Coffee is a versatile beverage that you can drink hot, cold, bitter, or sweet (although it tends to be quite bitter at least if you’re a beginner coffee drinker!).
Beginner coffee drinkers may not know what their coffee journey may look like as there’s so many options to choose from with various taste profiles!
If you are new to drinking coffee, Caffe Americano, cappuccino, and latte are the best ones to try.
These choices are flavoured with sugar, cream, and milk to mask the bitterness of coffee.
This way, your tastebuds can get used to the taste of coffee while making it palatable.
Let us dive deep into the best coffee for beginners and the things you need to know when you start your coffee-drinking journey.
Coffee 101: The Best Coffee For Beginners
So you want to begin drinking coffee and not sure where to start?
Drinking coffee is one of the best ways to get the right energy boost you need in the morning. On top of that, a good cup of coffee only gets better once you start exploring its flavours.
However, some people, especially non-drinkers, hesitate to try coffee due to its bitterness. But there are now flavoured coffee for beginners to try.
So, if you are a coffee noob who is not sure where to start, here are the best coffee for beginners.
1. Lattes
Lattes combine espresso, a syrup of sweetness, and steamed milk. You can add other flavours, including caramel, vanilla, or mocha, to further mask the bitterness of your espresso.
Even better, you can choose the milk you want for your coffee.
The milk choices include almond, soy, and oak milk. Milk, especially plant-based ones can reduce a coffee acidity, especially if you’re vegan.
2. Cappuccinos
Lattes and cappuccinos are very similar, so some coffee drinkers often mistake these two drinks as the same.
Just like lattes, cappuccinos consist of espresso. However, it uses frothed milk instead of steamed milk.
Cappuccinos also have milk foam on top and do not have sweetened syrup. And unlike the creamy and thick latte, cappuccinos are layered, making it an excellent coffee for beginners.
Cappuccino is also a great option for people who want to explore the natural taste of coffee.
3. Caffe Americano
Some people are not fans of milk, so coffee and milk may not be a good combination. If you do not want milk in your coffee, you should try Caffe Americano.
This type of coffee has an espresso shot and hot water, which may sound like a regular cup of black coffee.
However, Caffe Americano tastes smoother, so it is an excellent coffee for beginners.
Caffe Americano basically dilutes an espresso shot with hot water, making it less bitter and easier to drink.
But if you prefer a strong cup of coffee, you can always add an extra shot of espresso to your cup.
In addition, Caffe Americano packs flavour. But it is important to note that it is more bitter than the usual beginner coffee choices.
For this reason, you need to consider your flavour preference before trying this coffee type.
At-Home Coffee Brewing For Beginners
One way to enjoy your day is to take a sip of good coffee. But what is even better is when you can enjoy your coffee at home.
Learning how to brew coffee in the comfort of your home will take your beginner coffee experience to a new level.
You will be able to craft your brew the way you want while exploring the complex flavours of coffee. This way, you will figure out the best coffee for beginners based on your taste.
If you are serious about brewing coffee at home, it is worth noting that you need a few coffee-making tools.
Pour Over Coffee Brewing
The pour-over brewing method produces one of the best coffee for beginners as it brings out the richness of coffee.
This brewing method also accentuates coffee’s complex flavours, allowing you to experiment and find the perfect ratio between coffee grounds and water.
Also, the slower the pour of water, the more flavour you get from your coffee grounds.
Dr. Rob van Dam, a nutrition professor at Harvard University, states that “It’s best to brew coffee with a paper filter, to remove a substance that causes increases in LDL cholesterol.” For this reason, pour-over coffee is a healthy option.
Immersion Brewer
French Press, a type of immersion brewer, is an inexpensive and quick way to make coffee at home. It can produce a good cup of coffee in about four minutes.
There are also other immersion brewers like the Clever Dripper and AeroPress.
Are there any other tools you need?
Filters
If you opt for the pour-over method, you need paper filters to hold your coffee grounds. Wash the paper filter before using it to remove the paper taste. You can also use a stainless steel filter if you are looking for a reusable option.
Filtering your coffee lets you get its flavours, allowing you to get the best coffee especially if you’re a beginner.
Grinder
If you want to use freshly ground coffee every time you brew, having your grinder will be helpful. That said, find a grinder that produces an even grind. This way, you can extract the best out of your coffee grounds.
Additionally, make sure that you stay away from coffee grinders that produce uneven grounds as they will make your brew taste bitter. The best coffee for beginners should never taste bitter, so only get a high-quality grinder.
Gooseneck Kettle
As the name suggests, a gooseneck kettle has a long and narrow neck. This graceful-looking equipment allows you to control your water distribution when brewing.
If you also want to control the water temperature, there are gooseneck kettles with built-in thermometers.
Thermometer
If your gooseneck kettle does not have a built-in thermometer, you can always get a separate thermometer. The best water temperature for extracting coffee is between 195 to 205F.
Digital Scale and Timer
Accuracy is the key to making the best cup of coffee for beginners. Meaning you need to measure your water, coffee grounds, and brewing time to produce the perfect cup.
While it may sound like a lot of work, you will enjoy the process once you get used to it.
Knowing Your Coffee Beans
Your coffee experience will not be complete without knowing the different types of coffee beans. The reason is that getting the right beans will help you make the best coffee for beginners.
Now, there are two major coffee beans that you should know. Once you know them, you can choose which one will fit your tastebuds better.
Arabica
Arabica beans are typically grown in the highlands.
Deemed as the most popular type of coffee, Arabica has a sweet taste and nutty hints with caramel and chocolate notes. High-quality Arabica beans also have a fruity flavour.
With this flavour profile, Arabica beans do not have much bitterness.
Moreover, Arabica beans are an excellent choice for making cold brews. These coffee beans are grown in the African continent and Arabian regions.
Coffee origin also affects the taste of coffee beans, so Arabica has a distinct flavour profile:
- Intricate wine-like and citrus-like flavors that make them perfect for dark roasts
- Medium body and a low level of acidity
Robusta
Robusta beans are another excellent choice for making the best coffee for beginners. These beans originated in central and western sub-Saharan Africa.
Additionally, they boast an earthy taste with a bitter and rubbery flavour. Robusta beans also have an aftertaste similar to peanuts.
While the flavour profile does not sound appealing, not all Robusta beans contain these flavours. High-quality Robusta beans taste excellent, making them perfect for making espresso shots.
Robusta beans contain less sugar and more caffeine than Arabica, so they taste stronger. Additionally, a regular Robusta brew may not be the best coffee for beginners.
Frequently Asked Questions: Best Coffee For Beginners
What is the easiest coffee to drink?
Mocha is the best coffee for beginners who are not yet used to the taste of regular coffee. It consists of an espresso shot and chocolate, which masks the bitterness of coffee.
Can I lose weight with coffee?
Caffeine can boost your metabolism for a short period, which may lead to fat burning. But after drinking coffee regularly, you will become tolerant to the caffeine, so it will no longer affect your metabolic rate.
What is the weakest coffee to drink?
Despite the intense flavour, espresso is the weakest coffee in terms of caffeine content. A single shot of espresso only contains 60 to 100mg of caffeine. Meanwhile, a regular cup of coffee may have 80 to 100mg caffeine content.
In Summary
Drinking coffee should never be complicated even if you are a beginner who is not used to the bitterness of coffee.
You can always try coffee and milk concoctions as they make the best coffee for beginners.
You can even try making your cuppa at home to have complete control over the flavour and strength of your drink. This way, you can have coffee that perfectly suits your taste.