Not all people prefer the strong acidic flavor of the coffee. If you’re one of those people, you should try drinking weak coffee to develop your taste.
This article discusses the most effective ways that will help you understand how to make weak coffee. Read each method carefully so that you can make a cup of coffee more to your liking.
How to Make Weak Coffee
Most people like coffee with a strong aroma and bold flavor. However, there is no shame in liking weak coffee because it’s a matter of your personal preferences. Use any of the following methods to make weak coffee that you can enjoy.
Reduce Brewing Time
Reducing the brewing time is one of the most common and effective ways to make weak coffee. The longer the brewing duration, the bolder the flavor profile and the higher the caffeine level in your drink. It’s one of the reasons why Filter coffee and French Press are bitter and have higher caffeine content.
Brewing coffee for two minutes will extract less flavor and caffeine than brewing it for five or more minutes. As a result, you’ll have a weak cup of coffee. Ideally, you should not reduce your brewing time by more than 30 percent as it will increase the risk of ending up with coffee having an unpleasant taste.
Dilute Your Coffee
The strength and taste of your coffee highly depend on the ratio of water and coffee grounds. The higher the amount of water the weaker the coffee will be. So, adding water to a strong cup of coffee is the easiest way to make it weak.
If you have already brewed a stronger coffee, all you need to do is to add some hot water until it reaches your desired consistency and strength. But if you haven’t brewed your coffee yet, you’ll need to add more water to your coffee maker’s tank than you’re supposed to.
For example, if you usually add five cups of water to your device’s water tank, add seven instead. Ideally, you need to use six ounces of water against one tablespoon of coffee grounds to make a strong brew. In order to make it weaker, you’ll need to add eight to 10 ounces of water per one tablespoon of coffee grounds.
Important Note: If you have cold coffee, just throw four to five ice cubes in it to make it weaker.
Use Different Grind Size
Changing the grind size will affect the taste and flavor profile of your coffee. Generally, you should use coarse coffee grounds to make weak coffee because they’re permeable. Water will flow through coarse coffee grounds more quickly and extract less flavor.
However, it also depends on the brewing method and equipment you’re using. For example, you can use a fine or medium size grind in your siphon, French Press, or cold brew coffee maker.
The water would flow through these grounds easily and it’ll lessen the extracted flavors. When it comes to pour-over or Moka pots, consider using coarse grind size to make weak coffee.
Use Light Roasts
The strength of your coffee also depends on the type of roast you use. There are three types of roasts, which are light, medium, and dark. Using a light roast is your best bet to make weak coffee. It’ll have a fruity and delicate taste with floral hints.
Keep in mind that in terms of caffeine, the light roast will produce a stronger coffee. However, it has fewer oily mixtures, which is one of the factors that make the coffee offer a strong taste. If you also want to minimize the amount of caffeine in your coffee, consider using a decaf light roast.
Reduce Extraction Percentage
If you don’t already know, only 30 percent of coffee grounds are soluble in water. That’s the reason why you always have some leftover coffee grounds after the brewing process. There are multiple factors that influence the extraction percentage of coffee including temperature, water, and brewing time.
Extracting a low percentage of compounds present in your coffee grounds will allow you to make weak coffee. The best way to achieve that is to decrease your brewing temperature. Usually, the temperature to brew coffee ranges from 190 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
Decreasing this temperature by 20 to 30 degrees will keep the water from extracting all the acids and compounds that provide coffee with its flavor and body. Resultantly, you’ll have an under-extracted and weak cup of coffee.
Important Note: During the brewing process, acids dissolve earlier in water than other compounds. That’s why under-extracted coffee almost always has a bit of a sour taste.
Let Coffee Beans Absorb Moisture
Coffee beans are hygroscopic in nature, which means they absorb water molecules present in the surrounding air. This process starts when you open the sealed bag of your coffee beans. They also begin to lose their freshness and flavor.
You can place your coffee beans in an open container for five to seven days before using them. During that period, your coffee beans will oxidize to diminish their oil content and they’ll become less flavorful. Then you can use them using a standard method to brew weak coffee.
It won’t taste as great as a cup of coffee that fresh beans produce, but it’ll have a significantly weaker taste. In addition, it’s completely safe to use stale coffee beans because they’re not harmful to your health. The only downside is the unpleasant taste that you can improve using sweetener or dairy products.
Use Add-Ons
You can use add-ons such as milk, cream, and sweeteners to your coffee, according to your taste, to make it taste weak. Keep in mind that it won’t reduce the amount of caffeine and other compounds in your coffee. It’ll only make the flavor of the drink milder to keep you from experiencing the strong and bold taste.
Add Salt
The bitter and acidic taste of coffee makes it stronger and using salt will allow you to block that bitterness. According to a study, salt can block unpleasant flavors such as bitterness and enhance sweetness. You only need to add a pinch of salt to your cup of coffee to make it taste weaker.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following is the list of most frequently asked questions about making weak coffee.
What Makes Coffee Weak or Strong?
The amount of TDCS (Total Dissolved Coffee Solids) makes coffee weak or strong. The higher the amount of TDCS the stronger the coffee and vice versa. You can use any of the methods discussed above to reduce the amount of total dissolved coffee solids to make your coffee weak.
What Is the Most Effective Way to Make Weak Coffee?
Adding water to your brewed coffee or increasing the water amount while brewing is the most effective and commonly used method to make weak coffee. Ideally, six ounces of water is used against one tablespoon of coffee grounds. But you’ll need to increase the amount of water to eight or 10 ounces for the same ground coffee amount. Adding any more water will produce coffee with a bland and unpleasant taste.
Final Words
Making a weak cup of coffee doesn’t have to be a difficult task. You only need to make sure that you use the right method to make coffee. Not only will it be weak but it’ll also offer a good taste that you can enjoy.
You can also experiment with different methods by changing the brewing time and temperature, grind size, roast type, and water amount a few times. It’ll allow you to figure out the best way to make a cup of coffee that suits your taste the best.
