Forget sugar and cream: A viral coffee hack might transform your morning brew

A viral coffee trend is gaining steam, and it could make your morning brew smoother without sugar or cream.

The internet's latest coffee craze doesn't involve fancy syrups or expensive beans. It just involves a pinch of salt. 

Users say the simple addition can cut bitterness, enhance natural sweetness and elevate even an average cup of joe. They suggest a few different methods, including sprinkling salt into the coffee grounds before brewing, mixing in a few drops of a salt solution or stirring a tiny pinch directly into a brewed cup.

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Salt doesn't just season food, according to experts — it balances flavor when used in moderation. In coffee, a small amount of salt can neutralize bitterness by affecting certain taste receptors on the tongue without masking flavor the way sugar and cream can. 

Several studies over the years have found that sodium can blunt the bitterness of certain compounds, increase perceived sweetness and generally improve overall flavor balance.

A new viral trend is changing how people enjoy their morning coffee. (iStock)

"A pinch of sodium ions squelches bitterness by inhibiting quinine-like compounds and amplifies perceived sweetness, especially in dark-roasted coffees," said Ed McCormick, a New Jersey-based food science consultant and owner of Cape Crystal Brands, which produces cooking ingredients such as xanthan gum and pectin, sometimes used in viral recipes.

"Salt's smoothing of bitterness and body comes from how taste receptors fire. It's food science doing its thing, no sugar needed," McCormick told Fox News Digital.

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Heather Perry, a two-time U.S. barista champion and CEO of Klatch Coffee in Southern California, said it only takes a small amount of salt to impact the taste receptors and signal the brain that the flavor is less bitter.

"You don't want to overpower the flavor notes or, worse, taste a salty cup of coffee," Perry told Fox News Digital. She added that high-quality, fresh-roasted beans likely don't need the help. 

"Adding salt could actually mask the spectrum of flavors your roaster has worked so hard to create."

Fans say the method enhances flavor in drip and French press coffee alike. (iStock)

Coffee, ultimately, is personal, Perry said. 

"There's no wrong way to enjoy it if it makes your cup taste better."

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Although some TikTokers claim that adding salt might help with hydration, health experts say that's likely wishful thinking.

"Salting coffee is less a TikTok novelty and more a rediscovery of culinary chemistry."

Janelle Bober, a Colorado-based registered dietitian nutritionist with Dietitian Live, told Fox News Digital a pinch of salt wouldn't really have any electrolyte benefits. 

"Coffee has a mild diuretic effect, which is much more prominent, so adding a touch of salt doesn't really counteract that in any way," Bober said.

The centuries-old coffee trick is being rediscovered for its ability to mellow bitter coffee. (iStock)

She noted that a pinch of salt is unlikely to affect most people's sodium intake but cautioned those with hypertension or kidney disease to avoid it.

Compared to sugar or cream, Bober added, "Salt adds flavor without any calories, so if you're looking to reduce your sugar or calories or focusing on fat content, salt would be a preferable flavor tool without impacting other parts of it."

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While the idea seems new to many Americans, salting coffee is far from a modern invention. 

In Turkey, a pinch of salt in coffee plays a symbolic role in traditional marriage rituals, according to reports. In Vietnam, the popular ca phe muoi — or salted coffee — combines espresso with sweetened condensed milk and a salted cream topping. And in Taiwan, "sea salt coffee" has become a café favorite.

Even cafés are adding a touch of salt to their menus. (iStock)

McCormick said that salt is also used in Nordic and coastal regions to "soften" mineral-rich water. 

"Salting coffee is less a TikTok novelty and more a rediscovery of culinary chemistry — proof that grandma's trick still holds up," he said.

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The flavor-boosting power of salt is also showing up in high-end cafés. Maman, a New York–founded artisanal chain that went viral earlier this year for its Salted Tahini Latte, uses salt in most of its homemade beverage syrups.

"Much like when you add salt to a savory or sweet dish, it makes the flavors pop, so it will make the coffee have an even fuller or amplified flavor profile of what it already contained," Maman's beverage director, Caitlin Burke, told Fox News Digital.

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Burke recommended using high-quality fleur de sel, noting that while this trend is buzzing now, salt's "timeless" appeal likely gives it staying power.