shinobi602
Member
I might be an unusual case, because things I disliked when I was younger I still dislike today just as much when my wife forces me to try them again. Okra is a prime example.
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Is Coffee and acquired taste? Coffee Noobie
- Thread starter SnakeSlashRO
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I might be an unusual case, because things I disliked when I was younger I still dislike today just as much when my wife forces me to try them again. Okra is a prime example.
Really? Maybe it is just the way things are prepared. What do you hate to try?
Kacho
Member
Starbucks is bitter and harsh. Not a good gateway coffee imo unless you get a Carmel Macchiato or something.
I think bitterness in general is an aquired taste, or at least something you start to get a taste for as you get older. Take unsweetened ice tea for example. I would have never thought I could drink that when I was younger, but I like it now. I have lost the taste for sweeter stuff like soda as well.
shinobi602
Member
I don't hate to try anything. I'm Lebanese American, so I'm introduced to tons of foods pretty frequently. I will try almost anything. Being in my mid twenties, I'm just sure of my tastes. If I find something pretty disgusting upon tasting it, I don't want to "acquire" the taste. I will move on. That's a waste of my time really lol.
MikeE21286
Member
I really don't like coffee...
I mean I could stand it if it's filled with sugar and cream and what not, but then it's like I'm drinking a dessert at 730am. Seems kinda ridiculous.
I mean I could stand it if it's filled with sugar and cream and what not, but then it's like I'm drinking a dessert at 730am. Seems kinda ridiculous.
THIS.
You'll go through the "I only have coffee when it's in frappucinos or ice cream" phase
... then you'll wake up with 2 hours of sleep one day and buy a coffee from some crappy place like McDonalds/Tim Hortons/Dunkin Donuts with a crapload of sugar (it'll still taste like crap to you) ... then you drink another and it'll get better and better .. then you start lowering the sugar and moving onto a place like Starbucks.
Next thing you know, you'll enjoy drinking coffee with half a pack of sugar or black.
I was just more curious which foods you don't like. It isn't always about "acquiring" a taste but rather preparing the food in question in a different manner than what you have tried before. I am not trying to change your mind on anything I am just genuinely curious.
Sugar in coffee just tastes so wrong to me, I never used it and whenever I try it, it is just awful. When I was in NYC I ordered a regular coffee thinking it would be black, but instead he proceeds to scoop in 3 spoonfuls of sugar and fills half the cup with cream. Fucking disgusting.
Starbucks isn't good coffee. They over-roast their beans, which is where much of the nasty bitterness is coming from, and their baristas are very rarely trained properly to pull good espresso shots, which are probably over-extracted.
Coffee is a naturally bitter drink, but it should never be so much as to make you scrunch up your face at the taste or anything. If you ever feel you have to put milk into a coffee to make it genuinely, no-hyperbole drinkable, then there's probably something not right with the coffee itself. It's very easy to fuck up. Although maybe there is an element of acquiring the taste for some people, I dunno.
Come on.
Deified Data
Banned
Used to hate it, but it was free in my office after college. (I preferred energy drinks at the time)
So, my quest with Coffee began. Try different flavored creamers.
lol, this. I can't stand coffee until it's more chocolate milk than coffee.
Give me a break. The caffeine aspect of it can even be drawback. I love the taste, but I don't want to get completely strung out on caffeine, so I have to pace myself more than I would otherwise.
If someone put goddamn cow juice into my coffee, I'd break their face. Black coffee is the true, pure way.
ReturnOfTheRAT
Member
I discovered coffee in Junior High. It was an excuse to drink copious amounts of sugar and cream. I got tired of it quickly and haven't returned to it since 1997. Caffeine has not effect on me positive or negative, so drinking it was just for the sweetness.
Confidence Man
Member
Carefully made coffee shouldn't be very bitter at all. Though outside of investing in the equipment and stuff to make it yourself it's a crapshoot what you're going to get. Most franchise coffee I'd sooner dump on the ground than drink.
GillianSeed79
Member
I drink it black. I'd say it's more of an acquired taste. I can say I really like the taste, but then again it may have to do with the fact that it's my main source of caffeine, i.e. there's some brain chemistry going on where my brain thinks caffeine=good, therefore coffee=good.
I'd say if you don't like the taste, try hot tea. If you want to give coffee a chance, maybe start with more sugary coffee drinks like a capuccino or latte's and work your way up. If you don't like the bitter taste of coffee, try adding a lot of creme. I honestly thing adding sugar makes it taste like shit, but some people like it. I don't get it.
I'd say if you don't like the taste, try hot tea. If you want to give coffee a chance, maybe start with more sugary coffee drinks like a capuccino or latte's and work your way up. If you don't like the bitter taste of coffee, try adding a lot of creme. I honestly thing adding sugar makes it taste like shit, but some people like it. I don't get it.
ExitPlanetDust
Member
A large percentage of coffee from the supermarket is meh. I would go as far as to say that most of it is out of date, despite what the "best by" date says. It might be something you can enjoy/tolerate once you develop a taste for coffee.
Try finding a local coffee trader. These are usually going to be mom n' pop organizations. We have a fantastic trader here in Austin: Texas Coffee Traders. You can chat with the friendly staff who are more than willing to discuss just about everything coffee related. They will give you tips on brewing etc.
Without getting too technical:
Beans should come from properly ripened berries. A lot of the mass produced brands usually contain beans from unevenly ripened stock. This gives you an uneven flavor.
It's best to buy coffee beans whole, but if you don't have a grinder that isn't an option (I don't). For the freshest taste, buy coffee that has been rosted within the last 3 to 5 days. The bitter taste usually comes from coffee that has been stored too long. A properly brewed fresh roast should provide you with a refreshing beverage that shouldn't need to be loaded down with cream and sugar.
The same kind of bean can be roasted several different ways. Make sure to try light and dark rosts. Dark roasts generally contain more caffeine, but light roasts are usually more acidic. I usually stick with dark rosts because the decreased acidity is easier on my stomach and I find them to be a smoother beverage overall.
I recommend using a stainless steel filter for brewing if you are using a drip coffee maker. It will bring out more of the flavor. A paper filter is going to absorb some of the oil during the brew and can take away from the flavor. Though paper filters can sometimes assist in removing some of the harshness of lower quality coffees. The best brew is going to come from a french press, but there is a slight learning curve to get a good brew and they aren't for everyone.
I hope some of that helps.
Try finding a local coffee trader. These are usually going to be mom n' pop organizations. We have a fantastic trader here in Austin: Texas Coffee Traders. You can chat with the friendly staff who are more than willing to discuss just about everything coffee related. They will give you tips on brewing etc.
Without getting too technical:
Beans should come from properly ripened berries. A lot of the mass produced brands usually contain beans from unevenly ripened stock. This gives you an uneven flavor.
It's best to buy coffee beans whole, but if you don't have a grinder that isn't an option (I don't). For the freshest taste, buy coffee that has been rosted within the last 3 to 5 days. The bitter taste usually comes from coffee that has been stored too long. A properly brewed fresh roast should provide you with a refreshing beverage that shouldn't need to be loaded down with cream and sugar.
The same kind of bean can be roasted several different ways. Make sure to try light and dark rosts. Dark roasts generally contain more caffeine, but light roasts are usually more acidic. I usually stick with dark rosts because the decreased acidity is easier on my stomach and I find them to be a smoother beverage overall.
I recommend using a stainless steel filter for brewing if you are using a drip coffee maker. It will bring out more of the flavor. A paper filter is going to absorb some of the oil during the brew and can take away from the flavor. Though paper filters can sometimes assist in removing some of the harshness of lower quality coffees. The best brew is going to come from a french press, but there is a slight learning curve to get a good brew and they aren't for everyone.
I hope some of that helps.
StylesTrip
Member
I try to only drink flavored coffee (hazelnut, butter toffee).
If it's regular coffee, I stay away from it or drink a small amount if it's the only kind available.
If it's regular coffee, I stay away from it or drink a small amount if it's the only kind available.
SnakeSlashRO
Banned
That's completely wrong. It's very good for you, as long as you don't put sugar or milk in it.
And yeah, I suppose it's an acquired taste. Started out like most in highschool and drank it with cream and sugar. Several years ago I realized I'd like to know the difference between good and bad coffee, and you can't tell the difference if all you taste is sugar. So I started drinking it black, haven't gone back. Black coffee is a good pre-workout drink as well.
shinobi602
Member
I would say preparation has a lot to do with it actually. But off the top of my head, uhh, I really can't think of too much. I despise okra and strongly dislike licorice
I would say it's more of beverages than food. I strongly dislike coffee, beer (alcohol), and root beer.
Much like a complex bear (aka. beer), coffee tends to be something that people appreciate more as they--and their taste buds--mature and become more "experienced." Also, as people mature they tend to drink beverages for enjoyment purposes, rather than for the effects they cause.
I didn't care for, let alone appreciate, a good cup of coffee and/or a glass of beer until I started drinking them for reasons other than some form of buzz; these days I look forward to a great cup of coffee at the start of every day, and am excited whenever I get a chance to enjoy a nice beer (stout's FTW!) at the end of the work day.
Oh, and as others have said: good coffee shouldn't be bitter to the point that it's off-putting to your palette. Grinding coffee beans exposes the flavor volatiles to the air, so they oxidize and become bitter--look for a coffee shop that grinds their own beans and doesn't keep them around very long afterwards. Or, buy a bag of Starbucks' Blonde Roast beans, grind them yourself, and then brew them via a coffee press. Finally, don't let other people's opinions influence your own tastes: explore your options and find something that you enjoy without peer pressure.
I didn't care for, let alone appreciate, a good cup of coffee and/or a glass of beer until I started drinking them for reasons other than some form of buzz; these days I look forward to a great cup of coffee at the start of every day, and am excited whenever I get a chance to enjoy a nice beer (stout's FTW!) at the end of the work day.
Oh, and as others have said: good coffee shouldn't be bitter to the point that it's off-putting to your palette. Grinding coffee beans exposes the flavor volatiles to the air, so they oxidize and become bitter--look for a coffee shop that grinds their own beans and doesn't keep them around very long afterwards. Or, buy a bag of Starbucks' Blonde Roast beans, grind them yourself, and then brew them via a coffee press. Finally, don't let other people's opinions influence your own tastes: explore your options and find something that you enjoy without peer pressure.
Coffee is acidic, keep a bottle of antacids on hand in case you decide to partake in a cup of joe.
That was the same for me, but with beer. I didn't try coffee enough to like it and I'm pretty happy with drinking tea.
SnakeSlashRO
Banned
Maybe Ill try it black..... I need to stay away from Half and Half anyway, being lactose and all.... STAND BACK EVERYONE.
The "Original" variety of liquid Coffeemate closely mimics Half & Half, and also contains zero dairy. Use it to mellow out your coffee's flavor and acidity.
Using flavored coffee creamers is a travesty, and completely masks (aka. ruins) the flavor of coffee--if you reach this point, you'd be better off skipping the coffee altogether and finding another source of caffeine to rely on.
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