Black coffee drinkers

Late to the conversation, but I've found that freshly ground beans brewed with an Areopress produces a very smooth cup. Just make sure the water isn't too hot. I bring it to boil in my kettle and let it sit for about 5 minutes or so. I LOVE my Areopress!!

I generally like Starbucks French Roast, whole bean, ground fresh. But lately I have been drinking Cold Brew with a shot of sugar free chocolate syrup. I sometimes put it into the blender with ice and it is refreshing with the hot weather. BTW, the way I got accustomed to black coffee - I stopped using cream and then started using sugar substitute. Eventually I was able to top the sugar substitute. (my then boyfriend, now husband was almost always out of a sweetener, so it just became easier to drink it black.

I stick with eight o'clock as well, I keep the beans in in the freezer and grind them for each brew, I had an espresso machine with a press and it just took to much effort, I need my coffee first thing so I put ice in it to cool it off enough for me to drink it right away.

I'm a lifetime black coffee drinker, as were my parents. I do take milk, half-half or cream but that's when (a) I'm rushed and need to cool it faster, (b) as an occasional "treat" or (c) it's truly ratty coffee [gas station coffee is an example, LOL]. This (dairy) is maybe 5% or less of my consumption. 999 out of 1000 cups, no sweetener, including in espresso.

Drinking black exposes the full character of the coffee. My experience is that there are a few really good beans/blends, a great variety of acceptable and perfectly satisfactory ones, and some horrid ones, but the main differences (esp. leading to making an OK coffee ratty) are in the quality of prep: water, cleanliness of the equipment [e.g., no accumulation of old oils and acids], brewing method, age [how long the brewed coffee sits around after brewing], etc.). Almost all of the main national brands are OK, and have differing characteristics requiring your own taste tests. Many specialty/regional/local products are excellent. No matter the method or product, decaf coffees have less flavor no matter what their proponents tell you. The occasion, meal/time-of-day, mood, etc., all lead to preferring a specific type at a specific moment - coffee is like wine in this regard, not being a one-type-fits-all thing. I'm not a fan of the in-home "keurig cup"-type of prep, but accept this in offices/etc.

Does this all sound like making things over-complex, over-thought? Yes, probably. My suggestion: start with a more mellow type (such as mocha - the bean type, not the mixed coffee drink) to break in your taste buds, then move towards bolder, richer types for variety and to find your preferences. All the suggestions about 8 o'clock, maxwell house, etc., are all reasonable too. Or just grab a bag of Dunkin Donuts coffee and experiment with strength/brewing/etc., LOL.

As if we need another reason to drink black other than the richness of the drink itself: in weird news today, I saw an item that a customer of a McDonald's in Calgary was served some sort of poison in her latte. The restaurant had hooked up a cleaning fluid line to the coffee machine rather than a milk line.

Also they taste better fresh. So if you can, get a coffee grinder and buy whole beans. and store it in the freezer. I have yet to do this for some reason. You can also buy the coffee in bulk at the grocery store where they have a grinder. I don't like the bulk coffee at my grocery store though.

There is only one answer to the OP's question. The best part of waking up...