Quick answer: To enjoy black coffee, start with fresh, good-quality beans, brew them carefully so the cup isn’t burnt or over-extracted, and cut back on milk and sugar gradually over a few weeks rather than all at once. Try different roasts and brewing methods until you find a black coffee you actually like.
Black coffee is an acquired taste for most people, but it is easy to learn. Milk and sugar cover up the flavor of the coffee itself; once you drink it black, you start to notice how different beans and brewing methods taste.
In this guide 3 sections
How do you learn to like black coffee?
For many, drinking black coffee will be an acquired taste and most will not like it from the start. Most people are introduced to coffee with milk and sugar always being added. Milk and sugar make it almost a different drink and hide much of the coffee’s own flavor.
These steps help you find what you like in black coffee.
Try everything
The key to finding a coffee that you like is the same as everything else. First, you have to try all the coffee, good and bad, so you can understand the difference in quality and flavor. Often people simply haven’t tried really good coffee. Taste coffees from different origins: a bright Colombian or an earthy Sumatran tastes very different black, and medium roasts are often easier to start with than very dark ones.
Change the way you brew your coffee
There are so many ways to brew coffee and each imparts a different taste to the coffee. If you are looking for a way to make black coffee at home it is important to try different methods to see which will work best for you. Some may taste better but take more time to brew while others may be quick and fast but do not extract the coffee correctly.
Here are some great methods you can try for brewing coffee at home:
- Espresso Machine
- Stovetop espresso maker (Moka pot)
- AeroPress
- French press
- Coffee bag
- Siphon coffee
- Percolator
- Pour-over coffee
- Drip coffee machine
Know why you are switching
If you normally take milk and sugar, switching to black means tasting the coffee itself, and plain black coffee has almost no calories.
Cream, sugar and flavored syrups can add a lot of calories, and your taste buds will adjust if you cut back slowly.
Be consistent
When making your coffee you should try to have a recipe. By using a scale and recording everything that you do you can make the same cup of coffee every time. This lets you understand how to make minor changes to the brewing process to get the desired flavors and notes that suit your taste buds.
Cut back on cream and sugar gradually
We are not telling you to cut out all cream and sugar from your coffee cold turkey. The main thing to remember is you have to enjoy what you are drinking. You can take it slow. Instead of adding 2 spoons of sugar add 1 spoon to your next cup of coffee.
Slowly reduce the amount of sugar and milk in your coffee over the span of weeks. Every week reduce the additives in your coffee. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying black coffee without the need for any milk or sugar. In the meantime, these additions can flavor your coffee in place of cream and sugar:
- Butter
- Cacao
- Collagen powder
- Egg yolk
- Honey
- Cinnamon
- Ice
- Spices
- Protein powder
- Coconut oil
- Sea salt
- Booze!
Is black coffee good for you?
Black coffee skips the calories of cream and sugar, which is one reason it is often considered the healthiest way to drink coffee. The research on coffee and health is large and nuanced, so we cover it separately with sources in our article on the health benefits of black coffee.
Frequently asked questions
Why does black coffee taste so bitter?
Very dark roasts, stale beans, coffee left on a hot plate and over-extraction (too fine a grind or too long a brew) all make black coffee taste harsher. Fresh beans and careful brewing make it much easier to drink.
How long does it take to get used to black coffee?
It varies from person to person. Cutting the milk and sugar gradually over a few weeks, rather than stopping all at once, makes the switch easier.
What is the best coffee to drink black?
Start with freshly roasted beans in a light or medium roast and try a few origins. A smooth brewing method you enjoy, such as pour-over or a French press, matters as much as the bean.
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That’s good and informative
People don’t drink coffee black because most people think their only option is industrial burnt and bitter coffee. The key to learning to like black coffee is to find smooth coffee, i.e., not bitter and not burnt. There are several very good options there.
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