Coffee is America’s favorite beverage (behind unbottled and bottled water, of course). But not everyone has learned to love the joy that can be found at the bottom of a coffee cup.
We might be biased. Italian Quality at America’s Pace® is our thing, after all. But we certainly won’t judge someone for finding the taste of coffee arresting. If you are interested in beginning your coffee journey, however, a good question is where to start.
Rather than diving in headfirst, here is a guide to help you learn to like coffee.
Awaken Your Other Senses
We won’t recommend you simply down a cup and force yourself to love it. This isn’t how to like black coffee. Exposure therapy might work for fears and anxieties, but we aren’t so sure it’s meant for general preferences.
Instead, ease into your coffee exposure by familiarizing your other four senses with it.
Visit your local coffee shop and listen for the distinct hiss of an espresso machine in action. Smell the air and really savor it. Watch the beans as they are ground, pressed, and filtered. You may find that demystifying the act of coffee making turns it from a turn-off to a point of intrigue.
Dilute the Experience
In his book, author John M. Jennings uses an example of running as something you may want to learn to love. Rather than starting by running a marathon, someone might start by walking or jogging for a minute per day. They can then add another minute the next day.
Funnily enough, Jennings also mentions coffee in his book. Adding a packet of hot chocolate to a coffee to dilute the taste is his suggestion.
While we have nothing against the Swiss Miss, we might recommend more traditional dilutions instead, such as:
- sugars
- flavor pumps
- milk and cream to make a latte
- and more.
You might find that while black coffee is extreme, blended coffee is more amenable.
Form a Habit
Making a habit out of something tends to make it stick. After all, the more you do something the less mysterious and out of reach it becomes. And this extends to how to make yourself like coffee.
If you are still working on how to learn to like black coffee, start small. Try to have just a little bit each day. You may find that the more you have it, the more you enjoy it. These habits also offer new opportunities to try new flavors, roasts, and blends that may become your new favorite.
Ellianos Coffee is beloved by our customers across the southeastern United States. We offer Italian coffee beverages for every kind of enthusiast, from coffee diehards to those just beginning their flavor journey. If you want to try light roasts and dark roasts at their best, find an Ellianos near you.
