Turn Bad Coffee Into A Better Cup With One Store-Bought Ingredient

While many at-home baristas have a dedicated coffee station with all the accouterments one could need for fancy lattes and effective espressos, some of us just can't be bothered to pour money into our coffee consumption habits. And, even for the most well-versed coffee connoisseurs, sometimes making your own fresh pot of coffee at home just doesn't turn out the way you'd like it. 

Even if you have mastered the art of making pour-over or French press coffee, there will come a time you still may be stuck with waiting room coffee cups in hand or your friend's decades-old Mr. Coffee being between you and your caffeine fix. Whatever scenario you find yourself in, no one likes being stuck with a below-average morning cup of coffee, even if you're just drinking it for the caffeine. But luckily, there is one quick fix you can try the next time you find yourself with a barely-drinkable mug of coffee: hot chocolate mix.

While you may typically try to avoid any extra sugar or fat with your daily dose of coffee, sometimes a bad brew will leave you with no choice but to mask the flavor. However, as you may have discovered, adding numerous sugar packets alone will not be able to cover up the taste of cheap coffee beans or a burnt batch. Rather, turning your coffee into a makeshift mocha will easily do the trick, and it takes almost no time or effort. 

Whether you're at a hotel continental breakfast bar or at a distant relative's house, there's a high chance that there's a hot chocolate packet nearby. Simply adding in instant hot cocoa that can dissolve in water will cover up bitter flavors and elevate your drink into a creamy, more well-balanced cup. All you have to do is empty the powder mix into your mug and stir.

Even if you have access to a nice, fresh cup of quality coffee, you may still want to get in on this quick mocha trick for when you don't feel like traveling to your nearest coffee shop.