# Black pepper and coffee



## noboundaries (Mar 28, 2021)

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


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## Winterrider (Mar 28, 2021)

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


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## noboundaries (Mar 28, 2021)

Winterrider said:


> 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.


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## GaryHibbert (Mar 28, 2021)

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


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## Hamdrew (Mar 28, 2021)

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


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## noboundaries (Mar 28, 2021)

GaryHibbert said:


> 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.


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## Smoking Allowed (Mar 28, 2021)

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.


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## Hamdrew (Mar 28, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> 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


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## noboundaries (Mar 28, 2021)

Smoking Allowed said:


> 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.


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## Winterrider (Mar 29, 2021)

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.


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## GATOR240 (Mar 29, 2021)

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


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## noboundaries (Mar 29, 2021)

Winterrider said:


> 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. 



GATOR240 said:


> 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.


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## noboundaries (Mar 29, 2021)

Hamdrew said:


> 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?


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## noboundaries (Mar 29, 2021)

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.


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## Hamdrew (Mar 29, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> 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


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## AirForceDan (Mar 29, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> 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.
> 
> ...


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.


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## noboundaries (Mar 29, 2021)

AirForceDan said:


> 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.


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## Hamdrew (Mar 29, 2021)

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


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## Hamdrew (Mar 29, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> 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.


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## Smoking Allowed (Mar 29, 2021)

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.


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## noboundaries (Mar 29, 2021)

Smoking Allowed said:


> 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.



Glad you liked it! My sister is a convert, too. Her boss heard her discussing it, gave it a try, and he liked it. Whodathunk?


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## bill1 (Mar 29, 2021)

Based on Ray's intelligent comment (heck his comments are always pretty darn sharp) on salt in the other coffee thread, as well as my own love of pepper,  I tried both yesterday in my Starbucks Verona pourover.  Wasn't impressed...seemed to actually _rob _(rather than enhance) flavors in the coffee.  

But I'll try just the pepper tomorrow.   I can believe this is highly dependent on what flavors in your beans you actually like.  So one's mileage will _definitely _vary on this.  But as always, thanks to Ray (NoBoundaries) for making us think and experiment.


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## noboundaries (Mar 29, 2021)

Great description of what salt does to coffee, Bill. It definitely robs the coffee of flavor. I described it as flat. I read someplace that it neutralizes the acids and that's why some diners add it to their Robusta bean coffee to make it smoother. 

I'm looking forward to your results of pepper only. I'll be trying white pepper in the morning.


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## noboundaries (Mar 30, 2021)

White pepper result: The commercial white pepper I have is ground much finer than the home-ground black pepper I used that started this thread.  Consequently, 1/4 tsp of white pepper/16 ounce mug of coffee was too much pepper. There was more heat and a slight flavor addition that did not complement the coffee as nicely as 1/4 tsp of the black pepper. Kind of reminded me of the cayenne but not as hot. Will try it again tomorrow with 1/8th tsp of white pepper.


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## bill1 (Mar 30, 2021)

My black pepper result: 
Used Starbucks Verona beans, fine-ground and leveled out in a melita cone. Sprinkled uniform layer (~1/3 tsp) of Costco fine ground pepper on top. Poured in boiling water, per my preference. After several seconds (<10), a wonderful pepper aroma developed, but soon faded away. The resulting coffee had a spicy hotness, very pleasant, but with just the _heat _of the pepper, not the complex flavors.   Like stale (decade-old) ground pepper.

I'm thinking the flavor was liberated too quickly.  Tomorrow I'll try _coarse _ground pepper (a must for meat rubs) and hope the flavor is released more slowly to the coffee, not to the air. 

But this is a minor quibble.  Even if nothing changes, adding pepper  is now my new normal, thanks to Ray.  However I might cut back a bit.  The heat slightly overpowered the coffee flavors. 

But salt was a red herring.  It's a _near_-universal flavor enhancer, but coffee is the exception to the rule.  Don't like it in beer either.  (Great with margaritas!) 

Continuing the stale pepper idea, I find jalapenos similarly challenging.  If they're too hot, you miss out on the  flavor, while the more mild ones have a delightful flavor. 

Finally, let me repeat a (life-changing) tip from the other thread...splattering a few drops of tap water in my cheap grinder before adding beans adds just enough humidity to prevent static charge build-up that makes the ground coffee clingy and a mess when pouring out.  

ADDENDUM:  If there's something to my coarse-pepper-for drip brewing idea, it may be that fine-ground pepper has a place in _espresso_, where the extraction takes place more quickly due to the pressure.  I haven't made a double-espresso at home for well over a year.  Saturday morning can't come soon enough.


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## noboundaries (Mar 30, 2021)

Great write-up, Bill! Glad you liked the pepper. I've been putting it in the cup before the pour-over coffee drips in. In the past, I've tried adding other ingredients to the fresh grinds in the cone before adding the water. Result for me was either not much change in flavor, or the flow-through time was extended enough to over-extract the coffee, causing off-flavors. That's why I add it to the cup before I pour-over.

 Black pepper and coffee is a classic example of less is more.  Grind size obviously makes a difference, too. The finer the grind, the less pepper is necessary. 

Great idea with the espresso! I think I'll try an Italian moka-pot brew with lunch by adding black pepper in the cup, not the brewer.


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## noboundaries (Mar 30, 2021)

Italian Moka result: When I drink a moka-brewed coffee in the afternoon, I generally add some sweetened condensed milk and match the brewed coffee with hot water. Let's call it an Americana moka. 

The 1/4 tsp of black pepper clashed with the sweetness of the condensed milk and the intensity of the coffee. Scratch that one from my successes. I'll try it again without the condensed milk and use my 50/50 blend of whole milk and coconut milk.

My favorite so far is just my normal pour-over coffee with 1/4 tsp of black pepper.


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## bill1 (Mar 30, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> ...I've been putting it in the cup before the pour-over coffee drips in...


Leave it to me to complicate (screw up!) simple instructions.  Imagine someone wanting sugar in their coffee...would I have mixed it in with the grounds before the pour over?!?!?!  

OK, change of plans, fine-ground pepper_ in the cup_ is the expt I'm trying tomorrow.  I was on the right track thought-wise and should have eventually gotten there...instead of spreading out (and evaporating) the pepper flavors/aroma I desire onto the filter paper I throw away, it's only logical to instead _trap _them in the cup under a shower of coffee. Oh well, the scenic route can be worthwhile...I may still try coarse ground pepper in "with the grounds" some day.

Now that I'm on the right track, I'm thinking I need to identify which pepper mill can grind pepper corns the very finest and set it aside for the daily  coffee ritual.  I go through quite a bit of pepper so the Costco pre-ground stuff (hard to beat the simplicity) stays pretty fresh at my house. Still, if you want  full pepper aromas, esp on salads, you need to grind it "on the spot". 

Thanks Ray for setting me straight.


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## AirForceDan (Mar 30, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> Italian Moka result: When I drink a moka-brewed coffee in the afternoon, I generally add some sweetened condensed milk and match the brewed coffee with hot water. Let's call it an Americana moka.
> 
> The 1/4 tsp of black pepper clashed with the sweetness of the condensed milk and the intensity of the coffee. Scratch that one from my successes. I'll try it again without the condensed milk and use my 50/50 blend of whole milk and coconut milk.
> 
> My favorite so far is just my normal pour-over coffee with 1/4 tsp of black pepper.


You boys want a powerful cup of coffee without breaking the bank or self esteem (you know your pinky’s raised when you drink it) by buying Starbucks every day? I buy a can of Cafe Bustelo Espresso each week for 3.99 and make a pot or two daily in my stove top percolator. I drink it black over ice, hot or occasionally with sugar if Im feeling like it. But boy, it’s a lightning bolt to the brain!


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## noboundaries (Mar 30, 2021)

AirForceDan said:


> You boys want a powerful cup of coffee without breaking the bank or self esteem (you know your pinky’s raised when you drink it) by buying Starbucks every day? I buy a can of Cafe Bustelo Espresso each week for 3.99 and make a pot or two daily in my stove top percolator. I drink it black over ice, hot or occasionally with sugar if Im feeling like it. But boy, it’s a lightning bolt to the brain!



My BIL drinks that brand and loves it. 

I have almost 50 lbs of green coffee beans. I home-roast 22 oz of green beans about every three weeks. That gives me 18 oz of roasted beans.  22 oz of green beans, including delivery,  costs me approx $2-$2.50/wk, depending on the coffee roasted. Not a huge savings from your $3.99/wk, but the flavor is better than what I can get at any of the chains. 

There's a thread I started in 2017 about how easy it is to home-roast coffee. Be forewarned. It's as all consuming as smoking meat.


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## Fueling Around (Mar 30, 2021)

Try a dash of baking soda blended in the ground coffee.
Back in my dead broke college days that's how we stretched our budget.


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## noboundaries (Mar 30, 2021)

Baking soda is a salt (sodium bicarbonate).  I've never used it in coffee, but I have occasionally in tomato sauces to neutralize some of the acid. Lots of fizzy action until it is completely dissolved.


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## bill1 (Mar 31, 2021)

bill1 said:


> ...thanks Ray for setting me straight.


This morning I got it right.  Hot water pouring over coffee which flows over fine-ground pepper.  Definitely more of the pepper's subtlety (rather than just heat) came through.  But even then the first sips were better than the last...implying these flavors are pretty short-lived...so a coarser grind tomorrow to get a bit of a time-release effect.  

To AF Dan:  For "work" coffee, where grinding beans make you look like a weird-o, I agree Cafe Bustelo is a pretty good choice for pre-ground, ready-to-go coffee.  It's a little harder to find (and even a bit cheaper when you do,) but I like Cafe la Llave (in a green can) even better.


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## Fueling Around (Mar 31, 2021)

My wife uses a lot of flavors in her tea and coffee.
Ceylon Cinnamon has a more complex savory note than the traditional (Saigon) Cinnamon.
She uses Cardamon for a very floral note.


noboundaries said:


> Baking soda is a salt (sodium bicarbonate).  I've never used it in coffee, but I have occasionally in tomato sauces to neutralize some of the acid. Lots of fizzy action until it is completely dissolved.


Coffee grounds are very acidic and stop releasing flavors.  Adding the soda stretches releasing the flavors.  We got 2 pots of coffee from 1 pot amount of grounds


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## noboundaries (Mar 31, 2021)

Fueling Around said:


> Coffee grounds are very acidic and stop releasing flavors. Adding the soda stretches releasing the flavors. We got 2 pots of coffee from 1 pot amount of grounds


COOL! Another experiment.


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## Hamdrew (Mar 31, 2021)

i like this as my alkaline. tastes pretty damned delicious, too.


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## HalfSmoked (Apr 2, 2021)

I'm a coffee and pepper holic but don't think I want it in my coffee. I still like Jameson Irish as a treat once in a while. My wife likes tea with honey as a sweetener. 

Warren


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## noboundaries (Apr 2, 2021)

HalfSmoked said:


> I'm a coffee and pepper holic but don't think I want it in my coffee. I still like Jameson Irish as a treat once in a while.
> 
> Warren



I hear ya, Warren. One of the reasons black pepper was close to last on my experiments was it just never crossed my mind as a suitable coffee addition. This morning I'm drinking my delicious home-roasted coffee without the black pepper, and for the first time ever I thought _something is missing. _Might have to Irish this mug. 

Have a great day!

Ray


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## noboundaries (Apr 3, 2021)

Black pepper has taken my morning coffee experience to the next level of enjoyment. After a couple of weeks of adding black pepper to my coffee, then trying an unpeppered mug yesterday, I could barely wait for this morning to arrive and once again have a peppered coffee. 

I drink pour-over 90% of the time and Moka-brewed coffee the rest. I have a French press but have yet to experiment with it. I suspect it would work just the same as what I outlined below.  I do not own a standard coffee maker, but I believe the process below would also work just fine. 

1. Add 1/4 tsp ground black pepper to a 16 oz mug. Adjust pepper amount for larger or smaller mugs or cups. More pepper is NOT better. Too much pepper, and you can't taste the coffee.
2. If the pepper is ground powder-fine, use half the recommended amount. 
3. Pour black coffee into the mug. 
4. Stir for a few seconds to extract the black pepper flavors.
5. Then add any creamers if you use them. Adding the creamers before you add the coffee significantly diminishes the pepper flavor extraction. I suspect the fat in the creamers coats the pepper flakes.  

Happy Coffee!

Ray


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## bill1 (Apr 10, 2021)

The delayed release of pepper flavor is definitely a thing.  I've been doing my pour-overs into a pint thermos so I can have multiple small cups and try to investigate this further.  Whole peppercorns take _hours _to reach best flavor while coarse ground pepper takes 10's of minutes.  The disadvantage of coarse grind is you're left with "grounds" in the last cup that's a bit off-putting so my go-to normal is just as Ray suggests, 1/4 tsp of fine grind.  
I'm also investigating Costco pre-ground pepper vs freshly-milled of the same grind size and fine-ground fresh seems to have a bit of the delayed response too, but it could just be inconsistent mixing in the tall thermos.   More testing needed!  Research continues!


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## noboundaries (Apr 10, 2021)

I have a two decades+ old Cuisinart coffee grinder I no longer use. New I think they are $35-$45. Kids didn't want it, so I pulled it out of a garage cabinet this morning. Put it on the finest grind setting and tried some Costco whole peppercorns. MUCH more even grind than the blender, but not powder fine like the white pepper I have in the spice rack. Perfect grind size for 1/4 tsp. I KNEW there was a reason not to get rid of that well-loved grinder that still worked.

There are some mornings I forget to add the pepper. I know immediately it is missing with the first sip.


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## GonnaSmoke (Oct 14, 2021)

WasapRo said:


> Guys, which coffee beans do you like the most? I recently tried Lavazza Super Crema Coffee Beans and it was awesome, most likely it's my favorite product.


Freedom Fuel from Black Rifle Coffee Company. Others they sell that I like are  Blackbeard's Delight  and Beyond Black. These are all dark roasts, but they have lighter roasts as well...


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## bauchjw (Oct 14, 2021)

I’ve never had a bad cup of Black rifle, I also recommend Seven Seas Roasting, both veteran owned. 









						Coffee
					






					sevenseasroasting.com
				




7 Seas “Dark Side of the Sea” is awesome for my taste, but I take coffee like life, Dark and bitter! 

thank you for sharing! I’ll definitely try out the black pepper


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## bauchjw (Oct 16, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> 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!.
> 
> Give it a try on your next cup, or the next time you're tending the smoker overnight. Let me know what you think
> 
> ...



Wow! I’m a convert! Wasn’t sure at first, wife laughed at me, but that is an awesome addition! Thank you!


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