14 Ingredients You Should Stop Adding To Coffee, According To A Barista

If you find that you're not waking up every morning with only the thought of a delicious, invigorating morning cup of coffee on the brain, it might not be because you're not a huge coffee fan. You might not realize it, but what you've always put in your brew may not be doing it any favors. Certain ingredients can mask the naturally sweet, smoky, and flavorful notes in coffee and completely ruin it, leaving behind the sad remnants of what could have been the perfect morning treat.

While some sweeteners or spices elevate freshly brewed coffee, others only highlight coffee's flaws, and it's not easy to tell what will work and what won't; usually it's a matter of trial and error. I've spent many slow days behind the café counter, creating funky experiments out of lattés, drip coffee, and espresso shots. Usually, my efforts only yielded concoctions to add to the "never make again" list, and not the discovery of the next new coffee craze, like I had imagined. Nevertheless, I'm able to put the results of those anticlimactic coffee trials to good use in this list. Here, I've highlighted some ingredients that seem like they can jazz up any standard cup of coffee in theory, but in practice, tend to render your joe undrinkable.

It feels like the presence of protein powder on store shelves and in trending social media videos has quadrupled in recent years. It's popularity is likely also to thank for the blasphemous abomination that is "profee." Some proponents of the mash-up claim that it helps cut down on mid-day snacking by filling them up first thing in the morning. Others enjoy the pre-workout power boost they get from combining muscle-building protein and invigorating caffeine. But, if you combine these two popular morning beverages before a workout, make sure you're not too far from a bathroom, because this combo is known to cause an upset stomach.

Ultimately, these two drinks are best left separated, because no one wants a stomach ache first thing in the morning, or worse — a gross cup of coffee. Not only can protein powder in coffee cause digestive issues, but it also alters the flavor and texture of coffee in a way that's less than desirable. Most popular protein powders contain artificial sweeteners that don't mesh well in coffee, and its thick texture ruins the body of a good brew, giving it a chunky, sometimes even slimy, mouthfeel.

As soon as stevia was introduced to the U.S. market back in 2011, it's been a ubiquitous sugar alternative in everything from tomato sauce to chewing gum. Stevia's main draw is its lack of calories, as opposed to sugar, which contains about 50 calories per tablespoon. Stevia can go virtually unnoticed in some confectionery foods or recipes that call for only a little of the added sweetener, but in coffee, stevia's flavor can often be the star of the show, and that's not at all what you want.

Although it's intended to mimic sugar closely, stevia has a licorice-like flavor that tastes almost like a sip of orange juice right after brushing your teeth and it usually makes coffee taste bitter. If you're on the hunt for a calorie-free sugar for coffee that won't make your drink taste like the most universally despised flavor of all time, I suggest monk fruit sweetener. This sugar alternative can be used in a 1-to-1 ratio to swap for regular sugar and it doesn't leave behind an acrid aftertaste.

The wide selection of flavor syrup options at cafés sometimes creates a classic case of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should." For a barista, it's always a nightmare when someone orders one of the fruity syrups reserved for iced teas in their drip coffee or latté and then complains when it tastes horrible. Most fruity syrups — especially candy-sweet ones like green apple and blue raspberry — are too tangy and vibrant, masking the nuances in coffee's flavor and enhancing everything that's undesirable about it. Plus, these flavors make milk taste rancid, so forget ever adding them to a latté or cappuccino.

If you're dead-set on fruity additions in your coffee, there are some berry flavors that are passable, and one in particular that's down-right delicious. Blueberry syrup in coffee is a great choice, especially for a refreshing, iced summer drink. My personal favorite sweetened café drink is a blueberry pie latté, which combines blueberry syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla, making milk taste dessert-level decadent and espresso extra smooth. Strawberry and raspberry are favored among some sugary-latté enthusiasts, but they can be hit-or-miss or largely dependent on personal preference.

Starbucks is to thank — or rather, blame — for introducing olive oil in coffee to the masses. The company referred to its disastrous combo as the Oleato line of coffee beverages, and it was predictably discontinued after less than a year. What Starbucks failed to acknowledge is that mistakes are bound to happen when mixing olive oil and coffee. Since water and oil aren't the best of friends, they need to be blended in order to fully incorporate, and who wants to break out the blender and go through all that trouble to make their coffee taste "meh?" Nutty flavors often pair well with coffee, but in olive oil's case, its nuttiness is amplified by savory, umami notes that muddle coffee's natural sweetness.

If you're still itching to try this unlikely duo, instead of adding olive oil directly to your coffee, make a batch of homemade oat milk. Homemade oat milk requires oil, and olive oil is a popular choice for this easy-to-make milk. Use a little extra to make the milk ultra creamy and give it a bigger dose of earthiness, and then create an oat milk latté to make olive oil in coffee a tasty treat. The oat milk and oil emulsify easily, and the oil's grassy taste won't overpower your coffee.

Remember rice milk? It feels like it's been ages since the once-popular milk alternative lined store shelves, only to die in ubiquity alongside soy milk at the hands of oat and almond. But, despite how it may seem, rice milk is alive and well, and it's exceptionally tasty in smoothies and breakfast cereal. However, it has no place whatsoever in coffee drinks.

Rice milk is typically made up of mostly water and milled rice, so its flavor is mild, albeit naturally sweet. The innate sweetness of rice milk would make it desirable in coffee, but before you pour it in your brew or attempt to froth it for a fluffy cappuccino, consider its texture. Minimal protein in rice milk — compared to other non-dairy milks — means it doesn't froth well, so stick with oat or cashew milk for lattés and cappuccinos. Rice milk is watery and thin, whereas the ideal milk for a delicious coffee drink is luscious and creamy. Its sweet, mild nuttiness combined with its thin texture waters down coffee and gives it a sour taste.

There's nothing like a boozy coffee to brighten your mood and warm you up from the inside out. Alcohol and coffee are a match made in heaven, but I'd advise against tossing some of whatever you grab first out of the liquor cabinet into your joe. Vodka is a popular choice for transforming coffee from a morning wake-up into a cozy night cap, but unless you're using the expensive, ultra-smooth stuff, vodka has a harsh, medicinal flavor in coffee. Its pungent taste and aroma usually convolutes coffee's delicate richness, watering it down and imbuing it with a chemical-like aftertaste.

For your next coffee cocktail, skip vodka and reach for booze that's warming, spicy, creamy, or all three. Go the Italian route and create an espresso drink with warming grappa or spiced, herbal sambuca. Or keep it simple and toss a shot of your favorite whiskey into a cup of drip, French press, or pour over. Whether you like it black or milky and sugary, whiskey will enhance any delicate woody, sweet, or earthy flavors naturally present in your brew.

You probably know someone that swears by it, but butter in coffee really is as weird as it sounds. It all started when a tech guru, languished by brain fog, tried some tea with butter in it on a mountain in Tibet and immediately felt rejuvenated. Today, his creation — Bulletproof coffee — is synonymous with all buttery or oil-infused coffee. The idea behind this fatty drink, according to Bulletproof Coffee founder Dave Asprey, is that it eliminates brain fog and helps to manage weight, but his brazen claims are met with criticism. It's possible that — since fat is digested slowly — it could bind to caffeine and cause a slow-release effect, thus providing longer-lasting energy, but this has yet to be proven. It's hard to say if there's any psychological or nutritional benefit to adding butter to coffee, but one thing is for certain: it doesn't taste good.

Although some claim that adding butter to morning coffee helps with weight management, it goes without saying that adding such a fatty ingredient will make your drink more calorie-dense, which is usually something to avoid when striving to lose weight. It also gives coffee a greasy texture, essentially eliminating the body of coffee and replacing it with a thick, oily consistency.

Just because you enjoy a cup of light-and-sweet coffee doesn't mean you should reach for coffee creamer as your soul coffee addition. Coffee creamer is a creamy, sugary coffee add-in that stands in place of cream and sugar, and despite its milk appearance, it usually doesn't contain any milk at all. Instead, water, vegetable oil, and sugar give coffee creamer its luscious texture and candy-sweet flavor. Popular brands contain around 5 grams of sugar in one mere tablespoon of the stuff. Coffee creamer is also heavily-processed, and its ultra-artificial nature is often evident in its taste.

I'm sure I don't have to be the one to tell you that starting your day off on a super sweet, highly-processed note isn't the best idea. Beginning the morning with a sugar-laden drink can often result in sugar cravings throughout the day, leading to unhealthy snacking. Health factors aside, coffee creamer has the ability to mask the less-than-desirable flavor of bitter, low-quality coffee, but it can also hide the intricate notes in artisanal coffee with excessive sugar and added artificial flavors. Instead, for a light and sweet brew, reach for extra-creamy oat milk or a splash of half-and-half and minimally-processed flavored sweeteners, like honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.

Matcha has become a popular coffee alternative in recent years, showing up at cafés nationwide, and even at large coffee chains like Dunkin' and Starbucks. Matcha is a finely-ground green tea powder hailing from Japan, and it's usually used in place of espresso in lattés. As is customary with any new, popular drink, folks have been "dirtying" matcha with espresso, but — although it may sound like it has the potential to be the next big trend — I implore you to run if you see this atrocity pop up on your neighborhood café's menu.

Matcha has a similar flavor profile to green tea; earthy, grassy, slightly bitter, and a little bit tart. Espresso has a somewhat similar profile with bitter, robust notes that are sometimes earthy. To combine the two beverages — which are both delicious on their own — is to enhance these flavors in each drink, but not in a harmonious way. The combo creates an acrid, sour mess that milk and sugar do little to placate. If you're really feeling the itch to experiment, I'd suggest adding enough sugar until the espresso goes unnoticed. But, since that's what's necessary to make it drinkable, there's really no point in combining them in the first place.

If you love coffee, why not add more coffee to your coffee? I know it sounds like a great idea in theory, and frankly, if you're really fiending for an extra caffeine boost, it can be worth it. But, ultimately, adding a shot of espresso to a cup of drip coffee can have disastrous consequences, impacting the coffee's taste and your health.

The red eye, black eye, and the dastardly dead eye are names for café drinks that involve drip coffee with varying levels of caffeine; one shot, two shots, and three shots, respectively. I used to crank out many an "eye" drink for bleary-eyed customers early in the a.m., but deep down, I always wished they had opted for a two-or-three-shot latté or cap instead. Adding espresso to coffee can severely impact the drink's taste, making it appear extra dark and bold, and adding flavors that may not mix well with the drip coffee's notes, such as smokiness from espresso on top of citrus notes in brewed coffee. In addition to altering coffee's flavor, added espresso convolutes the drink's caffeine content, so you might be getting a much bigger dose than you had anticipated, leading to potential anxiety and jitters. If you start every morning with a red eye, black eye, or dead eye, you could wind up with health complications caused by excessive caffeine consumption.

Agave is yet another addition on the laundry list of newly in-demand alternative sweeteners. Agave syrup, commonly referred to as just agave, is a thick, sweet liquid. It's made from the agave plant — a succulent native to Mexico and the Caribbean — and it's known for its crucial role in the production of mezcal.

Before adding agave to your coffee, it's important to be aware that it's about ⅓ sweeter than sugar. Its high fructose content makes it easy to over-sweeten drinks that call for only a little bit of added sweetness, since it can't be used in a 1-to-1 ratio to substitute sugar. It leaves behind a slightly tangy, caramel-like aftertaste that can be appealing in some coffees — like darker roasts — but acidic light roasts can taste sour with the addition of agave. Its intense sweet flavor can leave an unpleasant, lingering aftertaste, while its tanginess highlights any bitter notes in the coffee. This alternative sweetener is much better suited for baked goods and other recipes that call for a substantial amount of sweetener.

I know, I know — mayonnaise in coffee can't possibly be a thing, right? Well, thanks to the well-meaning but sometimes completely uncalled for nature of social media, it is. Like all food trends that make you want to never look at the internet ever again, the mayo-coffee abomination started with a Tik-Tok video, in this case of University of Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. He claims that he's known to put mayo in his coffee from time to time, and when observing his abysmal life choice in action, it's apparent that he — to the dismay of baristas everywhere — uses a lot more mayo than anyone would have guessed.

Whether or not this unholy concoction is another potentially healthy version of Bulletproof coffee has been hotly contested. But, like Bulletproof coffee, this dastardly duo encourages the consumption of saturated fat first thing in the morning, which can be unhealthy for some. In addition to potential negative health consequences, it probably goes without saying that it doesn't taste good at all. Unrelenting curiosity prompted me to try this mixture myself, and it was impossible to get the mayo to fully dissolve in the coffee. Its taste and texture is exactly what I would imagine a cup of coffee loaded with chunky, rancid milk to be like, so, I have only one word for Will Levis: why?

If you've ever had the pleasure of enjoying a gourmet espresso at an Italian café, you may have noticed that it was adorned with a twist of lemon. While it adds an attractive pop of color to the beverage, it shouldn't be used to add additional flavor to the coffee. Lemon and espresso go together like, well, mayo and coffee. In this case, it's a mash-up that doesn't work due to flavors that conflict because they're too similar; both are bitter and complex. The two bring out the worst in each other, creating an acidic mess in your cup.

Why — you may ask — is espresso served with lemon if the two ingredients don't mesh? One theory has roots in the World War II era, when water was scarce in some parts of Europe and sanitation wasn't guaranteed. The twist of lemon may have been used to sanitize the cup before drinking from it, and simultaneously acting as an aesthetically-pleasing garnish. Whatever the reason, it's best to appreciate its charm and snag a quick photo, and then discard the lemon before sipping.

Coconut milk is a creamy, silky dairy alternative that works wonders in a plethora of recipes, especially soups, stews, and baked goods. It's offered as an alternative milk at chains like Starbucks, and formerly at Dunkin', but it's undoubtedly not as popular a choice as oat and almond milk. Unlike oat and almond milk — which have a mostly neutral flavor and only slight remnants of the taste of their ingredients — coconut milk offers a full punch of tropical flavor, whisking you away to a sunny island getaway. This flavor is ideal for some recipes, like curry or fruit smoothies, but in coffee, it can be less than ideal.

The tropical flavor of coconut milk can read as sour and acetous in a cup of coffee, even though it offers an optimal creamy, fat-infused texture. To achieve this level of intense creaminess but minimize the bold coconut taste, try using coconut cream in coffee instead. You'll still taste coconut, but only as a slight aftertaste because the overwhelming richness of coconut cream means you only have to use a little. Try coconut cream in a homemade, dairy-free coffee creamer for all the sweetness and creaminess of a traditional coffee creamer with none of the added oils, preservatives, or busy flavors.