You can start by getting yourself used to the taste by starting with coffee flavor-ed products (like cakes and ice cream, for example), move onto the drink itself by making it heavily palatable first with additives (milk, or cream, and sweeteners), and cut down on them little by little, while trying out different blends and roasts to find the one you can drink black or with very little flavor alterations.
Is it possible to teach yourself to like coffee?
Yes, very much so.
People are very resourceful creatures. Over years we’ve learned many tricks to not only get ourselves used to new flavors and learn to enjoy them but alter them in ways to make them more palatable to ourselves.
With enough effort and a strategic approach, you can teach yourself how to like basically anything, coffee included.
How much time will it take to make myself like coffee?
The timeframe is different for every person.
Some may force themselves into a habit and find they cannot live without coffee in a couple of weeks, some may take months, and some may never get used to the taste of black coffee but fall in love with coffee-based beverages like latte or cappuccino.
What you do need to do is find a pace that works for you without staying complacent and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone little by little.
Does liking coffee-flavored dessert equate to liking coffee itself?
Liking coffee flavor and liking coffee isn’t necessarily connected, but there does seem to be a strong correlation.
In other words, people who are prone to liking coffee-flavored ice cream aren’t necessarily going to like coffee-the-drink, but they do have more of a chance to develop the taste for it.
While those who don’t like coffee flavor aren’t very likely to like the drink itself, especially without any additives to alter the bitter taste.
How heavily can I sweeten coffee?
In the beginning? As heavily as it takes for you to like the taste. Remember, this is the starting point, and the starting point should be finding your comfort zone.
Once that zone has been established and you start regularly incorporating coffee into your daily routine, you should start pushing yourself little by little.
It’s important to remember that this is the beginning of the journey, not the goal. Liking heavily sweetened Starbucks frappuccino isn’t the same as liking actual coffee, not by a long shot. It’s basically the dessert step in a drink form.
When should I start cutting additives (sugar, syrup, milk, cream, etc.)?
As soon as you start getting comfortable incorporating coffee into your daily routine. For some, it takes just a few days, for others a few weeks.
We’d say in 5-7 days you can start taking your coffee up a notch by cutting down on the sweetness.
How fast should I start cutting additives?
Each cut should result in a drink that’s just slightly more uncomfortable than the version before, but not so bad that you outright hate it and have to force it down. Though some have said that forcing down coffee that was still too bitter to their comfort has worked and they’d gotten used to the taste faster.
The thing is, you shouldn’t need to chug down the cup like medicine, you should be able to sit and savor it bit by bit, even if it isn’t the most enjoyable thing in the world. Once your tastebuds are used to it, you can take it up a notch again and cut down on sweeteners some more.
Which should I cut first, sugar/syrup or milk/cream?
Sugar/syrup – whichever you use to sweeten your coffee – would be a better choice to let go of first. Whilst all additives alter the taste of coffee, sugar is said to alter it the most.
If you use, say, three spoons of sugar and three splashes of cream to sweeten your coffee, adding just two splashes isn’t likely to have a significant effect, but cutting a spoon of sugar likely will.
You can even increase your cream serving once you cut out all sugar/syrup since the taste is going to be quite different at first (if you’re just slightly uncomfortable and can take it though? Don’t).
How do I transition to black coffee?
The hardest transition is likely going to be that last splash of cream/milk and black coffee, as fully unsweetened coffee is still going to be a shock to tastebuds.
Try it with some kind of a dessert the first few times to offset the bitterness, but make sure it’s not a very sugary one, as that’ll kill the whole point. Something like a biscotti will do.
Which coffee roast should I get?
Start your transition to black coffee with light/blonde roast, they have a more mellow, softer, smooth taste that is easier to take for newly transitioned black coffee drinkers.
While you drink blonde roast black, you can start sneaking in diluted medium and dark roasts as well.
A standard americano, for example? That’s usually diluted medium or dark roast. Medium roast does have more acidity, so it actually might be better to try a diluted dark roast first.
Which coffee blend should I get?
Ask a barista at a nearby coffee shop about flavor profiles. New drinkers might like more chocolaty and fruity tastes better, while more complicated bitter, citrusy, smoky, and woody tastes may be offputting.
Highly acidic blends are also a hit or miss, as not even all coffee connoisseurs enjoy high acidity in their coffee. That’s purely a matter of preference.
How should I brew my coffee?
If you’re just transitioning to drinking black coffee, then try brewing a cup with a V60 filter. It may take a little time, but if you put in some effort, you’ll get a drink that’s naturally sweeter and easier to drink.
I still don’t like unsweetened coffee, what do I do?
Latte, flat white, and cappuccino are all still legit coffee drinks, so if you learn to like them without any added sugars – then congrats, you might not be a coffee connoisseur, but you’ve taught yourself to like coffee.
Some may not consider that ideal, but in the end, as long as you enjoy a cuppa without its taste being altered beyond all recognition – it’s all good in our books.
(We’d even argue that certain coffee blends bloom in milk and taste much better than on their own, but that’s another story).
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.