I used to believe that the only people who drank black coffee were tough-skinned farmers and people whose taste buds no longer worked. It seemed like black coffee was the weird thing, and that adding cream and sugar was normal.

I’m sure you’ve had that impression at one point as well.

But times are changing.

Coffee tastes different these days. New wellness research is available. Drinking black coffee opens the door to a whole new world of experiences.

As a former barista in a quality-centric coffee shop, I’ve seen the transformation many times: cream and sugar lovers become black coffee lovers.

It’s a rewarding journey to witness and be a part of. Mornings are brightened, faces are lifted, and fresh gratitude appears with every mug of coffee.

Read: Why Gratitude Makes You Happy

Now it’s your turn. You should be drinking black coffee.

Here are a few reasons why.

Coffee Quality Is On The Rise

That bitter, harsh black coffee you remember from your childhood is quickly being replaced by rich, balanced coffee in homes, cafes, churches, and farmer’s markets.

The coffee landscape is changing - specialty coffee now accounts for over 50% of the US coffee market. It’s unique, it’s smooth, it’s nothing like the ashy coffee of old.

Before, black coffee rarely tasted like anything other than peanuts, dark chocolate, or charcoal. Now, black coffee can have notes of berries, spices, flowers, and beyond. The whole supply chain, from seed to cup, is learning to make better coffee.

Read: Learn How To Taste Coffee

My personal favorite coffees are naturally processed and from Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. They often have robust fruity flavors, a sweet floral aroma, and heavy body. Bright Guatemalans from around Antigua also pique my interest with crisp apple-like acidity, a rich caramel sweetness, and floral aromas.

There will always be a minor bitterness in coffee, but with specialty coffee, this bitterness is pleasant and harmonizes with the other tasting notes.

New realms of flavor are available like never before with black coffee and adding cream and sugar just mutes those incredible flavors.

You need to be drinking black coffee because your palate will be shocked by the flavors. You’ll fall in love with a world you didn’t know existed.

Black Coffee Is Physically Healthy

Let’s set coffee quality aside for a moment and switch gears to something else: wellness.

The argument that black coffee has major health benefits has only gotten stronger over time. Year after year, research is released that suggests black coffee can shield you from some new disease, disorder, or decay.

Here are some of the things that are consistently correlated with coffee consumption:

• Reduced risk of melanoma
• Improved cardiovascular health
• Reduced risk of Type 2 Diabetes
• Lower Incidence of Parkinson’s Disease
• Lower Incidence of chronic liver disease

And the list of black coffee benefits goes on!

Unless you are one of a rare few who has severe sleep, heart, or anxiety issues from caffeine, coffee is considered very healthy for you.

Cream and sugar, on the other hand - not so good.

The main issue is the sugar content. There seems to be no end to studies that highlight the harmful effects of over-consuming sugar. And in America, we have a very hard time avoiding those consequences. Increased heart diseases, cancer growth, obesity, and a myriad of life-altering effects come from too much sugar in our diets.

Take the sugar out of your black coffee and you’ll enjoy the benefits of black coffee without the consequences of sugar.

Let’s talk about the underappreciated emotional benefits that black coffee can produce.

Discover A Sense Of Wonder Again

The world of specialty coffee is ripe with new flavor landscapes to explore, but that’s not all. Hundreds of new and innovative coffee products hit the market every year.

Self-filtering pour over cones, manual espresso makers, home coffee roasters. Farmers, roasters, cafes, and inventors are creating new and fascinating experiences and products that compliment high-quality beans.

Coffee cocktails, mocktails, fermented coffee, a brand new coffee taster’s wheel - the list goes on and on.

There’s so much about coffee that’s just being realized - so much to learn and explore.

This expanse of new coffee territory has caused many to find a renewed sense of wonder. Tasting great coffee is fun and stimulating. Brewing with care to unlock the best flavors a coffee can offer inspires gratitude and focus in my daily routine. Experiencing new ways to prepare coffee at cafes is always an adventure.

Coffee has taught me to wonder, to play, to explore. It’s opened me up to gratitude towards the little things in life. It helps me find focus every morning.

Read: How Manual Coffee Brewing Can Change Your Life

I’ve seen this same transformation dozens of times. People would come into the coffee shop for a quick cup of coffee to go. They didn’t care what it was or where it came from. But in a matter of weeks, they’re fascinated by the details and eager to learn more.

It’s not that I turned them into coffee snobs. They simply saw the wonder that surrounds excellent coffee and were drawn to it. A new sense of wonder and appreciation was opened, thanks to coffee.

Black coffee isn’t just burned dark liquid anymore. It’s an opportunity for an experience that livens the senses and the mind - and it’s waiting for you.

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To experience the best things that black coffee has to offer, you want freshly roasted, freshly ground coffee that’s been sustainably sourced from quality-oriented farms.

Don’t go to the store and buy just any bag of coffee. Most supermarkets haven’t caught onto the coffee revolution yet, unfortunately.

Forget those roasters who don’t tell you where your coffee comes from. Forget those super dark roasts that taste like dirt. Coffees like these belong to an age that’s passing away.

Instead, check out the JavaPresse Coffee Subscription. Every month we’ll send you freshly roasted coffee beans that are rich, balanced, and fascinatingly delicious. Our coffees are sourced from some of the best coffee farms in the world in a sustainable manner so you can explore this incredible world.

Join us on this journey and happy brewing!