Recently Buzzfeed revisited an old episode of Good Eats hosted by food genius and horned-rimmed-glasses aficionado Alton Brown. In the clip, Brown shares several tips on making the perfect brew, but one suggestion in particular sticks out: to add a dash of salt to your grounds before brewing.
To “help take the bitterness out of your brew,” Brown suggests using a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt for every six tablespoons of ground coffee.
“Not only does salt cut the bitterness of coffee, but it also smooths out the ‘stale’ taste of tank-stored water. I’ve taken to adding a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt to every six tablespoons of grounds. That isn’t really enough to taste, but it’ll do the trick,” Brown writes. “And by the way, research has proven that salt is actually better at neutralizing bitterness than sugar.”