Coffee tips to make your brew even better

Looking for ways to spice up your morning coffee routine? Try introducing one of these obsession-worthy additions to your cup! They’ll enhance the beans’ natural complex beauty while retaining their integrity. We suggest experimenting with these additions solo and in combinations. We hope you enjoy this sensory exploration!

GAME CHANGERS

Salt: A bitter close to a pungent, bold cup of coffee (e.g., a Sumatran) can be a fantastic ending for many, but not all, coffee connoisseurs — particularly those who prefer a high acidity coffee. If you are one of those who want a bold, bitterless cup, salt may be the solution! Add a pinch of salt to your grounds before brewing. The salt acts as an agent to block most of the bitterness, resulting in a smooth, rich cup.

Butter: Many ancient coffee preparation practices join two unlikely cupmates — coffee and butter. Eastern cultures believe that adding a tab of unsalted butter to your coffee (also known as bulletproof coffee) offers numerous benefits, including increased energy levels and exceptional focus / mental clarity. To top it off, it turns your cup of morning joe into a creamy, smooth, decadent, power-packed treat.

HEALTH BOOSTS

Dark chocolate: We love dark chocolate flakes in our coffee! This healthy addition provides just the right amount of sweetness without adding unnecessary sugars or artificial sweeteners. Dark chocolate can be added either a) to coffee grounds to enhance the coffee’s aroma and really fuse with the beans’ inherent cocoa notes or b) post-brew to replace a sweetener. Both methods produce a rich cocoa flavor. One of our favorite chocolate add-ins are these dark chocolate flakes from William-Sonoma – the flakes are light, concentrated, and dissolve in the cup.

Cinnamon: Superfood in your coffee? Yes! Cinnamon is a great pre-brew or post-brew addition to your morning coffee. While the health benefits of cinnamon are widely toted — works as an anti-inflammatory, regulates blood sugar, reduces LDL cholesterol, etc. —  the taste is often under-valued. A few shakes of cinnamon in your coffee will create a vibrant aroma and add a spice to your cup. We particularly love adding cinnamon to coffees with natural cinnamon tones, like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe or any of our great flavored coffees.

Nutmeg: Feeling foggy? Fatigued? Can’t sleep? Add a pinch of nutmeg to your coffee, post-brew. A dash of this powerful spice has numerous health benefits and is a great natural enhancement to earthy, nut-based coffees, such as Tapestry, and French Roast.

GUILT-FREE INDULGENCE

Natural vanilla flavoring: If you love the smell or taste of natural vanilla, try adding just a small drop of vanilla extract or pinch of vanilla bean to your grounds, pre-brew. This will infuse your cup with a rich vanilla aroma and add just a hint of sweetness.

Brown sugar: Are you using regular or raw sugar in your coffee? Try substituting it out for some rich, textured dark brown, madagascar, or rimming sugar. We personally love rimming sugar. It is slightly textured and combines some of our favorite flavors — sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg or sugar and vanilla. If you have some around, it is definitely worth a try!

Flavored coffee: If you love the aroma of flavored coffee but aren’t a huge fan of the flavor, just add a small amount of a flavor whose aroma you like (e.g., Pumpkin Spice or Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake). Your beans’ original tones and qualities will retain their integrity and you’ll get an unbelievably decadent aroma.

We’d love to hear what you put in your coffee!
TheQueenBean