Use Salt to Reduce the Bitterness
Now, while we don’t suggest that you start spooning salt instead of sugar into your coffee, it is proven that salt will make your coffee taste less bitter. This is not because it does anything to alter the coffee, more that it alters your taste buds. The salt will lessen the bitter sensation, making the coffee more palatable for you. Of course, this isn’t a hack that we suggest you use often as you don’t want to increase your salt intake unnecessarily, but it may help you stomach that cup of coffee you were so looking forward to. Just a pinch of salt will do it.
Freeze Your Left Over Coffee
If you have made a pot of coffee and find yourself with some leftovers, why not grab an ice cube tray and make coffee ice cubes. These are excellent to use with iced coffee and won’t dilute it like regular ice.
Use Your Cafetiere to Froth the Milk
That’s right. Once you have made your coffee in the cafetiere, pour in your warm milk and plunge a few times quickly to create frothy milk – perfect for a latte.
Flavour Your Coffee
Before brewing, add your favourite spices, such as cinnamon or nutmeg, to the grounds to create an infusion that will add depth to your coffee and be a healthy alternative to sugar.
You can also add your favourite flavours to your coffee beans too. Instead of adding things to the cup, simply add the flavours, including chocolate or lemon zest, to your beans before brewing.
Feed Your Plants with Leftover Coffee Grounds
Did you know that coffee grounds are great for plants. Simply add them to the base of the plant on top of the soil to give them the minerals they so crave such as zinc and potassium. It will also help with your fruit and veg yield with crops such as tomatoes, carrots and beet.
There are many other ways in which you can use left-over grounds, too, including as a skin exfoliator or as a flea repellent.
Use Eggshells to Reduce the Acidity
True story! It’s a TikTok hack that is doing the rounds. The idea is that you don’t drink the eggshells but that you add them to your coffee grounds before brewing. But why does it reduce the acidity? Well, coffee has a PH of approx. 5 – this means it sits on the acidic end of the PH scale. Eggshells, full of calcium carbonate, have a PH above seven, making them more alkaline. This helps to neutralise the acidity of the coffee.
Time Your Coffee Break More Effectively
Were you aware that your body naturally produces cortisol to increase your energy at around 7 am, noon and 6 pm? This means that if you have your coffee, you will be supercharged. Why not shift your coffee breaks to the times of the day when this natural stress hormone dips. Typically this is between 9.30 and 11.30 am and 1.30-5 pm. Therefore, these are when your body will thank you for that cup of coffee for an additional boost.
Use Coffee in Baking
Instead of water, coffee lovers can swap it out for their leftover coffee to add their favourite flavour to cakes and cookies!
Boost the Impact of Coffee with Grapefruit
Get that caffeine buzz for longer with the help of some grapefruit. The fruit’s healthy fat will help slow the absorption process of caffeine. Pair your morning coffee with half a grapefruit, and you’ll be wide awake for more of your morning.
Break up the Volume
Rather than one large cup of coffee first thing in the morning, drink smaller amounts throughout the morning. This way, you will get the same caffeine at regular intervals, helping you stay fresh and alert for longer.
These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to coffee hacks; we could go on all day. Instead, we have selected some of our favourites. If you have any to add to the list, we would love to hear them.
