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My love for black coffee began at the age of 16 when I didn’t consume milk and had to roll with the punches. At that time, coffee houses didn’t serve coconut, soy, oatmeal, hemp, or almond milk (some plant-based alternatives that I was able to remember) as a substitute for dairy milk. So, when I came to a cafe, I often ordered an espresso. My friends were very surprised and didn’t understand how I could drink that concentrated and bitter liquid. Surprisingly, I even remember my first experience: I made a wry face. However, the taste seemed to me so unusual and no such thing that I’ve ever drunk in my life, so I returned to it more than once.
I continued drinking black coffee wherever it happened: at gas stations, in restaurants, in coffee shops, and even from vending machines where coffee cost less than half a dollar.
It didn’t take me long to get used to the coffee taste without sugar or cream. Over time, I noticed that in some places, it was quite tasty, and in some others, it was worse. I began to realize that it should not only be bitter or too watery.
A few years later, I started working as a barista and allowed the coffee industry to get the best of me. I made a lot of pour-over coffee shots and espressos, and I talked a lot to people who came to the coffee shop every day and chose black coffee. But I didn’t get a quick answer to the question of why they prefer pure coffee.
People choose it for the taste versatility. If you like cappuccino, most likely it’ll taste similar everywhere, maybe a little worse or better but much the same. Pour-over coffee will never be the same because there are a lot of countries that grow various types of coffee beans, and there are multiple ways to brew them. A lot of people work on the cultivation of high-quality beans, their processing, and proper roasting. All of them have received special education and understand the coffee origin, a proper climate, and other specifics. They will be happy if consumers start appreciating the true taste of coffee without additives.
If you didn’t like black coffee once made, remember if it was a good coffee house and if high-quality coffee was brewed. If in doubt, give it another chance. I advise you to start exploring the brewing method; maybe you’ll like a drip coffee maker or a Chemex. The coffee brewed in this way doesn’t have pronounced bitterness and too aggressive taste. You can also try an americano, which is made by adding water to an espresso. It may take you a while to get used to it, but don’t be too prejudiced.
If you want to get coffee beans for home use, check that you buy arabica, preferably a specialty class. Good beans will definitely increase the chances that you’ll love black coffee. Don’t buy cheap coffee from supermarkets where it has been stored for years, and its smell has faded. I advise you to talk to the barista in your favorite coffee house to help you choose the desired degree of roast for your brewing method.
Take it like research, and I’m sure you’ll get addicted to it. Turn the ritual of drinking coffee into something special because often we don’t love the thing itself but the process that accompanies it. If you drink black coffee every morning when you’re watching the sunrise or cooking pancakes for the family, sooner or later it’ll win your heart as well.
