The Secret Iced Coffee Trick We Wish We'd Known About Sooner
There's nothing worse than taking that first sip of your morning coffee only to have it taste, well, a little off. And while there are many causes for the dreaded bitter coffee, there are also a few brilliant fixes too, which take way less time than brewing another pot. We recently ran across one tip that's especially delicious and fun for summer. It's guaranteed to take your morning coffee from drab to delightful in one easy step.
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Why Does Your Coffee Taste Bitter?
Lauren Abendroth, the director of R&D at Death Wish Coffee Co. says that it’s important to remember that coffee starts out somewhat bitter in the first place. “Coffee is inherently bitter primarily due to the presence of chlorogenic acids and the fact that they break down into chlorogenic acid lactones and phenylindanes during the roasting process,” she says. “Phenylindanes are the culprit behind a lingering harsh bitterness in extremely dark roasted coffees.”
That said, there are a few things that you might be doing at home that are making your coffee bitter than it should be, including using low-quality coffee, brewing it too hot (the ideal temp is 195-205°), using the incorrect grind size for the brew method and brewing with hard water.
Related: How to Make Iced Tea Taste 10x Better
How to Fix Bitter Iced Coffee
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
There are many fun methods online for saving that bitter brew. Some involve adding a pinch of salt to your grounds before brewing, because salt counteracts bitter flavors. Some say a squeeze of lemon will help do the same. But our favorite (and tastiest) way of making our morning java worth drinking comes from the freezer in the form of a frozen fudge bar.
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How to Make Iced Coffee with a Fudge Bar
The "how" is super easy with this one: just unwrap, dip and stir. The stick even acts as a stirrer, mixing up all of that chocolatey goodness into your bitter-no-more brew. Genius!
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What I Thought of the Fudge Bar in Iced Coffee Trick
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
I've been a coffee lover for more than three decades and I've mixed many things into my coffee through the years: protein powder, ice cream (an affogato), chocolate milk. But never have I ever thought of putting a fudge bar into my morning mug.
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I brewed a cup going against Abendroth's advice to make sure I ended up with a cup of iced coffee that needed fixing. I was in awe of how well this trick worked. The flavor and sweetness of the fudge bar transformed my bitter black brew into a smooth, creamy, magical glass of caffeinated goodness. Perfect for a hot and humid summer morning, this was definitely a little treat and a great way to start my day. I didn't need to add my usual Coffee Mate creamer since the popsicle acted as both the creamer and the sweetener.
I can also see this working with other ice cream bars (creamsicle? strawberry shortcake bar?). I can say with 100% certainty I'll be turning to the freezer section for inspiration the next time my java needs a little oomph.
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