Does Salt Make Coffee Taste Better?

Of the five basic tastes, bitterness is possibly the most interesting. Most recipes try to avoid ingredients with a bitter taste to make food more palatable by trying to reduce it, cover it up, or remove it entirely.

There are, however, some bitter foods that we’ve learned to love, like alcohol, tea, cocoa, and, of course, coffee, one of the most popular bitter beverages in the world.

There are a variety of ways to reduce the bitterness in coffee. Milk, creamer, sweeteners and even butter are mixed into coffee to dial down its bitterness.

Another ingredient that’s reported to mask the bitterness of coffee is salt. How does salt influence bitterness in coffee? One way is by decreasing caffeine’s solubility. Hence, adding salt during brewing potentially turns down the bitterness. Another way this effect can occur is by activating the salt receptors on the tongue; salty tastes at any concentration are known to suppress bitter tastes.

Try it out, see what you think.