# Salt in Coffee



## maths15 (Nov 25, 2012)

I've just returned from a wake and at one point I was boring someone to death about coffee, and they said they would put a small pinch of salt in their coffee. What on earth were they going on a about?


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

http://blog.khymos.org/2010/03/21/a-pinch-of-salt-for-your-coffee-sir/

Read this m8


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

I believe Crap bucks do this as they roast the coffee that fast it gives it a very bitter/sour flavor?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

maths15 said:


> I've just returned from a wake and at one point I was boring someone to death about coffee, and they said they would put a small pinch of salt in their coffee. What on earth were they going on a about?


A pinch of salt is an old trick to reduce the bitterness of coffee.


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## GS11 (Feb 20, 2013)

I have experienced this before years ago having a coffee round a friends house. His mum (now in her 80's) would brew coffee in a large tea strainer and add salt to the grounds.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Works for sour too - try eating a slice of lemon with some salt - actually tastes sweet - same with oranges.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

I think the salt in coffee thing became popular amongst Navies of the world and then spreading to other branches of the services, particularly in the USA given the prevalent use of filter machines and just making a pot of coffee and leaving it on the hot plate.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Pretty sure instants - particularly the cheap ones have salt included to tone down the bitterness. Last time I had the misfortune of tasting Mellow Birds - the salt note cut through the milk ensuring the experience was beyond awful.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Pretty sure instants - particularly the cheap ones have salt included to tone down the bitterness. Last time I had the misfortune of tasting Mellow Birds - the salt note cut through the milk ensuring the experience was beyond awful.


So the Mellow Birds was OK, just the saltiness was the problem?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Absolutely............not


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

My grandma would do this with Douwe Egberts in her electric drip machine.

Cant say it made a massive difference, the coffee was pretty bad anyway!


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## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Pretty sure instants - particularly the cheap ones have salt included to tone down the bitterness. Last time I had the misfortune of tasting Mellow Birds - the salt note cut through the milk ensuring the experience was beyond awful.


Busted! Nothing in mellow birds would cut through milk, I call your bluff sir! I do hereby claim that you've never tasted mellow birds, either in or out of milk!

Mmmmm salt....


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

Xpenno85235 said:


> Busted! Nothing in mellow birds would cut through milk, I call your bluff sir! I do hereby claim that you've never tasted mellow birds, either in or out of milk!
> 
> Mmmmm salt....


Then what was In the cup making it taste salty ??


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Xpenno said:


> Busted! Nothing in mellow birds would cut through milk, I call your bluff sir! I do hereby claim that you've never tasted mellow birds, either in or out of milk!
> 
> Mmmmm salt....


OK, picture this. Been on a long rambling walk with mate who is not into quality coffee. Call in at a cafe in drop dead gorgeous village for well earned break. Look at the menu and alarm bells begin to tinkle when aforementioned mate goes and orders a 'pot' of coffee which turns out to be a jug of naff quality coffee (aka Mellow Birds) made with hot milk. I can still recall the salty after taste cutting through the scalded milk. My mate is not into coffee so I had to suffer in silence.


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## KatyBish (Apr 22, 2014)

My grandad used to put salt in his coffee and I never understood why, pretty positive it made no difference to the taste


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## Finn Felton (Mar 13, 2013)

It is interesting to know about salt in coffee. But I prefer sugar and milk in my coffee which really gives a good taste.


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## seeq (Jul 9, 2011)

Salt tones down bitterness and makes it taste sweet. (Salt is a great ingredient in any chocolate desert for that very reason). If your coffee is good in the first place you don't need it. It's all one big cover up, literally!


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