Black pepper and coffee

[noboundaries]

I've been experimenting with adding spices to my morning pour-over coffee just to see if anything could actually improve the flavor of already great tasting, home-roasted, Arabica bean coffee. After trying several, the absolute winner is BLACK PEPPER!

1/4 tsp ground black pepper put in a 16 oz mug of fresh brewed coffee added a level of complexity that absolutely enhanced the coffee. If you are a whiskey/whisky/bourbon drinker, it had the same degree of subtle enhancement as light smoke does to the liquor. Leaves a nice and lasting aftertaste, too: not a burn exactly, but a nice warmth from the pepper.

Below are others I've tried at 1/4 tsp per 16 oz mug.
Salt - flattened the coffee too much. Reminded me of drinking a flat soda. Salt makes high acid Robusta coffee more palatable, but doesn't work for me for Arabica coffee.
Butter (1 tsp) - took one sip and tossed the entire mug. I'm a big butter user, but I don't get the appeal.
Cinnamon - I love cinnamon, but not in my coffee. It gave the coffee a mouth pucker I disliked.
Turmeric - Nope. Kind of a muddy flavor.
Cocoa powder- Nope. Neutralized both the coffee and cocoa flavors. Even tried adding sugar and it didn't help. Reminded me of a kid thing where you mix a bunch of sodas together and get something unidentifiable.
Paprika - didn't really notice much of a flavor change.
Cayenne - overpowered the flavor of the coffee, but I liked the heat. And that led me to the black pepper.

Give it a try on your next cup, or the next time you're tending the smoker overnight. Let me know what you think, or if you add anything other than sugar, milk, creamers, or coconut milk to your coffee.

Have a GREAT day!

Ray

 

[Winterrider]

I will give that a shot. Thanks for being our" test mouse ". Lol

 

[noboundaries]

I will give that a shot. Thanks for being our" test mouse ". Lol

My wife always says I can't leave well enough alone. She knows me so well.

 

[GaryHibbert]

I'll be giving that a try, Ray. I always liked whiskey in my coffee. Since I quit drinking years ago, I've missed that. So, maybe the pepper.....
Gary

 

[Hamdrew]

its also great for vasodilation. eat a turmeric capsule (if not grate some fresh), and eat a little (unless you like the taste) with it, and REALLY start your day off

 

[noboundaries]

I'll be giving that a try, Ray. I always liked whiskey in my coffee. Since I quit drinking years ago, I've missed that. So, maybe the pepper.....
Gary

Well, Gary, not quite in the same ballpark as whiskey in my coffee, but definitely worth a try. Watch that last sip, though; it's all the pepper.

Next experiment is ground ginger. Maybe ginger AND black pepper. Hmmm.

 

[Smoking Allowed]

So let me be sure I'm understanding this. You're adding the pepper to straight black coffee? If so, I'll give that a try as I only drink it black.

 

[Hamdrew]

Well, Gary, not quite in the same ballpark as whiskey in my coffee, but definitely worth a try. Watch that last sip, though; it's all the pepper.

Next experiment is ground ginger. Maybe ginger AND black pepper. Hmmm.

clove, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, tiny bit of thyme and boom u got urself jerk java. had to try it at a coffee shop in chicago when i saw it

 

[noboundaries]

So let me be sure I'm understanding this. You're adding the pepper to straight black coffee? If so, I'll give that a try as I only drink it black.

When I make my pour over, I put the pepper in first, then add the coffee and taste it black. My eyes lit up it was so good. Then I added my usual 50/50 mix of frothed whole milk and full fat coconut milk to cream the coffee. My stomach can't handle straight black anymore, but that's how I drank it for decades.

 

[Winterrider]

Well gave it a go this Am. Definitely puts a little giddyup in there. Couldn't talk the wife into trying it, she doesn't care for the heat of hardly anything.

 

[GATOR240]

I just now tried it and do like the zip it gives the coffee. I will definately do this again on occasion.

 

[noboundaries]

Well gave it a go this Am. Definitely puts a little giddyup in there. Couldn't talk the wife into trying it, she doesn't care for the heat of hardly anything.

Coffee is just one of those things it is almost sacrilegious to mess with. Plus, we are so programmed to use spices in specific ways for sweet or savory foods. Sugar is to sweet in coffee as pepper is to savory. It was a surprising experiment.

I just now tried it and do like the zip it gives the coffee. I will definately do this again on occasion.

Thanks, Gator! It's a nice way to step outside something that can become almost mindlessly familiar every morning.

 

[noboundaries]

clove, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, tiny bit of thyme and boom u got urself jerk java. had to try it at a coffee shop in chicago when i saw it

And what did you think of it?

 

[noboundaries]

Tried a pinch of ground ginger and the 1/4 tsp black pepper in 16 oz mug this morning. It was okay, but I like the straight black pepper better.

 

[Hamdrew]

And what did you think of it?

it tasted pretty delicious. very much like one of those black clove cigarettes if you've ever had one of those

 

[AirForceDan]

I've been experimenting with adding spices to my morning pour-over coffee just to see if anything could actually improve the flavor of already great tasting, home-roasted, Arabica bean coffee. After trying several, the absolute winner is BLACK PEPPER!

1/4 tsp ground black pepper put in a 16 oz mug of fresh brewed coffee added a level of complexity that absolutely enhanced the coffee. If you are a whiskey/whisky/bourbon drinker, it had the same degree of subtle enhancement as light smoke does to the liquor. Leaves a nice and lasting aftertaste, too: not a burn exactly, but a nice warmth from the pepper.

Below are others I've tried at 1/4 tsp per 16 oz mug.
Salt - flattened the coffee too much. Reminded me of drinking a flat soda. Salt makes high acid Robusta coffee more palatable, but doesn't work for me for Arabica coffee.
Butter (1 tsp) - took one sip and tossed the entire mug. I'm a big butter user, but I don't get the appeal.
Cinnamon - I love cinnamon, but not in my coffee. It gave the coffee a mouth pucker I disliked.
Turmeric - Nope. Kind of a muddy flavor.
Cocoa powder- Nope. Neutralized both the coffee and cocoa flavors. Even tried adding sugar and it didn't help. Reminded me of a kid thing where you mix a bunch of sodas together and get something unidentifiable.
Paprika - didn't really notice much of a flavor change.
Cayenne - overpowered the flavor of the coffee, but I liked the heat. And that led me to the black pepper.

Give it a try on your next cup, or the next time you're tending the smoker overnight. Let me know what you think, or if you add anything other than sugar, milk, creamers, or coconut milk to your coffee.

Have a GREAT day!

Ray

A guy I know adds a touch of cayenne and unrefined coconut oil. He often pours me a mug from his work thermos and it is very good.

 

[noboundaries]

A guy I know adds a touch of cayenne and unrefined coconut oil. He often pours me a mug from his work thermos and it is very good.

I get that, Dan. My 50/50 mix of canned coconut milk and whole milk is like a better tasting version of half and half. My mistake with the cayenne was using 1/4 tsp, which was too much. A pinch would work better.

You've given me an idea, too. Sweet paprika didn't work for me, but smoked hot paprika might. Added to the shopping list!

In the meantime, I think I'll try white pepper in my next mug.

 

[Hamdrew]

When I have it, I add the Mexican slightly on board with a green tea caffeine wise and jitter-lowering, but its woodsy flavor works incredibly well IMO

 

[Hamdrew]

I get that, Dan. My 50/50 mix of canned coconut milk and whole milk is like a better tasting version of half and half. My mistake with the cayenne was using 1/4 tsp, which was too much. A pinch would work better.

You've given me an idea, too. Sweet paprika didn't work for me, but smoked hot paprika might. Added to the shopping list!

In the meantime, I think I'll try white pepper in my next mug.

white is better b/c you wont end up with so much in the bottom, but some of the aromatic compounds are in the shell/black. I honestly like the taste better because it is a little more purely earthy. The health benefits are in both, more concentrated in white.

 

[Smoking Allowed]

Well I tried it this morning and am impressed with the taste, but I'm a black pepper lover anyway. This will be a regular.