Sweeteners Aren’t the First Fix
When it comes to reducing sugar in coffee, most people turn to substitute sweeteners like stevia or agave. But before reaching for replacements, consider two important questions:
- What is making your coffee so bitter in the first place?
- Are you missing out on the natural sweetness that’s already in your cup?
The Real Reason Coffee Tastes Bitter
In the U.S., most coffee is roasted, packaged, and shipped long before it’s consumed – often more than three weeks prior. By the time it reaches your cup, the oils have gone rancid, which causes that unpleasant bitter taste.
We’ve created a cultural solution for this: sugar and flavored creamers. But a properly made cup of freshly roasted coffee shouldn’t need them.
Solutions:
- Roast your own beans (tedious, but effective)
- Support a local roaster that sells fresh beans (Libertyville locals: check out Hansa on 21)
Unlocking Coffee’s Natural Sweetness
If you take cream or milk with your coffee, you already have sweetness in your cup – you just need to unlock it.
Milk naturally contains sugar (lactose), but most coffee shops scorch the milk, destroying that sweetness.
The sweet spot:
Milk is sweetest at around 140°F. Artisan shops know this and steam it accordingly. (Hansa does.)
Spice It Up: Natural Additions That Help
Looking to enhance your coffee’s taste without added sugar? Try these spice tricks:
Cardamom
- Add a pinch to your grounds before brewing
- Cuts bitterness and acidity
- Freshens breath
- Extends shelf life of ground coffee
- Antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-mold properties
Cinnamon
- Add alongside cardamom to the grounds
- Stabilizes blood sugar
- Reduces sugar absorption in the body
- Boosts mood, memory, and cognitive function with just the scent
Shift Your Mindset: Rethink Your Coffee Relationship
Check your reference point. If you associate coffee primarily with caffeine, you may be missing the bigger picture.
Caffeine is often blamed for the negatives – anxiety, fatigue crashes, adrenal burnout – but coffee itself has many upsides:
- Rich in antioxidants
- Helps reduce stress linked to sleep deprivation
- When consumed moderately, improves energy and alertness
Pro tip:
Make your daily cup a ritual, not a crutch. Take a moment to sit, savour the aroma, and enjoy the flavour of well-brewed coffee.
Bonus Benefit: Coffee and Muscle Growth?
Here’s a side note you’ll love – recent research suggests that coffee can help increase muscle mass.
It won’t replace your training program, but the study showed that coffee and exercise share similar positive effects on muscles and DNA.
Now that’s a seriously sweet perk.
