You are already aware of the health benefits of drinking moderate amounts of coffee, one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. But by taking your coffee black you not maximize the health benefits and experience of enjoying a good cup of coffee, but also cut back on calories and save money. We'll look at a few key ways that drinking black coffee can be beneficial and even dispel the common belief that many people have that black coffee tastes terrible.
Taste-
Since this is the most common reason cited for people putting other things like cream and sugar into their coffee, we'll tackle the taste debate first. For first time coffee drinkers, the experience to having a first sip of coffee is like taking your first sip of beer. It often isn't a pleasant experience and as a first time taster, you wonder why anyone would ever consume such a thing. Of course for most people, over time a favorable taste for alcohol occurs, while coffee additives like cream, milk, sugar, or the specialty drink treatment (think Starbucks) can completely mask the 'bad' taste of coffee.
The problem doesn't lie with the bad first impression of a bitter, bad tasting hot beverage, rather that there are easy options to dilute the coffee and minimize the taste of the actual coffee. Another problem is that too many people either settle for average coffee or only ever experience ground coffee, or even worse: instant coffee. Coffee beans as soon as they are grounded up begin to lose their natural flavor, aroma, and taste. Packaging and freezing can protect some flavor, but the best coffee taste comes from freshly ground coffee.
Not everyone has time to shop for whole beans, grind them, and brew them although there are a lot of great consumer products to make at home coffee brewing a worthwhile experience. That said, when you drink coffee that has been diluted or flavored up with things like cream and sugar you might be missing out on the taste of the coffee itself. If one considers buying high quality coffee (even the pre-ground kind), not taking it black means you could be losing the chance to taste a high quality, complex beverage.
Good coffee is meant to be taken black, but you may never know if the coffee you drink is good without trying it black.
Health-
Besides the growing amount of research on the health benefits of coffee, coffee also has a dark side (and I don't mean the color of coffee taken black). With so many researchers touting the health benefits of a cup of coffee, people have increased consumption of the drink. But for many people the idea of coffee includes coffee 'drinks' which contain minimal amounts of actual coffee, coffee filled with cream and sugar, and drinks laden with everything from whipped cream to chocolate in them.
The truth is that if you take your coffee black, you are also taking your coffee in its healthiest form. Black coffee is not diluted which means you are getting the maximum amount of antioxidants from each cup. And yes, you are also getting a stronger cup of coffee for added energy. If you drink specialty coffee drinks and think you are getting a healthy drink, think again. Those frothy beverages can contain anywhere from 200-400 calories per drink as well as fat and loads of sugar.
Even a simple cream and sugar addition to your cup of coffee adds obviously some sugar and also adds calories and fat depending on the milk/cream that you use. And artificial sweeteners aren't much better for you either.
Coffee itself when taken black is naturally calorie and sugar free and while you may have to wait a few minutes for it too cool down to drink, it is well worth the wait. You'll keep excess calories and sugar out of your diet while still being able to enjoy coffee each day.
Cost-
Some people may argue that premium coffee brands and blends might cost you more than cheaper mass produced blends. Besides the obvious point that you might spend a little extra for a better beverage, consider all that is spent on adding something to your black coffee. Specialty drinks found at places like Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts can cost upwards of 4 dollars a drink. If you drink your coffee at home and add cream (or milk) to your drink, you'll be spending a few dollars a week on milk or creamer alone, an item that adds little value to your coffee.
Also if you are someone who buys specialty coffee drinks often, the expense of buying good coffee to brew at home is still cheaper than paying for a store made drink daily. Therefore when you buy decent whole bean coffee or even ground coffee, you are reducing your need to buy 'good tasting' store made drinks and also eliminating the need to flavor up the coffee further with cream and sugar.
If you still decide to buy your coffee on the go, cup by cup at stores such as Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, check out their menu. The black coffee is often the cheapest drink on the menu board, no matter what size you order.
Energy-
Caffeine junkies of the world will rejoice, once they discover the quick and clear hit of energy they can get from an all natural cup of black coffee, without the crash. Without any sugar to cause a crash later and no milk or cream to slow down absorption, energy from coffee can be experienced within a few minutes of drinking a cup and sustained longer then sugar filled drinks. Plus it is energy with healthful benefits.
Overall the choice to take your coffee black or not is up to you the coffee drinker. Coffee is an acquired taste for many people, but a good way to get used to black coffee is to slowly reduce the amount of cream and sugar that you put in your daily cup(s). Taking your coffee black eliminates sugar, fat content, and calories from your daily pick me up. It also can save you money and allow you to discover great tasting coffee.
