Why Do They Add a Pinch of Salt to Coffee? Lifehack Against Bitterness
Adding salt to coffee seems absurd until you try it.
Barista James Hoffmann , world champion coffee brewer, explains:
"Salt blocks the bitter receptors on the tongue. It doesn't mask the taste, it balances it."
A study by Scientific Reports confirmed that 0.1% salt in a drink reduces the perception of bitterness by 30% without affecting acidity or aroma.
But how to use this trick correctly?
Head barista Timothy Wendelboe of Tim Wendelboe's in Oslo advises:
"Add a pinch of sea salt to the Turk before brewing. It will dissolve evenly and you will avoid a salty taste."
For espresso, his recommendation is to place grains of salt in the bottom of the cup before pouring.
Historically, this method was used in Scandinavia and Siberia, where coffee was often overroasted for long-term storage.
The Eskimos added sea water to the drink to soften the bitterness.
Today, this technique has been popularized in the United States thanks to the book The Coffee Manifesto by Alfred Pepper, where the author calls salt “the secret of the perfect Americano.”
Interestingly, salt also enhances other notes in coffee.
Tasters from the Specialty Coffee Association note that salt brings out the berry flavors in Ethiopian varieties, while salt brings out the nutty flavors in Brazilian varieties.
An experiment by blogger Morgan Eckroth showed:
"The salt brought out caramel notes in my coffee that I hadn't noticed before."
