Coffee is an amazing beverage to have whenever you need a caffeine lift. It is often included in many diets especially in its black form.
However, because sweeteners and creamers can add a lot of calories to coffee, some people prefer to take it with low – calories sweeteners.
A great example is Stevia, a natural sweetener that is highly preferred by Diabetics. People who choose to use low- calorie sweeteners to manage their weight also opt for Stevia as their coffee sweetener.
What is Stevia?
Stevia is a natural sweetener made from the leaves of the Stevia plant that’s popularly added to coffee and other beverages. The leaves of this plant contain compounds called Stevia glycosides that are the main ingredient in this zero-calorie sweetener.
Although Stevia is significantly sweeter than regular sugar, it does not increase blood sugar or insulin levels because it does not contain carbs or sugar.
Stevia is also easy on the stomach, unlike other sweeteners such as those made from sugar alcohols like Sorbitol that cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
This zero calorie sweetener also lowers cholesterol levels making it the ideal option to use instead of sugar in healthy coffee and food recipes.
You can buy Stevia in powder and liquid form. There are also Stevia sweeteners made from the dried, ground leaves of the Stevia plant. Powdered Stevia is the most preferred among these three options.
This could be because it dissolves easily in coffee or that it’s the type of Stevia most similar to sugar. Therefore, it’s the Stevia sweetener you’ll find in most homes and coffee shops.
Stevia is associated with a variety of flavors. There are those who say it tastes of menthol, while others complain it leaves an astringent or metallic taste in their mouth. This is a common complaint associated with a variety of Stevia brands.
The funny taste associated with Stevia is because of how it reacts in the mouth. Its simultaneous interaction with the sweet and bitter receptors in the mouth creates that bitter taste that some people find hard to get used to. What is the best way to deal with this?
Tips on How to Reduce Bitterness When Using Stevia in Coffee
There are a couple of ways you can make Stevia taste better.
1. Use liquid Stevia in your coffee
Always go for liquid Stevia because these forms of the sweetener taste better than the powdered versions.
This is because liquid stevia is made with stevia leaf and water only, a combination that facilitates the even distribution of sweet compounds in Stevia,
Therefore, liquid Stevia has an all rounded sweetness that most people prefer. It also does not contain most of the fillers known to give sweeteners a bitter aftertaste because of its simple composition.
2. Mix Stevia with other types of natural sugar
You can also balance the flavor notes in Stevia by mixing it with other natural sweeteners to eliminate the bitter taste.
If you are not entirely off sugar, try mixing a tablespoon of sugar with 2 drops of liquid Stevia to give it a better taste.
You may also mix a tablespoon of sugar with a 1/4 teaspoon of stevia powder if you prefer this form of sweetener in your coffee.
3. Combine Stevia with other sugar-free sweeteners
Combining Stevia with other sugar-free sweeteners such as Xylitol also eliminates the bitter taste you get when using it in its plain form.
For the same effect, you may also mix Stevia with other natural sweeteners such as maple syrup, coconut sugar, and honey. Just watch the quantity you use to avoid adding too many calories to your coffee.
4. Add other low-calorie flavoring agents to your coffee
Since the bitterness in Stevia comes from the tongue’s reaction to the sweetener, you may balance it out with other flavors.
This will trigger your tongue to react to different flavors apart from sweet and bitter, that cause the astringent taste you get from taking Stevia.
Some good flavors to try are vanilla, coconut, or almond which are known to blend in well with Stevia’s sweetness, thereby reducing its bitterness.
5. Use Stevia in cold coffee beverages
Some coffee experts say Stevia tastes better when put in cold coffee beverages. This is because chilled beverages are less bitter.
Therefore, putting drinks sweetened with Stevia in a fridge can reduce any unpleasant taste from the sweetener. It’s the best zero-calorie sweetener to use in cold coffees such as cold brews and iced coffees.
6. Use Stevia with low-calorie coffee creamers and milk
You can also eliminate the funny aftertaste you get after drinking coffee beverages sweetened with Stevia by adding low-calorie coffee creamer to it.
Plant-based milk such as oat milk and soy milk also blends in well with Stevia-sweetened beverages leaving no bitter taste in them.
Some people also add flavored protein powder to coffee when sweetening it with Stevia to eliminate any bitter taste and make its consistency thicker.
7. Choose the right type of Stevia
Liquid Stevia leaves less of a bitter taste in the mouth than powdered Stevia. So if you are having difficulty stomaching the taste of powdered Stevia in your coffee, try the liquid option for a better mouth-feel.
Also, low-quality stevia brands are more likely to leave a bitter taste in your mouth than the top brands. So, try a few high-quality brands to find one that does not leave much of an unpleasant taste in your mouth.
Checking the ingredients on the back of Stevia sweetener packs will help you to make the right choice. The ones to avoid are those with fillers such as maltodextrin or artificial flavors known to enhance Stevia’s astringent taste.
Conclusion
Those are a few tips on how to make coffee with Stevia taste better. This is one of the best zero-calorie coffee sweeteners you can use when on a diet or to balance your blood sugar.
Therefore, the astringent taste associated with Stevia should not deter you from using it. It is one of the best zero-calorie sweeteners to use for your health.
If you follow the suggestions we’ve given you to eliminate this taste, you will enjoy using it in different coffee beverages.
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