Have you recently drank a cup of coffee, only to find that you get a salty taste in your mouth? Depending on the quality of coffee beans you use and how it is brewed can bring up different attributes of the coffee, but salty isn’t one you’re hoping for.
A great-tasting cup of coffee will usually have a balance of different flavors and qualities where they all complement each other. Some people prefer their coffee to have a bit of a salty taste and may even add salt to it.
But, if saltiness isn’t what you desire and you are tasting it anyways, continue reading. Your coffee can taste salty for a multitude of reasons.
Other than the possibility that the water used in the brewing process is salty, to begin with, under-extraction is most likely the culprit of the salty coffee. Under-extraction can occur when insufficient water is used during brewing, the coffee grind is too coarse, or the machine is broken.
Let’s take a further look into each of these culprits and how to rid your coffee of that unwanted salty taste.
Common Causes of Salty Coffee
The most common causes of salty coffee is that the water used during the brewing process is salted to begin with, or the coffee beans are being under-extracted. First, we’ll dive into using salty water.
Salty Water to Start With
Coffee is made from two components, coffee beans and water. The quality of the water you use to brew your coffee will affect its overall taste. In fact, your favorite cup of coffee is made with mostly water, so it makes sense to go to the primary source first.
The saltiness you may taste in your water is due to sodium chloride, more commonly known as table salt, in the water. This sodium chloride can get into your water because of possible seawater seeping into the water lines or salt deposits found in the soil.
Another possible cause of salt in your water may be a faulty water softener system installed in your home. If the water coming from your faucet is salty and you have a water softener in your home, check out the system for any logical causes of malfunction. You may need to call out a repairman if you are unfamiliar with how your particular system works.
Check out our other article, “What type of water should I use in my coffee maker?” for more in-depth information on the best water to use when brewing coffee.
Using the tap is not the best source to get water from, especially if you live in areas with lesser quality. Some cities tend to have better water than others. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collects data all over the U.S. and allows the public to access the water quality where they live.
Under-Extracted Coffee
If you’ve checked the water used to make the coffee, and it seems perfectly normal, then your salty coffee is most likely due to under-extraction.
Extraction is the process of pulling the flavor out of the coffee bean through hot water. When water is combined with coffee grounds, a chemical reaction dissolves the flavor compounds. If you are using a French Press, extraction refers to the amount of time the coffee grounds are immersed in water.
When coffee grounds are over-extracted, it can result in bitter-tasting coffee, and saltiness can occur when the grounds are under-extracted.
Under-extracted coffee can occur for three reasons:
- Not enough water is used during the brewing process.
- The coffee grind is too coarse.
- The coffee maker is not functioning correctly.
Too Little Water Being Used
Determining the correct amount of water to use in brewing the perfect cup of coffee may take some trial and error. Everyone is going to have a different preference, so start somewhere and start experimenting.
Remember that using too little water in the brewing process can lead to a coffee with a salty taste. If you are only using a small amount of water, the coffee is not allowed the entire time it needs for the full flavor to be extracted by the water. This is what leads to that salty taste.
For more in-depth information and a table showing how much water to use, check out our other article, “What is the best coffee to water ratio?”
Coffee Grind Too Coarse
Grinding your coffee beans can take some practice. Two things will dictate the fineness or coarseness of the grind size you’re looking for. First, the brewing method significantly determines how fine or coarse your grounds should be.
For example, if you are brewing with an Espresso, your grind size should be very fine, like the size of table salt. If you are using a French Press, you will want to use a coarse grind.
Below is a table explaining in more detail how fine or coarse you want to grind your beans depending on what device you are brewing with.
If your coffee grind is too coarse, the water will pass through too quickly and not be able to extract enough of the coffee flavor in the process. When your grind is the correct size (not too coarse), there is more surface area of the coffee, allowing the water to extract more of the coffee flavor.
For further explanation of how to determine how fine to grind your coffee beans, click here!
Coffee Machine not Functioning Correctly
Unfortunately, under extraction can result from your coffee maker not functioning correctly. Often, if your coffee maker is older, it may begin to have a difficult time heating the water to the necessary temperature.
When this occurs, the grounds are under-extracted, preventing all the good oils and coffee flavors from being extracted to make that perfect cup of coffee.
Another issue with a coffee machine not functioning correctly is when the brew time is shortened to the point that the water does not have enough time to extract all the good oils and flavor from the coffee grounds.
For the typical person, these issues usually warrant a new coffee machine.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you’ll be able to determine the cause of your salty-tasting coffee after reading this and doing your investigative work. Remember to check the water you are using first, and then if that isn’t the cause of your salty coffee, follow our other recommendations.