Tried adding a pinch of salt to my cheap Folgers this morning

I read some thread about salt cutting bitterness and figured why not, and now my $5 can of coffee actually tastes like something I'd pay for at a diner. Has anyone else tried this or am I late to the party?

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_henderson521mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man I was just as late to this party don't worry. I did the same thing with my store brand coffee and it made a huge difference. Not like amazing fancy coffee or anything but definitely drinkable and not bitter. I will say though I tried it with a darker roast once and it came out kinda weird, almost like the salt just highlighted the burnt taste instead of fixing it. The pinch amount matters too, if you go heavy handed it gets that flat salty thing paulb98 mentioned. I keep a little salt shaker in my coffee drawer now and just do one light shake per cup and it works perfect for me.

paulb981mo ago

Nah, salt in coffee is one of those old diner tricks that's been around forever. It works because sodium ions block bitter receptors on your tongue, but it also messes with the other flavors in a weird way. I tried it once and ended up with brew that just tasted flat and kind of salty, not better. If your Folgers is that bad, roasting your own beans is way cheaper in the long run and actually gives you good coffee.