Wake up and guzzle the coffee – it’ll taste better

IF you really want to enjoy your coffee, gulp it down.

Research suggests that the hot drink tastes better when it is guzzled quickly in big mouthfuls.

Doing so improves the aroma and the way in which flavour-rich compounds in gases are released, say Italian scientists.

In tests, a 25ml ‘gulp’ liberated more aromatic gases then a 10ml ‘sip’.

The bigger mouthful also led to a higher proportion of chocolate, malty and caramel-like smells which make the coffee seem richer and tastier. In contrast, taking sips made it seem more acidic.

It is thought that having more liquid in the mouth increases the area in which chemical reactions can take place – allowing them to pass a threshold.

University of Naples researchers, who published their study in the journal Food Research International, also claimed that brands from their homeland performed better than imported varieties. Saliva stripped away more of the aromatic compounds in American- style filter coffee than Italian versions, they said. Their advice for the perfect coffee is to have an espresso – and drink it quickly.

Barry Smith, founder of the Centre for the Study of the Senses at the University of London, said: ‘It sounds sensible to take a bigger mouthful if you are going to get more chance of getting more aroma, since coffee is all about aroma.

‘But you risk burning your mouth unless you stick to the Italian way and make it using water just below boiling.’

However, Professor Smith said coffee was unlikely to taste as good as it smells – because a different part of the brain interprets the information. He added: ‘The companies that sell you it know that. It’s wake up and smell the coffee, not wake up and taste it.’