Unlike tea, I take my coffee without sugar but with milk.
Yet when it comes to black espresso, I often find it needs something to soften the sharp flavour.
It transpires there’s another ingredient that’s gained traction amongst coffee enthusiasts over the years – salt.
I’d been keen to try it for some time, but only recently got around to testing it.
Those familiar with cooking will likely appreciate how just a small amount of salt can transform a dish completely.
The same logic, it turns out, applies to coffee – and it could be the key to improving your morning cuppa.
I decided to experiment with this and was surprised by the result – it didn’t taste salty, for starters.
When you add a small amount of salt to a mediocre cup of coffee, it improves the taste.
It creates a slightly fuller mouthfeel and significantly reduces bitterness.
The method gained popularity in 2009 after food science specialist Alton Brown recommended adding salt to coffee during an episode of his cookery programme Good Eats.
He advised that for each cup of water and two teaspoons of ground coffee, half a teaspoon of salt should be added to counteract the coffee’s bitterness.
Alton explained: “Not only does salt cut the bitterness, it also smooths out the ‘stale’ taste of tank-stored water.
Research has proven that salt is actually better at neutralising bitterness than sugar.
While Brown wasn’t the pioneer of adding salt to coffee, he brought significant attention to the method.
All that was required for this technique was some hot coffee and an extremely cautious approach with the salt.
This method should be effective with any variety of black coffee.
I chose a medium-dark roast ground coffee to prepare an espresso using my moka pot.
A modest quantity of salt can have a substantial impact on coffee.
The proportions can be tailored to personal preference, though I’d recommend starting with the smallest pinch possible, particularly as I was working with a diminutive cup, an espresso cup.
Once the salt was added to the cup, I poured in the coffee and stirred it through.
Allow a moment before considering adding more, as the salt crystals need a few seconds to dissolve and for the taste to fully emerge.
The salt genuinely made a noticeable difference.
It’s important to mention that if the coffee is poor quality from the outset, no quantity of salt will rescue it.
black coffee, salt in coffee, bitterness reduction, Alton Brown, Good Eats, moka pot espresso