How did you transition to black coffee?

JustaNoob

Not that you have to. I'd just like to.

I currently drink about 300 calories a day in coffee creamer spread between 3 cups of coffee. This is tapered down from 420 calories a day. My coffee is my little hug throughout the day.

It's not so much the sweet that I need (I can use sweeteners for that), it's the cream to "soften" the coffee taste.

janejellyroll

I went from a legitimate "You want some coffee with that cream and sugar?" person to someone who drinks black. I didn't do it to save calories, I did it because I don't do dairy and I wanted to be able to drink coffee when I was traveling and there wasn't plant milk/creamer available.

Get a good coffee. You may have to experiment with what "good" means to you. There are coffees with "fruity" notes, ones that are more "chocolately," varying degrees of bitterness, lower acid coffees. You can get lighter roasts and super dark roasts. The tasting notes on bags can be kind of pretentious, but they're usually a good guide as to what to expect. If you're buying pre-ground, grinding your own can make a big difference in the final cup (and it doesn't have to be expensive -- my basic grinder was about fifteen dollars, I think). If you're absolutely clueless about what you might like, buying a cup of coffee at a coffee shop and drinking it black can give you a good baseline as to what you might want to explore (a good coffee shop will tell you what you're drinking so you can look it up later).

Now that I'm used to it, I can drink gas station coffee black. But making the switch with genuinely delicious coffee really helped.

MsCzar

You could always make a lighter brew, but I think brewing that perfect cup of good quality coffee and learning to appreciate the rich coffee flavor is a beautiful thing. There are flavored coffees out there as well. Hazelnut is a pretty good choice to drink black.

I think the key is brewing high quality coffee and drinking it fresh and HOT. I grind whole beans every morning and like the robust flavor of percolated coffee. I use a wee bit of half & half and carefully measure EVERY time - one T per 12 oz. mug. I am down to fewer than 90 calories a day now for creamer. It used to be 300!

seltzermint555

I went from drinking coffee w/ flavored creamer and agave syrup to just adding unsweetened original almond milk. After a few months, I went to black. I am surprised at how easy it went. I now truly prefer black coffee. I still love the occasional latte or mocha but for everyday I would prefer black.

One added benefit I've noticed is how much longer my coffee stays hot when it doesn't have creamer in it. Now on the odd occasion I do whiten my coffee I feel like I need to heat it up!

JustaNoob

janejellyroll wrote: »

I went from a legitimate "You want some coffee with that cream and sugar?" person to someone who drinks black. I didn't do it to save calories, I did it because I don't do dairy and I wanted to be able to drink coffee when I was traveling and there wasn't plant milk/creamer available.

Get a good coffee. You may have to experiment with what "good" means to you. There are coffees with "fruity" notes, ones that are more "chocolately," varying degrees of bitterness, lower acid coffees. You can get lighter roasts and super dark roasts. The tasting notes on bags can be kind of pretentious, but they're usually a good guide as to what to expect. If you're buying pre-ground, grinding your own can make a big difference in the final cup (and it doesn't have to be expensive -- my basic grinder was about fifteen dollars, I think). If you're absolutely clueless about what you might like, buying a cup of coffee at a coffee shop and drinking it black can give you a good baseline as to what you might want to explore (a good coffee shop will tell you what you're drinking so you can look it up later).

Now that I'm used to it, I can drink gas station coffee black. But making the switch with genuinely delicious coffee really helped.

Thanks! How long did it take for you to get used to it going cold turkey like that? I don't have a grinder, but I've noticed when I grind the beans at the store (some places have that machine) I enjoy my coffee much more.

Often I'm just grabbing Keurig coffee-- which I don't LOVE but it's fast. However, I just bought an actual coffee pot-- so this is a good time to make a switch!

JustaNoob

MsCzar wrote: »

You could always make a lighter brew, but I think brewing that perfect cup of good quality coffee and learning to appreciate the rich coffee flavor is a beautiful thing. There are flavored coffees out there as well. Hazelnut is a pretty good choice to drink black.

I think the key is brewing high quality coffee and drinking it fresh and HOT. I grind whole beans every morning and like the robust flavor of percolated coffee. I use a wee bit of half & half and carefully measure EVERY time - one T per 12 oz. mug. I am down to fewer than 90 calories a day now for creamer. It used to be 300!

Wow! That's great. What do you recommend for when you are out and about? I drink 2 cups of my coffee at work-- they have a Keurig. So good coffee would be easy first thing in the morning, but later in the day may be more difficult.

cwolfman13

I started drinking coffee black shortly after I met my now wife. For one, she introduced me to good coffee...I was pretty much a pick up a cup of coffee at the gas station on the way to work guy, and the stuff I and my roommates kept in the house was usually the big tin of Folgers or something, so I was all about the creamers.

My wife kept good quality whole beans in her house and ground fresh daily. It took me a bit of experimentation to find my preferences...as @janejellyroll stated, there's quite a bit of variety. Roasting wise, I prefer a medium roast for everyday drinking and it's nothing too expensive...we've been enjoying First Colony Rainforest Blend lately, which we get from Costco. We also get smaller batches from a local roaster down the road for more special occasions and/or to try stuff out. With a dark roast, I still usually take 1/2 and 1/2 or milk as I find a dark roast to be pretty bitter.

It also helped that my wife wasn't really much into dairy...the only time she had any kind of creamer or milk on hand was when she was using it specifically for some kind of recipe that required it...so when I stayed over (which was a lot), I was usually SOL on the creamer or milk front anyway, and I never put sugar in my coffee.

Back in the spring of 2016 we visited Colombia SA and spent some time in Cartagena as well as Medellin. While in Medellin we toured a coffee plantation up in the rainforest and got to see how it was all done and sampled some of the best coffee I've ever had in my life...milk or creamer a big no no and offensive.

I also think coffee made in a percolator is the absolute best and is what we use camping...at home we do drip, we've been toying with the idea of an electric percolator.

Sharklover2020

I only drink one 8 oz. cup of coffee/day. I went from using 4Tbsps of half & half with a full TBsp of sugar to ZERO sugar and only 3 Tbsp of half & half and a splash of lowfat milk. Tried black the other day....eww!! Not sure if type of blend matters, but yuk, I just can't do it. I'd appreciate suggestions on good organic brands to try. I prefer a lighter roast.

MsCzar

Hmm. Depending on the blend, I can usually manage Keurig coffee black; but some of the cheapo cups are too sharp tasting to do that. Maybe try a flavored version? Does work offer those little single serving creamers or is is a carton in the fridge? It's a pain, but maybe carry a small scoop-style tablespoon with you and at least get an accurate measure of any communal creamer available. I find that full-fat H&H goes a lot farther than those tiny containers of mini-moo.

rbn_held

I love my coffee but do not enjoy drinking it black so I switched to skim milk.

ridiculous59

One day I just decided I'd start drinking my coffee black for the same reason, to save a few calories throughout the day. And I agree, you have to have good coffee, whatever "good" means to you. I like a dark roast and grind the beans every morning (except when we're camping....I draw the line at taking a coffee grinder camping). Also, I can't drink old coffee. It has to be freshly made. I never order coffee in a restaurant because its so hit and miss so why waste my money if its going to be awful? I sound like I've turned into a coffee snob, but honestly, I havent. Its just that bad coffee can't hide when you drink it black and if its not going to be good, then why drink it?

Poobah1972

I haven't... I refuse. I take mine with about a 1/4 cup of sugar free Amond milk at about 5 calories.... Close enough on for me.

janejellyroll

JustaNoob wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

I went from a legitimate "You want some coffee with that cream and sugar?" person to someone who drinks black. I didn't do it to save calories, I did it because I don't do dairy and I wanted to be able to drink coffee when I was traveling and there wasn't plant milk/creamer available.

Get a good coffee. You may have to experiment with what "good" means to you. There are coffees with "fruity" notes, ones that are more "chocolately," varying degrees of bitterness, lower acid coffees. You can get lighter roasts and super dark roasts. The tasting notes on bags can be kind of pretentious, but they're usually a good guide as to what to expect. If you're buying pre-ground, grinding your own can make a big difference in the final cup (and it doesn't have to be expensive -- my basic grinder was about fifteen dollars, I think). If you're absolutely clueless about what you might like, buying a cup of coffee at a coffee shop and drinking it black can give you a good baseline as to what you might want to explore (a good coffee shop will tell you what you're drinking so you can look it up later).

Now that I'm used to it, I can drink gas station coffee black. But making the switch with genuinely delicious coffee really helped.

Thanks! How long did it take for you to get used to it going cold turkey like that? I don't have a grinder, but I've noticed when I grind the beans at the store (some places have that machine) I enjoy my coffee much more.

Often I'm just grabbing Keurig coffee-- which I don't LOVE but it's fast. However, I just bought an actual coffee pot-- so this is a good time to make a switch!

I wish I could remember! It must not have been that long since it doesn't stand out in my mind as a lengthy adjustment (I did this about six years ago).

Jthanmyfitnesspal

I did it by switching to tea 30 years ago. I drink it with 1floz low-fat milk and 1tsp agave syrup. 32kcals.

Since I have 4 cups a day, I have to budget for the extra 130kcals. I've flirted with dropping the agave, but it makes me sad.

lemurcat2

I first started drinking coffee in college and it would be half 2% milk and half coffee (dining hall coffee). For some reason sweetened coffee has never been appealing to me. I found when I first started working that I didn't mind coffee with a half and half, but plenty of times meetings and so on would have just the non dairy dry creamer and I didn't like it, so I decided to learn to drink it black and just gradually reduced the amount of milk I would add. It was not a long transition, but is definitely easier with better coffee (although I don't mind mediocre coffee, really, and like that black too). For quite a while I've found that I prefer coffee black although occasionally I'll have a latte or the like.

itsjeephair

Haha, public shaming by my Colombian family.... I now love it and I'm actually kind of grossed out by milk so it helps. If you don't have access to a Colombian to shame you about ruining a good cup of coffee with milk though.... a bit of honey does the trick for me.

JustaNoob

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! Looks like I'll be making a trip to the store to explore some new coffee. I enjoy french press coffee when I have it... that may be an option for work coffee.

I'll give cold turkey a try for a week and see how it goes.

Slashnl

janejellyroll wrote: »

I went from a legitimate "You want some coffee with that cream and sugar?" person to someone who drinks black. I didn't do it to save calories, I did it because I don't do dairy and I wanted to be able to drink coffee when I was traveling and there wasn't plant milk/creamer available.

Get a good coffee. You may have to experiment with what "good" means to you. There are coffees with "fruity" notes, ones that are more "chocolately," varying degrees of bitterness, lower acid coffees. You can get lighter roasts and super dark roasts. The tasting notes on bags can be kind of pretentious, but they're usually a good guide as to what to expect. If you're buying pre-ground, grinding your own can make a big difference in the final cup (and it doesn't have to be expensive -- my basic grinder was about fifteen dollars, I think). If you're absolutely clueless about what you might like, buying a cup of coffee at a coffee shop and drinking it black can give you a good baseline as to what you might want to explore (a good coffee shop will tell you what you're drinking so you can look it up later).

Now that I'm used to it, I can drink gas station coffee black. But making the switch with genuinely delicious coffee really helped.

This is such good advice!! I started drinking coffee at my summer job in high school. It was an early shift at a food counter. I stayed up too late always, and then needed something to get going in the morning. I started out with cream and sugar, then tapered down to just cream, then less cream and then finally to black. And just like the quote above, I can drink gas station coffee black. Ha!

nicsflyingcircus

JustaNoob wrote: »

MsCzar wrote: »

You could always make a lighter brew, but I think brewing that perfect cup of good quality coffee and learning to appreciate the rich coffee flavor is a beautiful thing. There are flavored coffees out there as well. Hazelnut is a pretty good choice to drink black.

I think the key is brewing high quality coffee and drinking it fresh and HOT. I grind whole beans every morning and like the robust flavor of percolated coffee. I use a wee bit of half & half and carefully measure EVERY time - one T per 12 oz. mug. I am down to fewer than 90 calories a day now for creamer. It used to be 300!

Wow! That's great. What do you recommend for when you are out and about? I drink 2 cups of my coffee at work-- they have a Keurig. So good coffee would be easy first thing in the morning, but later in the day may be more difficult.

I take a thermos of home coffee to work with me. My first 12oz cup has 1-2 tbsp of half and half, the thermos is black and provided the next 2 12oz cups. We grind our own beans, grocery store brand, mixed half hazelnut, half medium-dark roast.

goal06082021

I made the switch in college, staying up all night to write papers was easier if I didn't put anything in the coffee.

I'll second all the advice to buy good, whole beans and grind them yourself. I love my French press and the coffee it makes; my Aeropress is a close second.

I don't see it here yet, so I'll also add: if your gas station/diner/break room coffee is too bitter, a tiny pinch of salt will take that edge off without adding calories like sugar/creamer would. Not a lot, maybe half or less of one of the little salt packets you get at restaurants, or a quick tip of a saltshaker into your palm. Err on the side of not enough salt, for sure.

mjbnj0001

Since I grew up to it, I can't give you a transition strategy, but I can chime in what a couple of folks above have said - try it with a good coffee, brewed well, to start (whatever that means to you). You can tell when I think the coffee is terrible, because I'll add dairy to it. It's also a "dessert" coffee occasionally if I add dairy. I like a strong, rich, dark blend usually, and also take it cold or iced. My wife thinks I'm a barbarian because I'll occasionally let a mug sit idle while doing things, then come back to drink it at room temp. Black coffee is amenable to that where I think dairy coffee isn't. I also don't usually take sugar or other sweetener. Even with espresso drinks.

BarbaraHelen2013

I started drinking black, unsweetened coffee around age 11 to 12. I’d previously been given it the way both my parents took it; with a dash of milk and one and a half tsps sugar. I really enjoyed it like that, too!

But even at that young age I wanted to cut the calories so decided to approach a cup of black, unsweetened coffee as if it were a new drink I’d never tried before. Did I like it?

The answer was yes, it was a good new drink and I’ve taken it that way ever since. Tricking myself worked for me. 🤷‍♀️

janejellyroll

mjbnj0001 wrote: »

Since I grew up to it, I can't give you a transition strategy, but I can chime in what a couple of folks above have said - try it with a good coffee, brewed well, to start (whatever that means to you). You can tell when I think the coffee is terrible, because I'll add dairy to it. It's also a "dessert" coffee occasionally if I add dairy. I like a strong, rich, dark blend usually, and also take it cold or iced. My wife thinks I'm a barbarian because I'll occasionally let a mug sit idle while doing things, then come back to drink it at room temp. Black coffee is amenable to that where I think dairy coffee isn't. I also don't usually take sugar or other sweetener. Even with espresso drinks.

I can make a cup of coffee, forget about it for an hour or two, and then drink it. My husband can't even watch, it disturbs him so much!

lemurcat2

janejellyroll wrote: »

mjbnj0001 wrote: »

Since I grew up to it, I can't give you a transition strategy, but I can chime in what a couple of folks above have said - try it with a good coffee, brewed well, to start (whatever that means to you). You can tell when I think the coffee is terrible, because I'll add dairy to it. It's also a "dessert" coffee occasionally if I add dairy. I like a strong, rich, dark blend usually, and also take it cold or iced. My wife thinks I'm a barbarian because I'll occasionally let a mug sit idle while doing things, then come back to drink it at room temp. Black coffee is amenable to that where I think dairy coffee isn't. I also don't usually take sugar or other sweetener. Even with espresso drinks.

I can make a cup of coffee, forget about it for an hour or two, and then drink it. My husband can't even watch, it disturbs him so much!

I do that too, but also sometimes just put it in the refrigerator and drink it later as iced coffee once it gets to room temp.

JustaNoob

Afternoon coffee update: I thought, well, I might as well try it today. Took one sip of the stuff at work and added all the creamer there was.

I'll definitely have to start with a good coffee.

SquirrelBrain

I wish I could love black coffee! I allocate around 200 calories for skim milk in my coffee daily. I generally prefer eating my calories to drinking them but I just don't enjoy black coffee as much. I did drink it black for a few years but went back to adding milk because I just enjoyed it more that way.

I was just thinking about how I need to tighten up my logging and that my generous milk in coffee habit probably accounts for some creep in uncounted calories, so these comments are helpful!

JustaNoob

SquirrelBrain wrote: »

I wish I could love black coffee! I allocate around 200 calories for skim milk in my coffee daily. I generally prefer eating my calories to drinking them but I just don't enjoy black coffee as much. I did drink it black for a few years but went back to adding milk because I just enjoyed it more that way.

I was just thinking about how I need to tighten up my logging and that my generous milk in coffee habit probably accounts for some creep in uncounted calories, so these comments are helpful!

I've gone back and forth on it really! I've totally thought... this is worth the calories to me. But then at other times, I want to cut back so I can eat the calories. However, if I could realllly enjoy black coffee, then I could have my coffee and eat it too! lol

ggeise14

I'll add that good water is also a big help. Can't have a good cup of coffee if you start with bad tasting water.

saintlmm7689

I could have said "can I have coffee with my creamer please" because I was addicted to peppermint mocha creamer. Then I went cold turkey to black after reading about what is actually in those artificial creamers. It definitely matters that you have good quality coffee in order to tolerate it without creamer. It took a while but I have acquired the taste and know that it is a much healthier choice.

MsCzar

Maybe you simply don't like coffee. If you're used to adding lots of cream and/or sugar, it could be a little like saying 'I like coffee ice cream' or 'I like espresso brownies.' Unless my math is wrong, 300 calories of creamer spread between only 3 cups of coffee is equal to more than one whole CUP of half & half! 😲

Strudders67

I just went cold turkey.

It became very clear, about 30 years ago, that I was intolerant to dairy and I had to cut it out completely for a period to allow my body to resettle. Sheep and goat's milk weren't widely available (and certainly not if out and about) and if plant milk was a thing back then, I never came across it. I lived in a small town in the middle of England and my options weren't great. Black tea was too awful for words whereas black coffee was tolerable, so that's what I started drinking.

Now, although I'll have a small amount of milk in cups of tea (I use almond milk for cereal or anything calling for more than a splash of milk), I still have my coffee black and can't imagine putting milk in it now. Stronger / better coffee is definitely nicer to drink than weak, instant coffee but if I want a coffee then I'll drink whatever's available.