Should You Mix Coffee and Lemon?
Have you heard of the new lemon coffee trend yet? Should you try it? Let’s check it out!
The "Coffee with Lemon" Trend
If you drink coffee, then you may already be familiar with the common coffee combinations. There's the latte that combines coffee with steamed milk. There's the mocha that combines coffee with chocolate. There's even the affogato that combines coffee with ice cream. If you are on social media, you might even be familiar with the newer, trendy coffee combinations. For example, Dalgona "whipped" coffee and protein coffee (proffee). Both of which are creamier types of coffee drinks.
Now that you know the typical coffee combos, the idea of pairing coffee with lemon may seem like an odd match. This is especially true if you enjoy your coffee on the sweeter and creamier side and with milk and sugar. In addition, the use of citrus may seem off-putting when most people prefer their coffee on the creamier side. However, keep an open mind, and you may be surprised!
Coffee with lemon or "lemon coffee" is precisely what it sounds like! It is a coffee drink where lemon juice or slices are added to a brewed cup of coffee. By combining the two, you can experience a subtle citrus taste with every sip of coffee. Depending on how you like your coffee, you can make lemon coffee, either hot or iced. For the warmer weather of summer, iced lemon coffee can be a great refreshing drink to beat the heat.
Why You Should Try Lemon with Your Coffee
Now that we know why lemon coffee is so popular, should you try it out yourself? If you are not familiar with adding citrus into your coffee, you may have a few questions. For instance, what happens when you mix coffee and lemon juice?
Surprisingly, combining lemon and coffee does not create any weird reactions. After adding lemon juice to black coffee, the only change you will see is the color becoming a bit lighter. Keep in mind; this is only true if you add lemon into plain black coffee. If you try it in coffee with milk, the lemon juice will curdle the milk and ruin your perfect cup of coffee.
If you enjoy coffee with sugar and milk, then lemon coffee could be an excellent option for you. While the idea of lemon in coffee may seem underwhelming, you may be pleasantly surprised. The addition of lemon into black coffee will bring more flavor to the drink. It will also complement the coffee’s natural sweetness and aroma. Not to mention, adding lemon juice to plain black coffee can also balance out the bitterness.
Iced Black Coffee with Lemon Recipe
If you are interested in trying this coffee trend, here is how to make black coffee with lemon. But first, we recommend using high-quality instant coffee instead of brewed coffee. This makes the process much easier as there is less wait time and post-brew clean-up.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of room temperature or warm water
- Waka instant coffee
- 1/3 cup of lemon juice
- Ice cubes
- Lemon slices (optional)
- Sweetener or sugar (optional)
Step 1:
First, pour in your preferred amount of instant coffee crystals into one cup of water. The water can be room temperature or hot. You can also adjust your coffee to make it stronger or lighter. This depends on how many instant coffee crystals you add.
Luckily, if you don’t get the strength right the first time, you can easily fix it. If your coffee is too light, add in more coffee crystals until it is strong enough. If you accidentally added too much, just add in more water to dilute it.
Step 2:
Once you have mixed and dissolved your instant coffee into the water, add in one-third cup of lemon juice. You can use either freshly squeezed lemon juice or bottled lemon juice.
Step 3:
If you prefer a sweeter coffee, you can add in some sweetener or sugar. Then mix until dissolved. Alternatively, if you don't want to use sugar in your coffee, you can add a bit of honey or orange juice instead. If you use freshly-squeezed orange juice, the natural sugars will help sweeten and add another layer of citrus taste to your coffee.
Step 4:
If you would like, you can add sliced lemons to the top of your drink. If you prefer a lighter citrus taste in your coffee, you can also use these slices to replace the lemon juice from step 2.
Step 5:
Add in your ice cubes, mix, and enjoy!
The lemon coffee recipe is a straightforward drink to make with plenty of room for customization. If you would like to spice up your daily coffee, this trend could be great to try!
