatable.
Ok, now that the negative harshness is out of the way…
I would advise, and I do this out of love, truly, is to learn how to prepare coffee, good coffee, effectively. The two simplest and cost effective ways to do that are, buy a decent burr grinder (not blade, please) and continue using a normal drip machine (that you clean regularly) or learn the art of the pour over (not the french press), which takes very little in tools (but does require a decent grinder) and explore that. Either way, the quality of coffee you choose is a massive factor and my thought is many folks who hate coffee are using, well, garbage coffee.
I have only been here a couple of weeks but the number of people I’ve seen talk about a disdain for black coffee is startling, and I believe fixable. So I say this out of love and wanting every single one of you to be successful; please find an alternate route that utilizes good quality coffee and yes, possibly slightly more labor intensive and potentially slightly more expensive techniques to brew. You wont take in any shitty sugars, carbs and calories, you’ll learn new skills and an appreciation for a drink that is not unlike wine in its variety, subtle tastes, and pleasurable discovery.
Off my soapbox, react harshly and downvote if you will, but for anyone open to trying to go down a path of coffee enjoyment, I am here to help.
At one of my first jobs I had a manager who told me that if I learned to take my coffee black, life is a lot simpler. It sounds silly but it’s amazing how true it is. I never have to worry about my drink being made wrong. If someone is buying me coffee or making me a cup, it’s dead simple to convey how I like it. Never have to keep creamers or syrups on hand.
100% agree with OP. Most retail drip coffee is trash and they bury the bitterness with fat and sugar. Good black coffee is tasty stuff, lots of subtleties to the flavor. Like a wine, lots of different notes and undertones.
I also found I enjoyed espresso more than coffee, and always iced. May be good for individuals to try out an americano to see if that does well for them.
If ease of access is an issue, when I was doing coffee, I had a Chemex which I really liked. It’s a pretty simple process and it doesn’t require purchasing a whole lot. I also did cold brew for a while and there’s tons of cheap vases on your preferred retailer’s website that can do it overnight with no complicated steps.
Now for my downvotable opinion: Just get a Nespresso Vertuo if you can swing it. As far as Espresso is concerned they really aren’t priced terribly and the espresso they make is actually really good. No mess.
I have been able to get used to Peet’s Major Dickason blend pretty quickly. It’s a dark coffee, but not bitter. Ditching cream was difficult, but if you power through it you can reach a point where you start to like the taste of the coffee without any additives.
I would add when doing pour-over, make sure the water is at the perfect brew temp 195-205°. I wouldn’t rule out machines, some mimic pour-over (shower head drip) and the perfect time.
And, people who consume a lot of added sugar (in food or drinks) can experience more bitterness in black coffee.
Years ago, in my 20s I only drank it black. Mid 50s now and have a bit of half and half. I make myself a cappuccino daily in my Breville espresso machine. Can you recommend a good espresso bean? There are very few choices in my local stores but I can order online. I am shamefully using the “cult” beans.
Chiming in to say I completely agree with you. Home prepared black coffee is the shit.
BUT - if you are out, Starbucks Blonde Roasts are drinkable, maybe even not bad. Pike place and their dark roast are undrinkable for sure.
Once I started buying freshly roasted beans, grinding them at home, and making my own coffee I stopped adding sugar. Till then I always added at least a teaspoon, usually more. It’s amazing how yummy coffee can be when prepared correctly! I never understood how someone could drink coffee without sugar until then.
Now I love my daily French-press coffee and don’t understand how anyone can ever enjoy the coffee sold at most shops. And don’t even get me started on instant coffee. How was anyone ever fooled into thinking that was coffee?!?!
I love black coffee. My coworker said it’s like battery acid lol she just doesn’t enjoy the insane flavors you get when drinking it that way I say. I buy one called San Antonio blend that has hints of cinnamon, delicious. Also pecan roast, amazing.
I have recently learned how true this is. I would tell everyone about the coffee I now love but I’m selfish and afraid it would sell out. It’s a small, local roaster.
That said, I had to drink a lot of awful stuff before I landed on this one.
Lol…it’s funny you say that. After drinking MD for a few years now, almost all coffee that I order in restaurants tastes like water. It’s like folks that get used to drinking a strong ale and then have a Budweiser.
Don’t put too much faith in coffee, you get heartburn and acid reflux pretty quickly, teeth staining, and elevated anxiety, bowel movements… Honestly you can buy some loose leaf green tea and it will probably outlast your coffee not to mention easier to prepare, maybe even cheaper.
My favorite combo of loose leaf is green tea and brown rice green tea… The brown rice makes it more heavy almost like a broth, you feel satiety and it’s natural unprocessed like many coffees are..
You can fill full without relying on coffee, it’s way too hit & miss and experimentation Ive found it’s not been worth the hassle at all
EDIT: for longer days try adding a pinch of salt to your coffee or teas, it really removes the bitterness!
This should help -