There are a number of different types of coffee drinks that you can get and making sense of the differences between them can be a challenge.

This post will show you the differences between white and black coffee, how they taste, how they are made and drinks that are similar to them.

So, what is the difference between white and black coffee? White coffee is coffee that has been lightly roasted. Black coffee is brewed coffee made with nothing other than coffee and water.

There are actually a number of differences between them in the way that they taste, look and in the way that they are combined with other drinks.

Differences between white and black coffee

Below, I will show you a number of differences between white and black coffee, how they are made, how they taste and questions people often ask about them.

Black coffee

Black coffee is coffee that has been made with no other additives than coffee and water.

The reason that it is called black coffee is that it has a dark appearance since nothing has been added such as milk to make it lighter.

Black coffee has a more sweet and bitter taste than white coffee.

People like black coffee because it is very low in calories and sugar making it ideal for people that are dieting or just trying to eat and drink more healthily.

How it is made

Black coffee can actually be made using coffee beans that have any type of roast but most commonly it is made with beans that have a darker roast.

There are a number of ways to make black coffee and two of the more popular ways are to either use a French press or to use the drip method.

To make black coffee using the drip method you put ground coffee in a paper filter that is located above a glass container. You then pour hot water into the filter with the ground coffee in it and wait for the water to mix with the ground coffee and to drip into the container below it.

Below is a video showing you how to make black coffee using the drip method.

The advantage of using the drip method to make the coffee is that it is easy and inexpensive to do.

However, it can be more difficult to control the strength of the coffee since it is harder to make the water mix with the ground coffee more quickly or slowly other than by changing the grind size.

A French press is a pot that has a plunger in it that is used to separate undissolved coffee from the dissolved coffee. To make black coffee with it you put ground coffee and hot water into the french press, wait for a few minutes and then push the plunger down and pour out the coffee.

Below, is a video on how to make black coffee using a French press.

The benefit of using a french press to make the coffee is that it gives you more control over the strength of the coffee. If you want it to taste stronger you can wait for longer, if you want it to taste weaker you can wait for less time.

The french press that I would recommend the most would be this one on Amazon.

What impacts its taste

There are a number of different factors that will impact the taste of black coffee.

The type of coffee beans that are used to make it are one of them.

If the beans are sourced from a single location it will usually give a more distinct taste but it can sometimes cause it to taste more bitter. Whereas, if the beans are a blend from multiple locations it will normally give the black coffee a more balanced taste.

If the beans are Arabica beans then it will normally give the coffee a more acidic taste. Whereas, Robusta beans will give it a more bitter taste. This can be controlled by using beans from multiple origins and by adjusting how finely you grind them.

The type of roast that the beans have will also be a factor. If the beans have a light roast then it will normally give the espresso a more sour taste. Whereas, a dark roast will normally have a more bitter taste. If you find that the coffee tastes too bitter then consider switching to a lighter roast.

The fineness of the grind will also impact the way that it tastes. If the coffee beans are ground very finely then it will mean that more water will mix with the grind causing it to be more bitter. The opposite is true for when a less fine grind is used. Generally, black coffee will be made with a more coarse grind (less fine).

Related questions about black coffee

Is black coffee stronger? Black coffee will usually be stronger than other types of coffee because nothing is added to it to dilute its strength.

Is black coffee supposed to be bitter? Black coffee will normally have a slightly bitter taste but it is not supposed to be very bitter. If it is then use a lighter roast and grind the coffee less finely.

Is black coffee the same as Americano? No, Americano is where espresso is added to hot water. They taste similar but Americano will normally have a sweeter taste.

Similar drinks

There are a number of other coffee drinks that are similar to black coffee. These are:

  • Americano

This is where hot water is added to espresso. Americano will normally taste similar to black coffee but slightly sweeter.

  • Long black

This is where espresso is added to hot water causing the crema to be preserved. It will taste similar to black coffee but will be slightly sweeter depending on how the espresso was made.

  • Lungo

This is where espresso is made using more water than usual. This reduces the strength of the espresso but it will still be stronger than a black coffee.

White coffee

White coffee is coffee that has a light roast.

Brewed coffee made using coffee beans with a light roast will normally taste less bitter but can sometimes taste more sour.

The difference in the amount of caffeine between white and black coffee is very small but white coffee will normally be less sour compared to black coffee.

Since white coffee refers to coffee made using beans with a light roast it can include other types of additives as well such as sugar or milk.

If white coffee is made using just water and coffee beans with a light roast then it would also be correct to call it black coffee. This is because black coffee is coffee made with just water and coffee grind with no other additives.

In a 2010 study, it was discovered that dark roast coffee is actually easier on the stomach than coffee with a light roast since it prevents hydrochloric acid from building up in the stomach.

White coffee can be made using a number of different methods including the drip method and the French press method as discussed in the section above.

The taste of white coffee will also be impacted by the type of beans used, their origin and how finely they are roasted as mentioned in the section above.

Additionally, the things that are added to the coffee will have an impact on the way that it tastes. If sugar is added then it will make it taste sweeter and if milk is added it will make it taste creamier.

Related questions about white coffee

Does white coffee contain more caffeine than black coffee? The difference between the two is very small and the one with more caffeine depends on how it is measured.

Is white coffee the same as blonde coffee? Blonde coffee is coffee that has a very light roast. White coffee is coffee with a light roast.

Is white coffee decaf? No, it is made using coffee which contains caffeine. However, there are decaf variations that you can buy.

Author

Pin It