9 coffee hacks that will upgrade your morning with basically no effort

You probably think that making a cup of coffee is one of the most mundane (albeit crucial) things you can do in the morning. But did you know there are some seriously easy hacks to give your morning coffee a makeover with virtually no effort required?

It’s true! Though you responsibly make your coffee at home each day, you likely have no idea that there are a few simple (yet totally game-changing) hacks for a better cup of coffee. They’ll have you asking, “Starbucks who?”

Here are the simplest, quickest ways to upgrade your mornings with little to no effort. You’ll be thanking us tremendously for these helpful tips.

1. Reduce bitterness with a touch of salt.

If your fresh morning pot came out a bit too bitter for your liking, there’s a genius two-second fix: Sprinkle some salt on it. Yep, really. It sounds odd, but sprinkling some salt into your coffee will reduce the bitterness; The sodium counteracts with the coffee’s overpowering taste. Who knew?

2. Three words: Coffee. Ice. Cubes.

Few things are worse than watered-down iced coffee thanks to melting ice cubes, but there’s an all-too-easy way to prevent that. Just freeze some leftover brewed coffee in ice cube trays, and you’ve got yourself the best homemade iced coffee ever. You can also do this with your milk or creamer of choice, giving your iced beverages a delicious, creamy boost.

3. Get a bit spicy.

If you want to add flavor or sweetness to your java without adding in a sweetener, look no further than your spice rack. Coffee enthusiasts have long touted the tastiness of adding spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamon to the beans. You can get a little crazy and add vanilla beans, orange zest, or even lemon zest for a unique flavor — whatever floats your flavor boat, baby.

4. The cure for a cold cup.

When you’re pouring your piping hot coffee into a cold mug that’s been sitting in your pantry forever, it might lower the temperature of your beloved morning beverage. But an easy way to make sure your mug keeps your coffee warm and toasty? Rinse it with warm water before pouring your coffee in. Honestly, how did we not think of this before?

5. Baking soda.

There’s nothing more annoying than grabbing your favorite mug only to realize there are coffee stains in it from yesterday. Scrubbing a little baking soda on a damp sponge will lift those stains right out, no dishwasher cycle needed. This hack also works for travel mugs, thermoses, carafes, and even coffee makers if you add some white vinegar to the mix to disinfect.

6. Cold coffee is officially over.

If you like to nurse your hot cup of java for several hours (or you simply got distracted doing other things with no time to finish your cup!) you’ll love this tip. Instead of reheating your coffee in the microwave (which is likely to burn it or heat it unevenly), you can reheat it slowly on the stove. But be sure to keep it on a low temperature so as not to burn it. You’re welcome!

7. Add coconut oil or butter for healthy fats.

In recent years, Bulletproof coffee has taken the caffeine world by storm, and now people everywhere are adding unconventional ingredients to their morning cup like coconut oil, butter, and ghee. It might sound bonkers, but some nutritional experts swear that blending your coffee with grass-fed butter or coconut oil provides your body with essential nutrients that can give you more energy (you know, if coffee alone doesn’t do the trick), keep you fuller longer, and kick your metabolism into high gear.

The verdict is still out about how well this works, but hey, it can’t hurt to give it a try. Butter doesn’t make anything worse.

8. Make some delicious homemade flavored syrups.

Love added flavor in your java but hate forking over crazy money for your morning buzz? Yeah, us too. A solution: homemade flavored syrups. With just minutes of prep and cook time, you can have yourself a delicious homemade caramel coffee, vanilla coffee, or even a pumpkin spice coffee for way cheaper than the coffee shop.

9. Recycle those grounds.

If you end up with leftover coffee grounds, don’t just throw ’em away — there are plenty of good uses for them. You can toss them into your garden to make a natural fertilizer and pest repellent, scrub them into your pots and pans to help lift stains and grime, or even use them for a homemade coffee mask and face scrub. Coffee grounds even help neutralize odors, so stick ’em in the fridge for fresher smelling food.