Stop adding salt to your coffee and calling it a magic trick

I keep seeing people dump a pinch of salt into cheap grounds thinking it kills bitterness, but all it does is make it taste like weak brine. Tried it three times last month with Folgers and ended up pouring two cups down the sink. Has anyone actually matched salt with a specific cheap brand and gotten results, or is this just internet hype?

2 comments

2 Comments

rayc383d agoOG Member

Read somewhere that the salt trick actually works better with higher end beans because it balances the acidity, not bitterness. Sticking salt into Folgers is just asking for disappointment.

richard1373d agoMost Upvoted

Man that makes a lot of sense actually. You put salt in cheap coffee and all you're doing is covering up flavors that were never there to begin with. I tried it with some store brand stuff once and it just tasted like salty water with a hint of coffee. Never thought about it being more about the acidity in higher end beans. Thanks for pointing that out, it explains why my attempt was such a letdown.