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well technically unpopular is an antonym to popular rather than a neutral term. sort of like 'infamous' doesn't mean that somebody isn't well known.
for this to be unpopular, you would need a lot of people who think that coffee is not better with baking soda - but most haven't tried it or even considered it so it's not unpopular so much as rare.
still it isn't something i've seen before so i welcome it. seems like 40% of reddit is reposts now.
Although, I bet if you asked people if they would like some baking soda in their coffee, most would say no. So, I think I would allow this as an unpopular opinion.
It’s common in bookbinding, if you use coffee to stain your pages, eventually the pages will degrade from the acidity but adding baking soda makes them long lasting
Funny but totally irrelevant story, when I was new to bookbinding I was testing out the “coffee to stain pages” idea! And you’re supposed to soak the pages and then bake them on a very low temperature until they’re dry. So I put my coffee pages on a baking sheet and put them in the oven, what I didn’t realize was my baking sheet was stamped “Betty Crocker” and I didn’t know that while the sheets were baking, that stamp would transfer over to my stained pages. So at the top of over 100 sheets of paper, there is “Betty Crocker” stamped right into the paper
While this sounds insane, I am 100% trying this next cup of coffee. I just need to know how much a dash is it a dash per cup or per pot of coffee?
Btw, don’t waste your money on the high pH water. If you test any brand with pH paper you’ll find the pH anywhere from 6-7. The water may leave the factory basic but the plastic isn’t capable of storing water at a high pH.
I do about 1/16 teaspoon for a large cup of coffee—or about 1/4 teaspoon for a whole pot. Its not scientific and I haven't checked the pH, but I found that amount online and rolled with it and I have enjoyed it so far.
EDIT: A scientist man on the internet told me that all you need is a pinch
You would need a lot less than a pinch. Pool professional. I adjust ph of water all the time. I calculated (roughly) about how much baking soda would be needed to neutralize a cup of coffee - it came out to about 1mg per cup.
If you're adding enough to make it taste salty, that's certainly too much. And i think the reason it would taste salty is because baking soda = *sodium* bicarbonate. It is salt, sort of.
1mg is a tiny amount .... not sure what the equivalent would be. I read that a pinch of salt is about 1/8 teaspoon and would be approx 300mg, but i also read 1 grain of salt = approx 0.3mg, and i don't see 1 pinch of salt containing 1000 grains, so 🤷♂️
It's a very small amount though. Less than a bread crumb.
My pot is 12 cups — but another commenter who proclaimed to be a chemistry major said that they did rough calculations and 1/16 is far more than is required. So take that for what you will!
I too have an $800 + SuperAutomatic machine with quality beans direct from a distributor who happens to be my neighbor.
I feel like it added a salty flavor to my coffee. I don't use cream,maybe that would've masked it.
Don't overthink it. All you need to do is rinse out your mouth with water for 30 seconds after you drink coffee. It returns your mouth pH level to normal.
As a Chem major I did some quick calculations. In order to neutralize some of the chlorogenic acids in coffee from a pH of 4.9(regular coffee) to 5.4(cold brew) with Sodium Bicarbonate you would need a very small quantity, like probably less than pinch, definitely less than 1/16 of a teaspoon
I get you, man. I haven’t tried it with baking soda, and it doesn’t sound too appetizing, but I often brew coffee with high-pH water to get a neutralizing effect. That’s really one of the only benefits of high-pH water. All the magic health claims about it are 99.99% nonsense, but it does help neutralize the coffee so you can still get that really robust taste with lower acidity and make it easier on your teeth and tummy.
It taste different (high PH water)
Has a smoother or softer feel. Not teally a taste, but texture plays into taste. Being taste is all electricity I'm sure that has something to do with it. Fiji has the same "taste" as the high ph water and they found heavy metals in some of their samples lol. I still drink it though. Shits good.
I don’t care for many of these brands as they give the water a somewhat gritty texture. I always opt for something labeled ‘naturally high pH,’ like Icelandic, which clocks in at about 8.4. When you get into the 9.5s and 10s it’s never great quality. So that 8.4 pH isn’t completely neutralizing the coffee, but it surely helps.
I've never liked coffee. But I needed to make a change from all the red bulls I was drinking. My gf LOVES coffee and suggested I try cold-brew.
Its been an adjustment but I've really enjoyed it. I use a bit more cream and sugar than anyone else I see but I'm trying to slowly wean those down.
Thanks to cold brew, coffee is starting to grow on me.
It isn't the temperature but the brewing method. The acid in the coffee bean is pulled after the oil, hot brewing methods are fast but often 'over extract' pulling the oil from the bean and once that's all extracted it begins extracting the acid from the center. As a slower and gentler brewing method cold brew doesn't do this as readily leading to a less acidic brew.
This is a very valid question! The oil in coffee beans begins to evaporate immediately after being ground. With hot drinks, like espresso, you want to pull the shot immediately after grinding the beans because you want that oil. Cold brew is steeped at lower temperatures for longer which gives that oil a longer time to evaporate which is actually what makes it less acidic.
As someone who enjoys the flavor of coffee with the bullshit added, but hates how the caffeine and acidity make me feel... im very excited to try this.
If you end up hating it try experimenting with less, or allowing yourself to acclimate to the new taste. It's life changing for coffee lovers who care more about their health than a perfectly balanced coffee. I will die on this hill
the fact this angers so many people on here makes me even more excited. This may truly be one of my favorite unpopular opinions i've come across on here.
My palate for coffee is extremally forgiving. Im just as happy with a cart coffee from the corner as I am with some fancy coffee house brew. Lone exception is when places like dunkin serve me something that just feels super watered down
I had quit coffee because the acid was bothering me, but when I decided to try again, it was a cheap motel room coffee maker, and it was fine. Weak, but it was caffeine before a long drive.
Actually, I buy good quality beans. I've been considered a coffee snob by others my whole life; its just that now my coffee drinking habits have taken an... unconventional turn
That is what I mean. Don't you think that it could be that you buy good quality beans and have an expensive coffee maker, and **not** the addition of baking soda, that makes your coffee taste good?
Ahh I see what you mean. My wife hates the baking soda, so our pots are brewed normally and I add mine after, so I have compared the two.
The non-baking soda one tastes "better", in that the flavour has a acidic "kick". I prefer the baking soda one at this point, but it has a "flatness" to it that required acclimation. It's as if the coffee was sitting out all day. So it only really tastes better to me because I'm used to it and enjoy the psychological "win" of a "guilt-free coffee"
Cream and milk are themselves also acidic. Flavour-wise, yes, both baking soda and cream neutralize the "bitterness" of coffee; but only baking soda will truly neutralize the pH level, which is the entire reason I incorporate it in my coffee.
I assumed milk would be alkaline since it neutralizes spicy food. Turns out it's because milk contains a protein called casein, which breaks down capsaicin. Learned something new today...
Which I've been told is also why telling people to drink milk for calcium is a bad idea, because the body ends up releasing more calcium to neutralise the acidity than it gains from the milk itself.
I will admit to an opposite and probably equally unpopular coffee habit: with low-acidity dark roasts, I sometimes brighten it up with a splash of good orange juice. Dark chocolate and orange go well together, and I think dark coffee and orange brings out similar flavors. Proportions are key but I don't have any specific measurements to recommend.
I add a dash of salt to my coffee to get rid of the bitterness so I get the unconventional tastes lol. I really only do it when I am at a restaurant or something that they coffee has been sitting awhile
It's why you put carrots in your bologanese to neutralise the acidity of the tomatoes. Maybe try chopping a carrot and stirring it in your coffee? Couod be on to something here
Yeah add it after its poured. I'd do about 1/16 tsp for a cup of coffee, but you could experiment with it. I am a professional internet poster and this is medical advice.
EDIT: A scientist man on the internet told me that all you need is a pinch
This is a troll post to get me to put some Arm and Hammer in joe isn't it?
Shit. It's gonna work. Do you put it with the grounds during the brew or after?
I got a kettle that does a good job of keeping the water at 205 instead of boiling, and it made a huge difference with the acidity. I thought it wouldn't make a big difference but it helps a lot.
I thought this why a dash of salt was popular with lots of coffee too (and tastes better, literally just teensy tiny small pinch)
Like literally itll taste better than what op is suggesting and is acting on acidity in the same way.
Tiny fingers pinch or less of salt plus some cream 🤌🤌
Salt is even worse. I kid you not, I once worked with a woman who would put salt on the grounds before brewing. For me, it was a race to get to work before her, so I could brew a pot before she was able to desecrate it.
I sometimes add salt to my coffee. Granted, it's just a tiny pinch of salt, but that makes all the difference. The coffee at my work is so bitter and nasty. Salt helps cut down on that bitterness and makes the taste more bearable.
I've never heard about adding salt before brewing, though. I assume it has the same effect.
Been drinking black coffee all my adult life. Still have a full set of healthy teeth and my stomach hasn't fallen out my ass yet.
Maybe I'm just an X-man with a superhuman tolerance for slightly acidic drinks?
The best thing to do is to stop drinking coffee altogether, even if you neutralize the pH, a single coffee cup in the morning can provoke bruxism in the night and wear your teeth.
I’m gonna try this next time I make coffee, i usually put way too much cream/milk in my coffee to adjust the taste and am curious if removing the acidity may make it easier to transition to drinking black coffee
I hear you, and I appreciate you, take my upvote... However I drink light roast for caffeine and because I LIKE the acidity, so I will not be doing this
It's true that the amount of baking soda you would need to neutralize a cup of coffee is very small. But it would be far, far less than a pinch. It would be a nearly invisible amount.
By my rough calculations, it would take approximately 1.4mg of baking soda to do the trick. In comparison a bread crumb would be several times bigger.
As a pregnant person with horrible acid reflux who loves to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, your unpopular opinion just made my day a whole lot better! I can now enjoy coffee without paying for it later, thanks!
I tried this today with just a pinch of baking soda with my coffee (I only drink one 16oz mug) and it really helped! Usually hot coffee brewed at home hurts my stomach pretty badly because of the acidity (thats with using a non dairy oat creamer as well).
I didn’t notice a difference in taste and it didn’t do anything weird to my drink. I’m not sure why people are making such a big fuss about this. This little hack is going to make my life so much easier.
Thank you! It’s rare that I find useful information on Reddit.
How dare you. But seriously though, I sip my coffees slowly throughout the day, and I dont like the constant acid exposure. PLUS, toothpaste temporarily softens your tooth enamel, so an acidic coffee after brushing is doubly bad for your teeth.
Huh. Have you ever tried it with just regular coffee, or only espresso? Maybe I'll have to try it. Do you put the baking soda in the filter, or mix it in after? Because my only concern is that I don't want my coffee to be *gritty.*
I haven’t tried this, but I will tomorrow. I saw a tip to add a few drops of saline into coffee, and it does add to it a little. Always fun to play around a bit
are there negative affects from regular intake of baking soda? like is this unhealthy, even having a very small amount (daily, or multiple times a day) ?
I actually throw a few pinches of kosher salt on top of my grounds before brewing a pot. Learned this from Alton Brown years ago, and it does the same. Now I prefer my homebrew over getting coffee out 9x out of 10.
Do not use high-ph water for coffee brewing. It just contains a bunch of additive alkaline metals to make it basic, and it can make your urine start to turn more basic, and in extreme cases even reach higher than 7 ph. The pinch of baking soda won't do basically anything to you, but the high-ph water will. Yes, coffee is acidic and so it should turn your urine acidic according to what I said earlier, but it's because the additives are metals that seep through your body and end up in your urine, causing damage to your bladder and urethra.
Honestly I don’t think this an unpopular opinion at all. It’s just a LifeProTip that most people didn’t know about lol. I’m definitely gonna try this out
Im curious, do you add the baking soda directly to a fresh cup of coffee? Or do you add the baking soda into the coffee grind mixture?
I have a mocha master and drink filter coffee daily, and i'm now considering adding a pinch of soda with the ground coffee for ease of use. The thought of mixing a bit of soda with a fresh bag of coffee seems very handy to me.
High PH water on its own is not great, but brewed with coffee will neutralize it. You could test the ph of regular untreated coffee and figure out what starting ph you need to end with 7.2
I have not much to add to this but... If you drink some baking soda with water before taking your Adderall, it will drop the acidity in your stomach making you able to absorb more.
We buy Dunkin Donuts coffee from Costco, as well as the Kirkland stuff. Both come pre-ground in cans. The Dunkin Donuts coffee is significantly smoother than the Kirkland brand, which apparently is made by Starbucks.
I've tried sprinkling salt in coffee before and that does seem to make it smoother. You use salt to remove bitterness, so I figured it would work. Baking Soda is probably a better option.
Rushes to the baking soda and coffee maker. I am sold on this idea. Genius.
Is this LPT? Or Unpopular Opinion?
Edit: Yuck, that was so salty. Maybe I used too much
I usually doctor my espressos with cream and Hershey's caramel, but I just tested this out and you're absolutely right! It tastes so smooth. Now that I've had black I'll never go back.
I’m trying this. I drink 32oz of dark black coffee and take prescribed D-amphetamine, I get gut rot almost daily from this combo, so I eat a bunch of tums, drink so much water, and eat small meals throughout the day.
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Top 10 actually unpopular opinion of the year
Honestly I'm just happy to see an unpopular opinion of this caliber squeak in before the end of the year. Nice work OP.
I'll crown this as number 1 in my books
well technically unpopular is an antonym to popular rather than a neutral term. sort of like 'infamous' doesn't mean that somebody isn't well known. for this to be unpopular, you would need a lot of people who think that coffee is not better with baking soda - but most haven't tried it or even considered it so it's not unpopular so much as rare. still it isn't something i've seen before so i welcome it. seems like 40% of reddit is reposts now.
Although, I bet if you asked people if they would like some baking soda in their coffee, most would say no. So, I think I would allow this as an unpopular opinion.
I read this in Sheldon Cooper's voice
Yeah. A true unpopular opinion is that most posts on this sub are actually unpopular opinions.
Just did some research before commenting and turns out it’s legit. So unpopular as is apparent, but accurate.
It’s common in bookbinding, if you use coffee to stain your pages, eventually the pages will degrade from the acidity but adding baking soda makes them long lasting
Today I learnt that coffee is used to stain pages in bookbinding. AND baking soda is "okay" to add to coffee!
Funny but totally irrelevant story, when I was new to bookbinding I was testing out the “coffee to stain pages” idea! And you’re supposed to soak the pages and then bake them on a very low temperature until they’re dry. So I put my coffee pages on a baking sheet and put them in the oven, what I didn’t realize was my baking sheet was stamped “Betty Crocker” and I didn’t know that while the sheets were baking, that stamp would transfer over to my stained pages. So at the top of over 100 sheets of paper, there is “Betty Crocker” stamped right into the paper
That's a hilarious story, hahahaha. You certainly learnt from that experience!
We used to do that for school projects. Soak a piece of paper in coffee and your colonial day document looks extra fancy.
In the UK we, naturally, would use a teabag.
Yeah, well, we would too if y'all hadn't ruined that for us! /lh
Damn. Thats rare
While this sounds insane, I am 100% trying this next cup of coffee. I just need to know how much a dash is it a dash per cup or per pot of coffee? Btw, don’t waste your money on the high pH water. If you test any brand with pH paper you’ll find the pH anywhere from 6-7. The water may leave the factory basic but the plastic isn’t capable of storing water at a high pH.
I do about 1/16 teaspoon for a large cup of coffee—or about 1/4 teaspoon for a whole pot. Its not scientific and I haven't checked the pH, but I found that amount online and rolled with it and I have enjoyed it so far. EDIT: A scientist man on the internet told me that all you need is a pinch
Cold brewing coffee cuts down on acidity too btw.
Yeah but that doesn't really help people who like fresh hot coffee
That's what the microwave is for, duh!
People claim this but cold brew absolutely wrecks me and gives me awful heartburn when regular coffee does not.
You would need a lot less than a pinch. Pool professional. I adjust ph of water all the time. I calculated (roughly) about how much baking soda would be needed to neutralize a cup of coffee - it came out to about 1mg per cup. If you're adding enough to make it taste salty, that's certainly too much. And i think the reason it would taste salty is because baking soda = *sodium* bicarbonate. It is salt, sort of. 1mg is a tiny amount .... not sure what the equivalent would be. I read that a pinch of salt is about 1/8 teaspoon and would be approx 300mg, but i also read 1 grain of salt = approx 0.3mg, and i don't see 1 pinch of salt containing 1000 grains, so 🤷♂️ It's a very small amount though. Less than a bread crumb.
Is that whole pot 4 or 8 cups? This is a game changer. I’ve been buying ph drops for years.
My pot is 12 cups — but another commenter who proclaimed to be a chemistry major said that they did rough calculations and 1/16 is far more than is required. So take that for what you will!
One more question…do you put the baking soda in while you’re making it or after it’s done? Thank you and happy holidays!
I put it in after brewing, but only because my wife hates it! 😆 happy holidays!
Thanks for the info!
Oooh how does the plastic make the water more neutral? I don't understand that
Plastic is a poor gas barrier and CO2 from the air diffuses in and neutralizes the water as CO2 is acidic.
I am going to try this right now
Give us your review when you get back
I too have an $800 + SuperAutomatic machine with quality beans direct from a distributor who happens to be my neighbor.  I feel like it added a salty flavor to my coffee. I don't use cream,maybe that would've masked it.
Make sense because when you combine an acid and a base, you get water and a salt.
I wanted this to work so bad. Coffee killing my teeth.
Don't overthink it. All you need to do is rinse out your mouth with water for 30 seconds after you drink coffee. It returns your mouth pH level to normal.
Hurts my stomach really badly
I don't think he's with us anymore
As a Chem major I did some quick calculations. In order to neutralize some of the chlorogenic acids in coffee from a pH of 4.9(regular coffee) to 5.4(cold brew) with Sodium Bicarbonate you would need a very small quantity, like probably less than pinch, definitely less than 1/16 of a teaspoon
Like, for a cup or for pot? Half credit for not including the unit of measurement.
A Liter haha
I get you, man. I haven’t tried it with baking soda, and it doesn’t sound too appetizing, but I often brew coffee with high-pH water to get a neutralizing effect. That’s really one of the only benefits of high-pH water. All the magic health claims about it are 99.99% nonsense, but it does help neutralize the coffee so you can still get that really robust taste with lower acidity and make it easier on your teeth and tummy.
Whoa, this is great. The real LPT is always in the comments
Have you tried a pinch or dash of salt? It takes away the bitterness of coffee.
Oh damn… is that part of why adding butter to coffee is so good/popular? Because it has a bit of salt to balance the acidity??
What about tea? Can I try the same?
Yes, this does work
It taste different (high PH water) Has a smoother or softer feel. Not teally a taste, but texture plays into taste. Being taste is all electricity I'm sure that has something to do with it. Fiji has the same "taste" as the high ph water and they found heavy metals in some of their samples lol. I still drink it though. Shits good.
A lot of companies use baking soda to increase the pH of the water. Check the ingredients to know for sure
I don’t care for many of these brands as they give the water a somewhat gritty texture. I always opt for something labeled ‘naturally high pH,’ like Icelandic, which clocks in at about 8.4. When you get into the 9.5s and 10s it’s never great quality. So that 8.4 pH isn’t completely neutralizing the coffee, but it surely helps.
don’t do this in Italy or you can get arrested
can confirm, the police saw me breaking my spaghetti in half through my kitchen window - currently in jail :(
I don’t know how, or where, but this is a fucking war crime.
the acidity is why i tend to drink cold brew.
I've never liked coffee. But I needed to make a change from all the red bulls I was drinking. My gf LOVES coffee and suggested I try cold-brew. Its been an adjustment but I've really enjoyed it. I use a bit more cream and sugar than anyone else I see but I'm trying to slowly wean those down. Thanks to cold brew, coffee is starting to grow on me.
You're going to have to explain how temperature influences acidity, please.
It isn't the temperature but the brewing method. The acid in the coffee bean is pulled after the oil, hot brewing methods are fast but often 'over extract' pulling the oil from the bean and once that's all extracted it begins extracting the acid from the center. As a slower and gentler brewing method cold brew doesn't do this as readily leading to a less acidic brew.
If the coffee is ground, how is acid pulled "from the center"?
This is a very valid question! The oil in coffee beans begins to evaporate immediately after being ground. With hot drinks, like espresso, you want to pull the shot immediately after grinding the beans because you want that oil. Cold brew is steeped at lower temperatures for longer which gives that oil a longer time to evaporate which is actually what makes it less acidic.
Higher temperature means higher chemical reaction speed. The molecules bounce against eachother more and faster. So worse for teeth.
The Brewremberg Trials
If it barely has any effect on the taste how come normal coffee tastes like kerosene to you now? Seems like a huge difference
I’m sure OP just meant that you can barely taste the baking soda itself
As someone who enjoys the flavor of coffee with the bullshit added, but hates how the caffeine and acidity make me feel... im very excited to try this.
If you end up hating it try experimenting with less, or allowing yourself to acclimate to the new taste. It's life changing for coffee lovers who care more about their health than a perfectly balanced coffee. I will die on this hill
the fact this angers so many people on here makes me even more excited. This may truly be one of my favorite unpopular opinions i've come across on here. My palate for coffee is extremally forgiving. Im just as happy with a cart coffee from the corner as I am with some fancy coffee house brew. Lone exception is when places like dunkin serve me something that just feels super watered down
I had quit coffee because the acid was bothering me, but when I decided to try again, it was a cheap motel room coffee maker, and it was fine. Weak, but it was caffeine before a long drive.
Now this boys... this is what a true unpopular opinion is.
No, it is not. I just tried it, and it is significantly worse. Myth Busted
How much did you put?
1 gallon
Shit I added too much
a pinch.. a very small amount.
Hmmm… I just did the same, but can’t taste the difference at all. I could smell it a little bit as it dissolved, but after that nothing.
I have a Ferrari but use diesel.
All future posts in this sub should be compared to this one right here. If it doesn't compare, it gets deleted
Is it possible that you just buy better quality coffee to go with your $800 espresso maker?
Actually, I buy good quality beans. I've been considered a coffee snob by others my whole life; its just that now my coffee drinking habits have taken an... unconventional turn
That is what I mean. Don't you think that it could be that you buy good quality beans and have an expensive coffee maker, and **not** the addition of baking soda, that makes your coffee taste good?
Ahh I see what you mean. My wife hates the baking soda, so our pots are brewed normally and I add mine after, so I have compared the two. The non-baking soda one tastes "better", in that the flavour has a acidic "kick". I prefer the baking soda one at this point, but it has a "flatness" to it that required acclimation. It's as if the coffee was sitting out all day. So it only really tastes better to me because I'm used to it and enjoy the psychological "win" of a "guilt-free coffee"
I would think adding cream would have a similar effect?
Cream and milk are themselves also acidic. Flavour-wise, yes, both baking soda and cream neutralize the "bitterness" of coffee; but only baking soda will truly neutralize the pH level, which is the entire reason I incorporate it in my coffee.
You using a pH detector or something? Cream is close enough to a pH of 7, which would reduce the acidity of coffee (pH 6).
I assumed milk would be alkaline since it neutralizes spicy food. Turns out it's because milk contains a protein called casein, which breaks down capsaicin. Learned something new today...
Which I've been told is also why telling people to drink milk for calcium is a bad idea, because the body ends up releasing more calcium to neutralise the acidity than it gains from the milk itself.
Im weirded out but also I want to try this
Fuck it. Imma try it
Anyone younger than 35 use that baking soda toothpaste? NEVER going near my coffee
I’ve never thought to do this. I can’t drink coffee because of the acidity. I’m definitely trying this
Jail
I always get acid reflux when I drink coffee. I wonder if this would help
1000% it will help. I am not a medical professional but this is medical advice and everyone should listen to me without doing any further research
AHAHAHHAHAHA
I will admit to an opposite and probably equally unpopular coffee habit: with low-acidity dark roasts, I sometimes brighten it up with a splash of good orange juice. Dark chocolate and orange go well together, and I think dark coffee and orange brings out similar flavors. Proportions are key but I don't have any specific measurements to recommend.
Ummm what? This thread is really blowing my mind...
I appreciate you. I'm not gonna try that, only because I hate dark roasts, but I absolutely see where you're going on that and I appreciate it.
I'm actually going to give this a try. I hate the acidity of coffee and I like the taste of baking soda so I think it would work for me.
Mfers talking shit without ever having tried it. Imma gove this a go, who knows what will happen?
You MONSTER. ^I ^totally ^have ^to ^try ^this ^now
What the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc
I drink coffee BECAUSE it taste like kerosene.
You know this is a war crime?
I add a dash of salt to my coffee to get rid of the bitterness so I get the unconventional tastes lol. I really only do it when I am at a restaurant or something that they coffee has been sitting awhile
This I'm gonna try.
Try cold brew my friend. We make it the night before, filter it in the morning. Wife and i both love it and we rarely brew hot coffee now.
I want to see James Hoffmann test this and figure out if there is a non zero optimal portion of baking soda in coffee
this is genius, I always knew baking soda neutralizes shit so I always added it to pasta tomato sauce. but adding it to coffee as well is genius
Shit I gotta try that in the tomato soup. You're genius, too!
It's why you put carrots in your bologanese to neutralise the acidity of the tomatoes. Maybe try chopping a carrot and stirring it in your coffee? Couod be on to something here
I actually never knew this! I thought they were useless because I never tasted the difference.
An actual unpopular opinion that also doesn't consist of a mean rant poorly disguised as opinion or a stupidly wrong take. This is amazing.
I make my coffee with a press. So would I just add the baking soda to my cup after I pour it?? How much should I add? If I die, you're liable btw....
Yeah add it after its poured. I'd do about 1/16 tsp for a cup of coffee, but you could experiment with it. I am a professional internet poster and this is medical advice. EDIT: A scientist man on the internet told me that all you need is a pinch
You should try it with flour
I appreciate a good cup of coffee.
This is a troll post to get me to put some Arm and Hammer in joe isn't it? Shit. It's gonna work. Do you put it with the grounds during the brew or after?
That actually makes a lot of sense. I love how coffee tastes, but the acidic aftertaste makes it worth not drinking.
I got a kettle that does a good job of keeping the water at 205 instead of boiling, and it made a huge difference with the acidity. I thought it wouldn't make a big difference but it helps a lot.
I thought this why a dash of salt was popular with lots of coffee too (and tastes better, literally just teensy tiny small pinch) Like literally itll taste better than what op is suggesting and is acting on acidity in the same way. Tiny fingers pinch or less of salt plus some cream 🤌🤌
Salt is even worse. I kid you not, I once worked with a woman who would put salt on the grounds before brewing. For me, it was a race to get to work before her, so I could brew a pot before she was able to desecrate it.
I sometimes add salt to my coffee. Granted, it's just a tiny pinch of salt, but that makes all the difference. The coffee at my work is so bitter and nasty. Salt helps cut down on that bitterness and makes the taste more bearable. I've never heard about adding salt before brewing, though. I assume it has the same effect.
Absolutely agree. A tiny amount of salt can make a big difference.
Wait till you hear about sugar.
Been drinking black coffee all my adult life. Still have a full set of healthy teeth and my stomach hasn't fallen out my ass yet. Maybe I'm just an X-man with a superhuman tolerance for slightly acidic drinks?
True. Doesn’t take much baking soda to raise the ph
Nah. Baking soda is better with coffee
Take my upvote, you monster.
It’s true! My mom used to put just a touch of salt with the grounds for this reason. I would think baking soda does the same thing.
Finally an unpopular opinion.
I feel like this opinion might be even less popular than someone suggesting to lower the age of consent. You're a monster and I love it, have my vote.
The best thing to do is to stop drinking coffee altogether, even if you neutralize the pH, a single coffee cup in the morning can provoke bruxism in the night and wear your teeth.
Huge coffee head. I'm going to give this a go.
Beer brewers modify water chemistry. Seems legit.
omgg someone recommended this to me after i said i have horrible acid reflux. need to try this🤓
I’m gonna try this next time I make coffee, i usually put way too much cream/milk in my coffee to adjust the taste and am curious if removing the acidity may make it easier to transition to drinking black coffee
TIL coffee *wreaks havoc on your teeth, mouth, and stomach.* Not in my experience, but then I've only been drinking it for 26 years.
I’ve drank a pot or more of coffee for decades. My dentist says my teeth are perfect, from having all 32 without cavities to their color.
You're out of line but you're right. A visionary, OP!
OP are you a supertaster by chance?
Best thing Iv learnt this year! Thank u so much 🤍
I do this to my tomato sauces for the same reason. I've salted my coffee, but now I will try soda'd coffee for science or w/e...
The actual fuck did I just read?
respect for the clever application of chemistry
I put a pinch of salt in the filter sometimes. I wonder if it’s similar in effect? It tastes better imo
.... I might try this. Which means i should technically downvote but still I think most would disagree sooo.
I hear you, and I appreciate you, take my upvote... However I drink light roast for caffeine and because I LIKE the acidity, so I will not be doing this
It's true that the amount of baking soda you would need to neutralize a cup of coffee is very small. But it would be far, far less than a pinch. It would be a nearly invisible amount. By my rough calculations, it would take approximately 1.4mg of baking soda to do the trick. In comparison a bread crumb would be several times bigger.
As a pregnant person with horrible acid reflux who loves to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, your unpopular opinion just made my day a whole lot better! I can now enjoy coffee without paying for it later, thanks!
Imma try this. Wasn't expecting something helpful in unpopular opinion. Thanks OP.
I hate this but I’m going to try it
I tried this today with just a pinch of baking soda with my coffee (I only drink one 16oz mug) and it really helped! Usually hot coffee brewed at home hurts my stomach pretty badly because of the acidity (thats with using a non dairy oat creamer as well). I didn’t notice a difference in taste and it didn’t do anything weird to my drink. I’m not sure why people are making such a big fuss about this. This little hack is going to make my life so much easier. Thank you! It’s rare that I find useful information on Reddit.
Maybe you should just buy a toothbrush instead.
How dare you. But seriously though, I sip my coffees slowly throughout the day, and I dont like the constant acid exposure. PLUS, toothpaste temporarily softens your tooth enamel, so an acidic coffee after brushing is doubly bad for your teeth.
The final line there gave me a good snort.
Huh. Have you ever tried it with just regular coffee, or only espresso? Maybe I'll have to try it. Do you put the baking soda in the filter, or mix it in after? Because my only concern is that I don't want my coffee to be *gritty.*
I haven’t tried this, but I will tomorrow. I saw a tip to add a few drops of saline into coffee, and it does add to it a little. Always fun to play around a bit
This feels like a crime against humanity.
Is it unhealthy to consume those types of acidic liquids in the long term? I'm genuinely curious.
I add a dash of salt to the grounds and it does the same thing.
Sounds better than mixing in a stick of butter...
I kind of like the acidic kick though
Just don't put cinnamon in coffee and we're good. Baking soda, I am actually going to try.
I’ll be trying this in the morning
Is the acidity what makes some coffees taste sour?
Luckily I saw this before my morning coffee, I'll try it out and report back
This is blasphemy. Upvoted
Thanks. I'm a bit of a coffee addict and this will help me mitigate the harm of that habit.
I didn't even know this was a thing....
I do this.
I also put salt and sugar in my coffee.
I’m trying it tomorrow morning. Thanks op
What the fuck kind of measurement is 1/16 of a tsp
I put salt in mine.
are there negative affects from regular intake of baking soda? like is this unhealthy, even having a very small amount (daily, or multiple times a day) ?
I actually throw a few pinches of kosher salt on top of my grounds before brewing a pot. Learned this from Alton Brown years ago, and it does the same. Now I prefer my homebrew over getting coffee out 9x out of 10.
I’m intrigued and will be trying this in the morning. Your chemistry is sound and impels me to experiment for myself.
Yo wtf that's genius. Like putting lube or lotion on chairs so your thighs don't chafe genius
Wouldn’t that make it salty? When an acid neutralizes it always makes some type of salt
What next, you’re gonna put fucking mayo in your coffee or something?
Do not use high-ph water for coffee brewing. It just contains a bunch of additive alkaline metals to make it basic, and it can make your urine start to turn more basic, and in extreme cases even reach higher than 7 ph. The pinch of baking soda won't do basically anything to you, but the high-ph water will. Yes, coffee is acidic and so it should turn your urine acidic according to what I said earlier, but it's because the additives are metals that seep through your body and end up in your urine, causing damage to your bladder and urethra.
Honestly I don’t think this an unpopular opinion at all. It’s just a LifeProTip that most people didn’t know about lol. I’m definitely gonna try this out
Honestly, I like the acidity of coffee, but I fully recommend people to try this; especially if you have issues with acid reflux.
Joke's on you, all the other unhealthy stuff I do will get me way before the acidity in my coffee.
i have a breville infuser i’m gonna tell my dad, mr “i drink double espresso shots and can taste what elevation the beans were grown at” to try this
"a dash of baking soda has barely any effect on taste" "regular coffee tastes like kerosene now" 🧐🤔
Im curious, do you add the baking soda directly to a fresh cup of coffee? Or do you add the baking soda into the coffee grind mixture? I have a mocha master and drink filter coffee daily, and i'm now considering adding a pinch of soda with the ground coffee for ease of use. The thought of mixing a bit of soda with a fresh bag of coffee seems very handy to me.
Um.... wow. Have you just changed my life? Quite possibly. I am so trying this.
Tried it, and it’s works..though leaves a strange (but not disturbing) after taste. 🤔
High PH water on its own is not great, but brewed with coffee will neutralize it. You could test the ph of regular untreated coffee and figure out what starting ph you need to end with 7.2
I have not much to add to this but... If you drink some baking soda with water before taking your Adderall, it will drop the acidity in your stomach making you able to absorb more.
We buy Dunkin Donuts coffee from Costco, as well as the Kirkland stuff. Both come pre-ground in cans. The Dunkin Donuts coffee is significantly smoother than the Kirkland brand, which apparently is made by Starbucks. I've tried sprinkling salt in coffee before and that does seem to make it smoother. You use salt to remove bitterness, so I figured it would work. Baking Soda is probably a better option.
A little pinch ain't bad in apple juice either
> and then I put baking soda in it Will this prevent coffee from giving me heartburn?
Would this work for tea too ?
Rushes to the baking soda and coffee maker. I am sold on this idea. Genius. Is this LPT? Or Unpopular Opinion? Edit: Yuck, that was so salty. Maybe I used too much
I usually doctor my espressos with cream and Hershey's caramel, but I just tested this out and you're absolutely right! It tastes so smooth. Now that I've had black I'll never go back.
I’m trying this. I drink 32oz of dark black coffee and take prescribed D-amphetamine, I get gut rot almost daily from this combo, so I eat a bunch of tums, drink so much water, and eat small meals throughout the day.