s/o from coffee poll: drinking it black

[Plaid Dad]

I know I read about this topic recently somewhere online, but I can't remember if it was here, and a search doesn't turn anything obvious. Please feel free to link me to relevant discussions if this is a repeat. :)

 

Has anyone successfully switched to drinking coffee (other than espresso) black? I currently drink half-and-half in mine, but I go through a frightening amount of the white stuff. I'm not phobic about animal fats, but I'd rather not drink my calories. I'm willing to divert the funds currently spent on cream toward better coffee.

 

Can you coffee mavens offer any recommendations?

[jamnkats]

I like my coffee like my men. Black, deep and strong.

 

I used to use soymilk but it really masks the taste of the cawfee. I never used much soymilk - just a splash - but I much prefer to revel in the taste of the naked, black cawfee.

 

Go black. You'll never go back.

 

:)

[Sharon H in IL]

I successfully switched from half-and-half to whole milk. Now half-and-half tastes too dairy to me. So maybe a simple step in between the two extremes might be possible.

 

I can't imagine going black, but if the choice were between black and skim milk -- ugh! -- I'd choose black. Can't stand the grey color of skim milk in coffee. It's just so wrong. :tongue_smilie:

[bumbledeb]

I switched to black from whole milk about 15 years ago. I can still manage white coffee in an emergency, but I prefer it black now.

 

I switched to black because I was breastfeeding a baby with a milk allergy.

[cathmom]

I can drink it black or with cream or milk, so I am no help!

[Matryoshka]

I'm not phobic about animal fats, but I'd rather not drink my calories.

 

Fat-free half and half! And no, it's not fake stuff like Cremora (eeewww!)

 

I used to use whole milk, but this has even less calories.

[JudoMom]

I wasn't able to switch to black coffee, but I did start being fastidious about measuring. I get 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of creamer, and a splash (okay, so I don't measure this part) of 2% milk per cup (I drink 2-3 per day).

 

I used to drink 2-3 times that in a cup. I don't like drinking my calories, either, but the rest of the time I drink water. Coffee is my one regular indulgence, and I've been able to maintain my weight loss by doing the above.

[Aunty Social]

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Edited March 15, 2013 by Aunty Social

[Mommy22alyns]

When I was little, my grandpa told me that black coffee would put hair on my chest... I've never gotten over that. :tongue_smilie:

 

What about skim milk? Well, it's an option, anyway. I did it for a while but the taste became unappealing.

[Vida Winter]

You just have to make up your mind and do it. But you'll have to experiment with some different types of coffees. I have heard that Trader Joe's has some good varieties but haven't been able to try them yet. My husband tries different kinds of coffee and we just drink it black. I have been known to put cream in it if he accidentally makes the coffee too strong - wouldn't want my eyebrows to melt off.

[Plaid Dad]

I guess just doing it will let me know if it's coffee I like, or just the "fixin's." If the latter, I suppose the honest response would be to toss back a couple of No-Doz in the morning with a glass of milk, eh? :lol: (Don't worry, I'd switch to tea first!)

[Rich with Kids]

Good coffee. I have never liked coffee. I liked the smell. It so reminds me of my Swedish grandparents. But I have a new BFF that owns a coffee company. I stated on the other thread that she flavors the beans and then grinds them fresh for me. It smells like heaven. Heaven is gonna smell like good coffee.

 

I make a monster mug (maybe 24 oz.) with 2 Sweet-n-lows and no creamer, milk, etc. There have been nights when DH and I have had a cup and put some whipped cream in it. But, I can't do that with the pots...I mean cups I drink all day. :D

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

The best coffee I've ever had and the only coffee I really like black is when a relative of mine makes it.

He imports his own green beans

roasts them

grinds them

boils water in a teapot

makes coffee in a French Press.

*That I will drink black*

 

Even for my own w/soy & sweetener, coffee made in a French Press tastes better than from a coffee maker. I've been told it has to do with the temp of the water being filtered over the magical beans.

[elegantlion]

Perhaps a flavored coffee? I prefer black coffee and will drink any brand, but some are definitely better than others.

 

French Vanilla maybe?

[beansprouts]

I switched to black a couple of years ago when I had reason to suspect a milk allergy. I took a long time to develop the taste, but I persisted because I NEED my coffee. :tongue_smilie: I prefer it black now most of the time. I occasionally use a little half & half, but I often find the dairy bothers my stomach.

 

ETA: Before I switched (and even now for an occasional treat) I drank my coffee with cream (real cream or half & half) and no sugar. I really didn't like it too sweet. I just liked having something to "mellow" the flavor a bit. Does this make sense? Perhaps not needing my coffee sweetened made it eaiser to switch to black? Maybe you could go in stages and drop the sugar first. Cream does have some natural sweetness on its own.

Edited January 25, 2009 by beansprouts

[beansprouts]

Perhaps a flavored coffee? I prefer black coffee and will drink any brand, but some are definitely better than others.

 

French Vanilla maybe?

 

I don't like flavored coffee unless the flavors are high quality (not fake). The good stuff is expensive, so I don't get it often. I don't think you can really improve on good coffee anyways. ;) When I do drink flavored, I do not like them black. They need cream IMO.

 

I like the flavor of a good Italian roast or Sumatra.

Edited January 25, 2009 by beansprouts

[beansprouts]

Fat-free half and half! And no, it's not fake stuff like Cremora (eeewww!)

 

 

Half & half is half cream and half milk. If it is fat free, then it can't be "half & half" can it?? How exactly does that work? Is it really skim milk in a "Half & half" carton, or do they replace the fat with something artificial?:confused:

[2cents]

I switched to black when I went back on my diet. You'd be surprised how many points adding half n half or milk to coffee can add up to at the end of the day. I found that buying flavored ground coffee helps make the transition easier.

[Miss Marple]

I had to do this because of the calories. And now I've developed an aversion to coffee with cream/sugar unless it's really bad coffee and needs to be disguised.

 

I just gradually decreased the amount of cream and sugar over time. Actually it was easier to get rid of the sugar first because real cream as well as creamer both have a bit of a sweet taste. So, the sugar went first (gradually), then I gradually quit the cream.

 

Really good coffee doesn't need the extras, IMO. I order coffee from cafebritt.com. They carry Costa Rican, Peruvian, and Honduran coffees. I like the Costa Rican best. Good Luck!

[brehon]

back in my off-shore sailing days (eons ago, now) I drank my coffee black and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You couldn't pay me to put cream or sugar in my coffee. Then, for some reason, I stopped drinking coffee altogether for a few years. When I began drinking coffee again I found I preferred sugar and cream. I'm not quite sure how or why that happened.

 

I think the key to making the switch (as a couple of posters mentioned) is to get the best quality coffee you can afford. I really like my French press and I think that a good quality coffee maker is also important. That being said, my favorite way to brew coffee is the old-fashioned camp fire way. Mmmm.

[Parrothead]

I don't drink coffee very often. I prefer my caffeine cold. But when I do drink it I drink it black. I have only ever drank it black. My mom drinks it light, and I never could get over the smell of it. My dad drinks it black with sugar and I like the way it smells fixed that way.

[Janet in Toronto]

For me, part of the cream thing is the mouth feel of the fat. I am currently working down from half and half to whole milk. The plan is to get down to skim or black. This seemed like the only way to wean myself from cream. I already make quality coffee (dh drinks it black). It's my "fat tooth" that is the problem!

[Matryoshka]

Half & half is half cream and half milk. If it is fat free, then it can't be "half & half" can it?? How exactly does that work? Is it really skim milk in a "Half & half" carton, or do they replace the fat with something artificial?:confused:

 

Well, it does have to have additives, but it is at least dairy-based. From the looks of it, the thickener is carageenan, which is seaweed-based and doesn't bother me too much. Here's the whole scoop:

 

Ingredients: Nonfat milk, milk, corn syrup (yuk), artifical color (to turn your coffee creamy colored), sodium citrate, dipotassium phosphate, mono and diglycerides, carageenan (seaweed thickener), natural and artificial flavors (?), and vitamin A palimate.

 

Not perfect, and I think the only thing I eat that has corn syrup and artifical coloring, which I normally eschew. But I think that's also why I figure a little in my coffee won't hurt too much. The main two ingredients are just milk. I don't drink a whole ton per cup -a pint will last me over a week. I usually drink what my coffee maker thinks is 3-6 cups of coffee a day (but fits fine in 1-2 take-along coffee tumblers).

 

Cremora on the other hand, is made of:

corn syrup solids (double yuk), hydrogenated oil (egads!) and artifical coloring. So basically, sugar and fat and white coloring (and probably other gross stuff I'm forgetting, as I don't have a label to look at). But not a single "real" ingredient.

[Liz CA]

I like my coffee like my men. Black, deep and strong.

 

I used to use soymilk but it really masks the taste of the cawfee. I never used much soymilk - just a splash - but I much prefer to revel in the taste of the naked, black cawfee.

 

Go black. You'll never go back.

 

:)

 

Shucks, No! Why think of switching? What is life without a nice cap of whipping cream floating on top of coffee????? :001_huh:

[beansprouts]

Well, it does have to have additives, but it is at least dairy-based. From the looks of it, the thickener is carageenan, which is seaweed-based and doesn't bother me too much. Here's the whole scoop:

 

Ingredients: Nonfat milk, milk, corn syrup (yuk), artifical color (to turn your coffee creamy colored), sodium citrate, dipotassium phosphate, mono and diglycerides, carageenan (seaweed thickener), natural and artificial flavors (?), and vitamin A palimate.

 

Not perfect, and I think the only thing I eat that has corn syrup and artifical coloring, which I normally eschew. But I think that's also why I figure a little in my coffee won't hurt too much. The main two ingredients are just milk. I don't drink a whole ton per cup -a pint will last me over a week. I usually drink what my coffee maker thinks is 3-6 cups of coffee a day (but fits fine in 1-2 take-along coffee tumblers).

 

Cremora on the other hand, is made of:

corn syrup solids (double yuk), hydrogenated oil (egads!) and artifical coloring. So basically, sugar and fat and white coloring (and probably other gross stuff I'm forgetting, as I don't have a label to look at). But not a single "real" ingredient.

 

Half & Half: Milk, Cream

 

I'll take it!

Though I generally just take it black. ;)

[RebeccaS]

I switched from coffee with a generous helping of flavored creamer to black. It was January 2008. It took me nearly a year to get to the point where I prefer it black. My fil assured me it would happen. I just went cold turkey and never looked back.

[abbeyej]

I would recommend a really dark roast and brewing it nice and strong (we use a french press). Dark roasted coffee is less acidic than the lighter ones, and goes down smoother (almost more like coffee with cream). And brewing it darker gives it more flavor than a weaker coffee -- and while that may seem counter-intuitive to one who likes light coffee, I find that weaker coffee needs the milk in order to taste like *anything*.

 

Maybe I shouldn't say anything, 'cause I don't drink a lot of coffee. It tends to make me jittery. But when I drink dh's home-brewed dark roast French press coffee, I'm fine without milk. Most places (where they use a medium roast and brew it lighter), I really need cream or milk to make it tolerable.

 

We buy various organic / fair trade dark roast coffees. I don't have brand loyalty. :)

 

Or, in your case, I'd just try to wean down to milk. My MIL swears that organic whole milk works just as well as cream in coffee. *I* think the difference she's noticing is the difference in texture between traditionally pasteurized milk and the ultra-pasteurized organic milk she buys... But still, it *is* a difference and maybe you would find UHT-pasteurized milk seems more like cream to you too?

[homeschoolmomtutu]

I love the way the senseo makes it "creamy-ish" with out cream...you can make your own pods with whatever coffee you prefer (or get the premade ones):)

[Miss Marple]

It took me a while to realize that I like dark roasted coffee much better than the lighter. For some reason I thought dark roast would be too strong or bitter. But it is quite the opposite. Most restaurant coffee is so thin it isn't worth drinking (unless one just needs a caffeine jolt).

[Lakeside]

My husband has been trying to get me to switch over to drinking my coffee black for a while. I'll admit, if you have good coffee and you make it properly in a French press, it can be pretty good black.

 

I still prefer heavy whipping cream in mine!:D

[Starr]

I worked my way down to skim. It is a little embarrassing to tell people you would rather have skim milk than the nice half and half they have out for company. :)

[Laura Corin]

You could work you way sideways from half-and-half to whole milk, then 2%, then skim..... I made it to 2%; skimmed milk doesn't have the right mouth feel to me.

 

I will say that when I go to the US and drink standard American coffee I tend to drink it with lots of half-and-half, just because otherwise it doesn't taste of anything. Stronger coffee has more taste (even though I drink decaff) so needs less masking.

 

Laura

[PariSarah]

Eventually, I started buying slightly better coffee, and didn't need the sugar any more.

 

Then, for the longest time, what I did (and what I still do now, and what maybe you could do) is take my coffee with whole milk (or half and half). The first cup in the morning would be just the way I like it. And then I would periodically top it up, only without refreshing the milk or cream. So by the end of the morning, there was only the tiniest hint of milk in it.

 

After doing that for a few years, I found myself at a church function where the only "cream" was creamer (yuck), so I just took it black and was surprised to find that I didn't mind it. I still usually take it with a little milk, but far less than I used to, and I still wind up with black coffee by the end of the morning.

[Lizzie in Ma]

I do love Trader Joe's selection of coffees but am more apt to have Chock Full O Nuts in the house. I have always drank black coffee. I save all my drinking calories for red wine. :)

[Emmy]

I would just try to drink better coffee and maybe do sarah's plan of topping it off to wean off the dairy in it. I really love starbucks coffee beans. Our favorite is Peet's coffee which we mail order a few times a year.

 

I've pretty much always taken my coffee black - when I was young my mom told me I should try to take it black instead of with fixings because then it was easier for someone else to get me a cup of coffee. :p

[iamrachelle]

I love starbucks, but sadly, it's rare to find it living overseas. I'm usually half asleep in the morning and would probably spill more milk on the counter than in my coffee cup as a result. I drink it black to avoid having the clean up.:D

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

I love starbucks, but sadly, it's rare to find it living overseas. I'm usually half asleep in the morning and would probably spill more milk on the counter than in my coffee cup as a result. I drink it black to avoid having the clean up.:D

 

Are you at Osan? doesn't the BX there carry starbucks or duncan donuts coffee beans ground? Not exactly like *going* to Starbucks, but still very tasty coffee.