Why adding salt to your coffee makes it taste less bitter
For most coffee drinkers the addition of sugar helps improve the taste (we are wholeheartedly against adding sugar – but understand that some like to add a little softener), but we often get asked about the addition of salt.
As more people are becoming ‘coffee-educated’ or ‘coffee-aware’, we see trends emerge as to how the general public consume the drink.
Whilst it might not be commonplace, more and more coffee-drinkers are starting to add a little salt to their espresso/Americano/Latte to gain a slightly different drinking experience.
Adding salt to coffee is not suddenly a new phenomenon started by some hip barista types in the ‘coolest’ cafes and coffee shops of the land, but in fact, has been going on for hundreds of years.
In Taiwan, the addition of salt to your morning coffee has been going on for some time, sea salt helps reduce the bitterness in your morning cup by somehow blocking or tricking our brain into reducing the bitterness perceived when consuming coffee.
By doing this we could end up with what some might believe is a more pleasant tasting cup of coffee, but for some of us out there that prefer our coffee to taste as intended, then it might be a little bit of a cop out.
There is no real consensus as to whether salt should be added before (within the grounds) or after brewing, again this is a personal preference and so if you’re an adventurous drinker, then a little experimentation is definitely due to find the right process for you and your morning cup of coffee!
Whilst we personally wouldn’t add salt to our coffee, we implore everyone to find a way to enjoy the joys of java by working out what they enjoy and the best way to do so is to try as many combinations, concoctions and coffees as possible.
Our speciality range is ripe for experimentation so make sure you check the entire selection out, even if you do intend to add a little salt (or sugar).