How to Switch to Black Coffee

If you’re wondering how to switch to black coffee, look no further! It can be an adjustment giving up cream or milk and sugar in your morning coffee, but drinking coffee black is a healthy change that’s easy to make. After about a week, you won’t even WANT the cream and sugar! Here’s how to make the BEST black coffee that you’ll actually want to drink.

I used to LOVE my coffee extra sweet and extra creamy. I’d load up on half and half (even milk wouldn’t cut it!) and add at LEAST a tablespoon of sugar to each mugful of coffee. My order at Dunkin’ Donuts would include extra extra cream and sugar. Yes, that’s two extras.

But now? Now I crave ONLY black coffee in the mornings. I’ve trained my body to want pure, unadulterated coffee.

Does that mean I don’t indulge every now and then? Absolutely not. I love making iced vanilla lattes and cold brew coffee with milk and honey. But in the mornings, black coffee is my jam.

Why is switching to black coffee healthy?

If you have one cup of coffee per day with a tablespoon of sugar in each, that’s almost 23 cups of sugar per year. 23 cups!

Taking added sugar out of your diet is one of the most impactful, healthy things you can do. People may argue about carbs, fat, etc., but sugar is always recognized as unhealthy.

If you love coffee, but always put sugar in it, taking that sugar out is a highly impactful way to reduce your daily sugar intake.

But… is coffee good for you?

Actually, there are a lot of health benefits to drinking coffee!

It’s packed full of antioxidants and nutrients. As long as you take the sugar out, it’s not an unhealthy beverage, especially in moderation!

My experience with switching to black coffee

My husband Zach and I decided to make the switch to black coffee together. Having a partner to do it together with made it a little easier to switch.

Full disclosure: the first day was difficult. The coffee tasted bitter, and very different from our regular routine of something sweet in the morning.

The second day was better. We still longed for that smooth, sweet version of the coffee we were used to, but at least we knew what to expect. The first sip was not followed by grimacing faces. No surprises the second day.

The third day was… pretty good! Our appreciation for black coffee started to grow. Coffee with cream and sugar sounded yummy, but black coffee didn’t sound repulsive anymore. And, we began to notice differences in how we felt during the day. Black coffee seemed to be aiding in digestion a little more and we had more energy.

After about a week, we were hooked. We didn’t even want cream and sugar in our coffee anymore! And, we began to see and feel the benefits.

Cream and sugar definitely adds some weight to your coffee and it’s not necessarily the first thing your body naturally wants in the morning. Digestion was better, and energy was better. The coffee seemed to be more effective, probably because there was no sugar rush/crash competing with the caffeine.

Tips for making the best cup of black coffee

1. Invest in a grinder and grind your own beans. It’s worth it.
2. Buy good coffee, as freshly roasted as possible. Unflavored, organic is best. I like to buy coffee beans in bulk from a local coffee shop.
3. Grind the beans and brew the coffee just before drinking. The fresher the grind and the brew, the smoother and fresher the coffee will taste. (For convenience, I usually grind my coffee the night before and set a timer on my coffee maker to go off automatically in the morning, but I notice a difference in taste if I wait until the morning to grind).
4. Try different brewing techniques. French presses are a great way to get a strong, smooth, bold taste. A traditional brewer is convenient if you like your coffee in bulk in the morning. Test out a few and see what works for you!

So what do you think? Are you a black coffee drinker or do you love your cream and sugar? Have you made the switch to black coffee? If you have any tips or thoughts, leave them in the comments section below!