Salt in Coffee: Why You Should and Why Others Do It

crazy by Editorial Staff | Updated on April 24th, 2023

Our coffee got coconut oil, eggs,  butter, and  nitrogen. Now salt may be the mildest thing we encounter people adding to their coffee besides sugar.


Don’t go to your favorite Denny’s and pour salt in your coffee. Putting salt in coffee is a deliberate habit with some people, and we are here to educate you about these reasons.

salt in coffee

The science

First, let’s start with the basics: What is salt? Salt comprises two elements: sodium and chloride (NaCl). Sodium (Na) is an essential nutrient that helps regulate blood pressure, water balance, and pH levels in the body. Chloride (Cl) helps maintain acid-base balance in the body.

Chloride is one of the blood’s most essential electrolytes. It helps maintain the amount of fluid in balance inside and outside your cells. It also helps to maintain the correct amount of blood, blood pressure, and pH of the body fluids.

You might be wondering how this works, or is it worth trying?

Well, let’s start with some information about your tongue. That’s right; the salt does not do anything for your coffee. However, it tricks your brain into ignoring the bitterness. Want to understand how?

You have thousands of tastebuds on your tongue responsible for managing the five basic tastes bitter, sour, sweet, salty, and umami. Every one of these tastes, apart from bitter, is signaled by similar biological mechanisms, and salt is capable of amplifying them.

Bitterness is signaled differently. Your taste buds release a calcium ion to signal that particular taste but salt, rather than amplifying this reaction, overrides it, masking the bitterness.

The beginning: History of salt and coffee

salt and coffee

Adding salt to coffee is not a new trend which may sound surprising. It has been a long and relatively common practice in Hungary, Northern Scandinavia, Siberia, and Turkey. In addition, coastal  regions include salt and coffee in the form of brackish water, which has been a long-standing practice within the coffee culture of these regions.

The salty water probably created a foamier, intensified end product. Who knows!

The addition of salt to coffee was particularly common among seafarers, ‘partially nomadic people of the Mongolian race,’ including those in northern Europe (the Laplands of Finland) and parts of the East, including China.

Why do sailors put salt in coffee?

The desalination units on ships of the Second World War, which turned seawater into drinking water, were not 100% effective in extracting salt from water. As a result, the coffee held a slightly salty flavor, so the sailors just got used to the taste. So, sailors before the war might also have no other options.

Why add salt to coffee?

Adding salt to a cup of coffee could cut the bitterness of the beverage. Also, it helps to negate any staleness. So, if you’re trying to ensure you are getting most of the grounds, this may be the perfect option.

Does salt in coffee take out the bitterness?

Not only does salt cut the bitterness of the coffee, but it also smoothes out the ‘stale’ taste of the well-stored water. In addition, a study has shown that salt is better at neutralizing bitterness than sugar.

Grounds or brew?

The problem begins with whether you want to taste the salt or not. We’re betting most people would rather prefer not to do so.

Coffee and cooking experts such as Alton Brown, the cookbook author, and television host, recommend including salt in your grounds before brewing.

This theory proposes adding 1/4 teaspoon of salt to every 6 tablespoons of grounds.

Adding salt to the grounds helps to ensure you do not taste the saltiness while still assisting in reducing the bitterness or staleness.

However, you may be unable to add the salt to the grounds because someone else is brewing the coffee for you. Will it still work if you add the salt after the brewing? The answer is yes. The salt will address the bitterness leaving you with the problem of tasting the saltiness in the coffee.

With that said, should you be adding the salt?

Our experience tells us that in the best circumstances, you can try adding some salt to your coffee.

Here are those circumstances:

Health benefits of salt in coffee

Some studies have shown that the consumption of caffeine has a direct effect on sodium levels in the body. This is because caffeine influences the development of urine—it helps you pee more. The more you pee, the more sodium your body processes to waste. To counteract this effect, people can directly add salt to increase the sodium in coffee.

You’re not a sugar and cream fan but have been served an average Joe 🙂

Especially when you’re on a plane, the coffee is just crap. And if you’re looking for the caffeine fix but cannot get to a better cup of coffee, why not try it and get that nasty taste out of your mouth. Of course, you might add sugar and cream instead, but you have a stronger alternative to remove that nasty taste from your mouth.

Your beans/grounds look too dark or are over-roasted

Picking the right coffee or knowing how to make the perfect coffee takes time. But, on the other hand, you might end up with coffee beans that are suitable for your liking.

Your coffee is going stale

You can combat stale coffee by adding salt. So, if you are not prepared to toss out the coffee left in your stash, adding a bit of salt will prove helpful.

You are a salty individual

If you’re someone that adores the taste of salt, rest assured we’re not going to be anywhere close to you when you add salt to your coffee. To everyone and their vices. 🙂 At 85 Celcius, they offer  black coffee with sea salt, which is phenomenal.

85

Our take away

There are many more ways to be sure you are brewing good coffee without the need to add additional sodium to the brew. However, if you’re looking forward to improving your at-home brew, the following tips, if borne in mind, will help you to improve the quality.

  • Purchase quality beans. The salt will not make it better if your coffee beans aren’t good enough. For example, If you use a Robusta blend, consider switching to something with a complex flavor profile. Or, if the beans are too bitter, try something mild or fruity.
  • Only purchase fresh beans. If you cannot go through your coffee bag before it goes bad, purchase a smaller bag because they tend to remain fresher longer. If you want help with the freshness, we recommend buying whole beans and grinding them yourself.
  • Check your equipment. Is your equipment dirty, old, or being used incorrectly? Do not use bad equipment if you want a good cup of coffee anytime during the day. For example, if you are grinding garlic and using the same  grinder for your coffee, you might taste a little garlic in your coffee.
  • Check the water. If you’re brewing coffee with water, you may as well check to see if your water is the reason your coffee is tasting bad. See if you need to replace your water filter.

If salt doesn’t help, you got sugar and cream to help you. However, if you prefer black coffee and cannot get over the bitterness of average joe, try the salt trick to see if caffeine and sodium intake can help you with your day.

There are no big downsides to drinking salted coffee regarding well-being. All the issues are close to those of taking daily salt. You should not drink it, for example, if you are allergic to sodium.

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Editorial Staff

The editorial staff at Crazy Coffee Crave is a team of coffee enthusiasts & Baristas who enjoy the one thing we all think about as soon as we get up in the morning. Trusted by thousands of readers worldwide.