Coffee ranks as the 3rd most-consumed beverage globally, with over 400 million cups consumed daily in the US alone. However, as popular as this beverage is, not everyone enjoys it. Here, I shall discuss the reasons why some people might dislike this beverage and how to start liking coffee.
How to Start Liking Coffee
Let’s face it, coffee is not an easy beverage to love, especially when it is poorly prepared. Several factors contribute to coffee dislike in people -while some might have had a bad first experience with the beverage that changed their impression about it permanently, some others might have decided they do not like the beverage even without tasting it.
The process of liking coffee is mainly a personal one, it is a personal preference to either like or dislike the beverage. If you are going to work towards liking coffee, then it is important to first consider the reasons why most people do not like coffee.
Problem With the Taste
Modern coffee is made out of roasted coffee beans which gives coffee its signature bitter taste. Depending on the intensity at which the beans were roasted, the end product, your cup of coffee, could either be very bitter or mildly bitter. This bitter taste is one of the leading reasons why many people do not like coffee.
Health Concerns
Concerns for your health could be another reason why you dislike coffee. A good number of the population of people that consume coffee do so because it helps them remain sharp, focused, and energetic throughout the day. This function is possible because of the caffeine content of coffee.
As a result, if you have problems sleeping, you might think to avoid or dislike coffee altogether.
Addiction
Due to its caffeine content, coffee has some addictive properties. Regular consumption of coffee could cause mild dependence, thanks to its effects on the brain, and the feeling that it provides. Also, coffee withdrawal could trigger some symptoms, including headache, fatigue, irritability, and anxiety. These could very well contribute to the reasons you might dislike the beverage.
Expense
To be honest, coffee is quite an expensive habit to keep up. One cup of coffee might not cost enough to make a dent in your purse, however, consume an average of three cups daily for a whole year, and you might begin to notice that a considerable amount of your money is going into fueling the habit.
Tips to Start Liking Coffee
If you dislike coffee, there is a high chance that you were able to relate to some or all of the reasons explained above. Fortunately, there are solutions to each one of those reasons, and if you practice them properly, it’s only a matter of time before your affection for coffee begins to grow.
Go for a Light or Medium Roast
Coffee beans have to go through a roasting process to get their flavor, aroma, and black color. The length of time that coffee is roasted has a direct impact on its taste, and automatically, its level of bitterness. There are three main types of coffee roasts:
- Light
- Medium, and
- Dark roasts
Ideally, coffee that is roasted for a prolonged time (dark roasts) would have an extremely bitter taste and a woody, burnt, and generally unpleasant aftertaste. Light or medium roasts, however, are subjected to less temperature and so they tend to be sweeter, lighter, and better flavored. Basically, you stand a better chance of liking lighter roasts than darker roasts.
Soften the Taste
Thankfully, there are certain additives that you can include in your coffee to make it less ‘coffee-y’, and make the bitterness less pronounced. You could:
- Add milk or coffee creamer to make it taste more creamy
- Add sugar, honey, or flavored creamers to make it sweeter
- Add a pinch of salt to black coffee to reduce the bitterness and increase the overall taste
- Add natural flavors such as cardamom and cinnamon to increase the flavor of the coffee, as well as offer more health benefits
Change Preparation Method
The preparation method also significantly affects the taste of coffee. To reduce its bitterness, you could:
- Use cooler water to brew, thus reducing the extraction of organic acids that could make the coffee more bitter
- Use a coarse ground coffee, rather than a smoothly grounded one
- Steep the coffee for a shorter time
Discover the Health Benefits of Coffee
If you dislike coffee because you have health concerns, taking a closer look at the health benefits that the beverage offers might make you less averse to it. These health benefits could change how you feel about coffee and help you to start worrying less about its side effects. They include:
- Increased energy levels
- Improvement in brain health
- Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
- Reduced risk of depression
- Increased alertness and focus
- Support for heart health
Reduce Coffee Acidity
If your dislike for coffee is a result of its high acidity, which makes it very painful for you to consume the beverage, the good news is that there are certain things that you could do to reduce the acidity of coffee. They include:
- Adding a small amount of bicarbonate sodium (baking soda) into your cup of coffee to balance out its acidic content
- Adding some almond milk into your coffee, which is alkaline and so can help reduce the acidity of your coffee as well as provide you with extra flavor and milkiness
- Adding a little amount of acid reducer into your coffee cup to neutralize its acidic content
Practice Routine Drinking
If you dislike coffee because you are worried about getting addicted, starting a coffee routine could help you to consume in moderation, thus ensuring that you don’t develop a physical dependence on the beverage. Your coffee routine could either be a cup before your daily workout, a cup during breakfast, or a cup every other day.
Make Your Coffee at Home
If you dislike coffee because it is too expensive, making your coffee at home is one of the most effective ways to cut costs without having to reduce the quantity or quality of your coffee. It offers you control over the flavor, taste, and serving of your coffee, thus quickening the rate at which you are liking the beverage, and guaranteeing you premium satisfaction.
To make your coffee at home, all you need to do is purchase a coffee maker, a coffee grinder, or already ground coffee, and a few minutes of your time. There are several brewing methods, and you get to experiment with them all and choose the one that works best for you.
Before long, you’ll most likely find yourself falling in love with coffee and the coffee-making process as well.
Related Questions
What Is the Best Coffee Type for Starters?
The best types of coffee for starters include the following:
-Latte
-Mocha
-Cappuccino
-Chai latte
-Americanos
-Caramel macchiato
Coffee can be prepared in a wide range of ways, and each of these ways leads to a unique end product. If you have never tried coffee before, and want to ease your way into liking the beverage
Can Coffee Facilitate Weight Loss?
Yes, coffee can facilitate weight loss. It composes caffeine which enhances metabolism, increases energy levels, and can boost weight loss overall.
Conclusion
When trying to overcome your dislike for coffee, you have to be patient with yourself. Rather than force your tastebuds and stomach to enjoy the beverage, you should rather practice all of the tips I have provided above, and that’s how you can start liking coffee.
