How To Make Coffee Taste Good In 4 Simple Steps

Are you wondering how to make coffee taste good by transforming boring regular java into an amazing experience? If you answered ‘yes,’ this article is for you.

How to make coffee taste good
There are an incredible number of ways you can make your morning cup of coffee

A cup of coffee is a great way to start the day. It helps reduce symptoms of fatigue, boost focus, and it can even be good for your health when consumed in the right amounts.

That being said, some people simply don’t like the taste of a regular cup of black coffee. The good news is that there are an incredible number of ways you can make your morning cup of joe taste that bit better.

There Might Be An Easy Fix

If your coffee doesn’t taste good, there might be an issue with the coffee maker, coffee beans, or brewing method you are using.

Or perhaps you don’t like the taste of plain black coffee. The good news is that there are so many different types of coffee out there that you’re bound to find one you like. And if you want to stick with your normal routine of a regular coffee, you can spruce it up with an array of additions that are sure to make it taste great.

Here are four steps that could help you improve your next cup of coffee.

Step 1: Start With Quality Beans

The first thing you need to consider when aiming to make your coffee taste better is the quality of the beans you are using. Fresh, high-quality beans will give you an improved taste straight away.

When choosing coffee beans, it’s always a good idea to talk to a barista in your favorite coffee shop. They will guide you on where the best place in the locality is to source quality fresh coffee. Whether you choose Arabica or Robusta beans will come down to your individual taste.

If you are determined to stick with instant coffee, you should go for premium brands that offer a fresher taste. Amazon reviews are a great way to get a feel for what is good and what’s not.

However, if you are looking for the freshest taste and the best coffee, brewing coffee in a French press or other coffee maker is a better option. Experiment with different roasters and roast profiles, too, as light, medium, and dark roasts suit different people’s coffee-loving tastes.

You might even want to consider the region your coffee beans come from. Each region’s coffee beans have a distinctive taste and aroma.

Step 2: Grind Your Own Beans

To truly get the best-tasting coffee, you should buy whole beans and use your grinder to grind them at home. Once you have the ground coffee, you can use any number of brewing methods to get the best cup and that ideal coffee flavor.

Loose and cleaning burr of coffee grinder
Burr grinders deliver a superior result and have a better quality

As soon as coffee is ground, it begins to lose its freshness. Thus, if you are using your own grinder at home, you are getting the freshest possible cup of joe.

There are electric and manual grinders, both having advantages and disadvantages. When choosing an electric coffee grinder, you can pick between a blade or a burr model. Burr grinders use two plates that rub against each other to crush the beans.

While blade grinders are the fastest and most affordable, burr grinders are better quality and deliver superior results. Most types of electric grinders are quicker than manual ones, so those who make large batches of coffee grounds need an electric model to get that consistent grind size they’ll be looking for.

Step 3: Use The Right Water

The quality of the water being used is an often ignored element of brewing the perfect cup of coffee. And that seems ridiculous to us, as it’s such an integral part of the coffee brewing experience.

Clean, filtered water is what works best. Either an automatic tap filter or an external water filter is an excellent option to ensure you’re getting the best water for your brew.

You can use a coffee filter to filter water, but not all filters work well when used in this way. Depending on the type of coffee you are going for, you will also need to get the coffee-to-water ratio right. For instance, with an Americano, it’s a 2:1 water-to-coffee ratio.

If you’re making your coffee with a French press, you should also be wary of waiting too long to use the plunger and pour your coffee. When beans are soaked in water for an extended length of time, there can be over-extraction.

Step 4: Experiment With Brewing Methods

We briefly discussed the impact that brewing methods have on the taste of coffee. Which one you go for will depend on your own preferences. However, it should be noted that the variation between all of them produces a different taste, with the coffee taste being stronger or weaker depending on the method used.

To discover your preferences, you will need to experiment. With the likes of Chemex, espresso coffee machines, Moka pots, drip coffee, cold brew, Aeropress, and many others, out there, your list of options is a long one.

Improving A Brewed Cup Of Coffee

The above options are great if you are looking to improve your next cup of coffee. However, if you have already made the cup of joe and you want to improve its taste, then there are some options available to you.

The traditional way of flavoring coffee involves adding one or more high-calorie options to your coffee. Here are some of our favorite options.

Refined Sugar

The most common way to sweeten black coffee is to add refined sugar. Be warned, though, as excess refined sugar also causes a sudden rise and drop in insulin levels, which can leave you depleted of energy, also known as a sugar crash.

Once the crash hits, many people often reach for another cup of coffee to feel re-energized. This not only repeats the cycle but also racks up calories.

Whole Milk Or Heavy Cream

For some people, the addition of sugar alone isn’t enough to mask the bitter taste of black coffee, so they will also add milk or cream to help improve the taste, as well as the texture.

Flavored Coffee Creamers

Many powdered flavored coffee creamers are free of milk, and some are also lactose-free, which enables those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk to still enjoy the creamy, rich taste of cream but without the dairy – but always read the ingredients first. They also come in a wide range of flavors for the coffee of your dreams.

Flavored Coffee Syrups

Flavored coffee syrups enable you to recreate your own rendition of your favorite coffee shop coffee at home with popular flavors such as vanilla, caramel, and hazelnut. Since they also contain sugar, they can also cause you to have a sugar crash. However, enjoyed in moderation, they are a brilliant option for sprucing up your coffee.

Whipped Cream

Adding whipped cream to your coffee as a finishing touch is another coffeehouse favorite that many people also repeat at home. It’s not the healthiest option if you are having more than one cup per day, but it sure is delicious.

How To Make Coffee Taste Good Without Extra Calories

Of course, the options listed above might not be for everyone as they are all quite calorific. If you are on a diet or watching your calories, adding cream to your coffee every day might not be the best idea.

But worry not, as there are several ways you can improve a cup of brewed pre-ground coffee without having to worry about it being unhealthy. Making your coffee taste good without calories may sound impossible or maybe even outright boring; however, many coffee drinkers have found success using the following low-calorie hacks:

Add A Pinch Of Salt

Adding a pinch of salt to your coffee grounds helps bring out the natural sweetness in the coffee, which helps make it more palatable without adding calories. However, the key is to only add a small amount of salt to the grounds, as adding too much salt to the coffee can ruin its taste.

Add Cinnamon

Cinnamon adds a natural burst of sweetness to a flavorful cup of coffee.

Cinnamon adds a delightful flavor to many desserts, which is why it is commonly used as a natural sweetener in many recipes. When you add it to coffee, it enhances the taste without the calories or sugar.

An added bonus is that it also has some health benefits. It is high in antioxidants and can help lower blood sugar levels and help prevent tooth decay and bad breath.

For a seasonal treat, you could also add a hint of nutmeg or your favorite pumpkin spice blend to black coffee for a low-calorie version of a pumpkin spice latte. We personally love that seasonal hack and would recommend it to anyone.

Add Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Unsweetened cocoa powder is another ingredient that adds tons of natural sweetness and flavor to your coffee, and it is also full of antioxidants.

For a low-calorie cocoa drink, add a sprinkle of cocoa powder to your black coffee for a chocolaty flavor that stands good on its own. However, stick to just one teaspoon of cocoa powder to limit the increase in calories.

For a chocolate mint coffee, which is also becoming a popular choice in many coffee shops, add a fresh mint leaf or two to your low-calorie mocha coffee. Mint also contains valuable antioxidants, and it may even help to boost your mood. Having chocolate flavor included in your drink can help you avoid bitter coffee.

Add A Flavored Extract

Adding a flavored extract, such as vanilla extract, to your black coffee helps give it a vanilla taste similar to French vanilla coffee syrup but without the added sugar and calories.

To flavor your coffee using a flavored extract, add just a few drops of the liquid to your coffee pot or cup, or you can add it to the coffee beans before brewing. The longer you allow the extract to soak into the beans, the better the coffee will taste. The result is great-tasting coffee.

Try A Sugar-Free Coffee Syrup

If you are adamant about enjoying your coffee with your favorite coffee syrup, but would still like to cut calories, opt for a sugar-free version of your favorite coffee syrup instead. In fact, there is a myriad of sugar-free coffee syrup flavors available online. There are even some options that only use natural ingredients and flavorings.

Opt For A Sugar Alternative

Stevia leaves and stevia powder
Stevia is one of the sugar alternatives

Adding a few sprinkles of a sugar alternative, such as Stevia, to your pour-over black coffee adds intense sweetness without having to add spoonfuls of refined sugar, which can add a lot of calories.

There are different sugar alternatives available, each with its own unique taste, benefits, and controversies, so try different types until you find one that you like. You will have fun experimenting with different tastes.

Try Flavored Coffee Beans

Flavored coffee beans are simply coffee beans that have been roasted and then infused with flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and more. In doing so, it changes the tasting profile of the coffee without additional calories, which helps eliminate the need to add various high-calorie additives that can add up.

Author

  • Cian Murray

    Cian Murray is an experienced writer and editor, who graduated from Cardiff University’s esteemed School of Journalism, Media and Culture. His work has been featured in both local and national media, and he has also produced content for multinational brands and agencies. Find Cian on muckrack.com.